Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1858-07-22


the principles upon which they we're pred
icated. And what was the result Of their
action? They passed resolutions, first re :
pealing the Wilmot provso inslruc. ions.
and in lieu thereof adopted another resolu
li"n. in which they declared the great prin-
ciple which asserts the right of the people
to make their own form Of government, AMI
establish their own institutions. That res
olu,ipn is ~ fnllows:
"ResoiOei, that our liberty and indie
pendence are based upon the ri; Eht of the
peopl. 10 form for themselves suc gov.
ernment as they may chopsc; hat this great
principle. tn. bir;h-riyht of freemen, the
gltt 0t Heaven. secured to US BY the blo0;i
of our ancestors. ought to be extended To
future generations; no Limitation ough, ia
be applied TO this power in the organic /
lion of any territory If the UnieI Safes.
of either Terri nrial Government or S,a =
Cons IN ion, prrvi lei the Government gu
established shall be- Republican and in con
formity with the Consultation Of the Uni ed
! Safes
That resolution. declaring the grea'
princi pie of seIf-guvernment as applicable
to the tcrli'ori and new SAFES. passed
the House If representatives of this State
BY vote of sixty-one il the affirmative to
only tour in the negative. Thus You fni
that an expression of public opinion. en-
liyhlered. educated. and inielli gent public
opinion on this question by the representa-
! lives of Illinois. in 1851. approaches near
ar to unanimi!v than has ever been obtained
on any controverled question. That reso-
lu-tpn was entered on the Journal Of the
Leg Sislature Of Illinois. and ii has remained
there from that day to this g standing in
strucilon 10 her Senator's and request To-
her Representatives in Congress to carr.
out that principle in all future cases. LII;
nois therefore stands pre-eminent as the
S.a;r which stepped forward early and es,
iablished a platform applicable to this slave
~ question. concurred in alike bv Wings
and Democrats. in which it was declared
10 be The wish of our people that thereafter
the people of the territories should be lef
perfectly free to form and regulate ther
own domes ic ms itu ions in their own way
and that no limia a:ion should be placed ur-
on that rish, in any form. Hence. wha
Was my duy in 1854. when i became nee
essary to bring forward bill for the o: =
yanizaio1 Of Kansas and Nebraska? Was
it not my duly, in obedience to the Illinois
platform. to your standing instructions To
your Senators, adopted wi n almost entire
unanimiiy. 10 incorporate in that bill the
great principle of self-government, declsr
ing that 1t Was "the true intent and mean
inS of the &C, not to lesisate slavery into
any State or Territory. or TO exclu le it
tn refrom. but 20 leave the people thereof
perfectly free to form and regulate their
domestic ins .i.uiions in their own way.
suhj 'c' only to the Constitution Of the
Uni:cd S;aes?" | dii incorporate that
principle in the Kansas Nebraska bill and
perhaps | did as much as any living man
in The enactment Of that BILL thus esiab-
listing the doctrine in the public policy of
the country. then defended that princi
PIE ayains, assaults from one section # the
Union. During .his last winter i. became
my duty To viniica.e it against assaults
from the o-her section Of ,he Union.
viadica'ed it boldly and fe rlessy. as the
p-ople of Chicago can bear witness, when
it was sssaileI by Freesoilers; and during
this winter vindicaled and defended it
as boldly and frarlessly when it was at.
tempted to b. violated by the almost united
South. | pledged myself 10 you on every
stump ii. Illinois in 1854, IPledsed myself
TO the people Of other States. North and
Souih--wherever spoke and in the
United States Senate and elsewhere, in ev-
cry form in which could reach the public
mind or the public ear. | gave the pledge
that |. So far as the power should be in my
hands would viidicate the principle Of the
ri ,5ht of the people to form their own in
stitu.ions, 10 establish free States or slave
States AS they chose, and that that princi-
pie should never b. violated either by fraud
or violence. BY circumvent:on. or by any
other means, il it Was in my power to pre-
vent it. now submit to You. my fel ow-
ci izens, whether have not redeemed that
pledge in good faith! (Cries of yes"
and three tremendous cheers Yes. my
f,iends, have redeemed j: in good faith.
and il is matter Of heartfelt qualification
To me To see these assembled thousands
here tonight. bearing their testimony to
the fidelity with which l have advocated
that principle and redeemed my pledges in
connec.i,n with j..
will be entirely frank with You. Ny
object was to secure the light of the reo-