The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-07-22

ADJ Otuer mc8nD, u WaS 10 my power W
prevent it. (Applause) ! now submit to
you, my fellow-citizens, whether have not
redeemed that pledge in good faith tCries
Of " yes, yes" and three tremendous cheers
Yes, my friends, have redeemed it in good
faith, and II il Q matter Of heartfelt gratif-
cation TO me 10 see these assembled thou
sands here tonight bearing their testimony
to the fidelity with which have advocated
tina, principle and redeemed my pledges in
connection with it. (Cheers)
will he entirely frank with you. Wy OBJ
jet was to secure the right Of the people Of
each State and Of each Territory, North or
South, TO decide the question for themselves,
TO have slavery or not, just as they choose
and by opposition to the Iecompton Consti.
tuition was not Dredcated upon the ground
that il was proslavery Constitution,
tchcers) nor would my actions have been
different had it been free soil constitution.
My speech against the Iecompton fraud was
made on the 9th Of December, while the vote
on the slave clause in that constitution was
not taken until the Dist Of the same month,
nearly two weeks after. made my speech
against that Lcompton nionstrosity solely
on the ground that It was violation Of the
fundamental principles Of free government
on the ground that it was not the act and
deed Of the people Of Kansas that it did
not crnbody their will that they were averse
TO it and hence | deny the right Of Con
grcss TO force it upon them, either a. a tree
State or slave State (Bravo) deny
the right of Congress TO force a slavehold.
ing State upon an unwilling people. Cheers
| deny their right to force free State upon
an unwilling people. (Cheers.) deny their
right TO force good thing upon a people
VINO are unwilling to receive it. (Cries of
good, good, and cheers) The great principle
is the right of every community to Judge and
decide for itself, whether a thing is right or
wrong, whether it would be good or evil for
them to adopt it and the right of free action,
the right Of free thought, the right Of free
judgment IN the question is dcarer to every
true American than any other under free
government, My objection to the Iecomp-
ton continuance was that ii undertook to
put constitution on the people OF Kansas
against their will, in opposition to their
wishes, and thus violated the great principle
upon which all our Institutions rest. II il no
ss.sxss - .ss-s ssgs:snr. to esy sii.s ss,rrer
is an evil and hence should not be tolerated
You must allow the people TO decide for
themselves whether it is good or an evil
You allow them TO decide for themselves
wVether they desire Maine Liquor Law or
not, you allow them to decide for them
selves what kind OF common schools they
mill LA Wbut IF hauE tpsr than
will adopt, or whether they will adopt any
ut all you allow them to decide for them.
selves the relations between husband and
wife, parent and child and guardian and
ward In fact, you allow them to decide for
themselves all other questions, and why not
upon this question: (Chcers) Wherever
you put n Limitation upon the right Of any
people TO decide what laws they want, you
have destroyed the fundamental principle Of
| scli-govcrnment. (Cheers
In connection with this subject. pcrhaps,i it
will not be improper for me on this occasion
TO alude TO the position Of those who have
chosen to arraign my conduct on this same
subject. have observed from the public
prints that but few days ago the Republi-
can party of the State Of Illinois assembled
in Convention at Springfield, and not only
laid down their platform, but nominated q
candidate for the United States Senate, ~
my SUCCESSOR. OIiSses.) take great
pleasure in saying that have known, per-
sonaly and Intimately, for about quarter
OF II century. the worthy gentleman who has
BEEN nominated for my place, "a voice,
" lie will never get it, and checrs) and |
will say that regard him as kind, anna
bic and intelligent, gentleman, good citizen
and an honorable opponent, and whatever
issue | may have with him will bc Of
principle. and not involving personal ties.
| Cheers Mr. Lincoln made speech be-
tore that Republican Convention which
unanimously nominated him for the Senate
"A speech well prcpar d and carefully writ.
tenn which he states the basis upon which
he proposes to carry on the campaign during
this summer. In II he lays down two dis.
/ tinet propositions which | shall notice, and
upon which shall take direct and bold ~
sue with him. (Crics OF good, good,
and great applause
| His first and main proposition will give
| in his own language, scripture quotations
and ali QIaughterl give his exact Ian
guagc: 80 A house divided against itself
cannot stand believe this government
cannot endure. permanently, half lare and
half free. do not expect the Union to be
dissolved. | do not expect the house to faN !,
but do expect il to cease 10 be divided
Ii will become al one thing or al the other
| In other words, Mr.. Lincoln asserts, a.
fundamental principle OF this government
that there mus, be uniformity in the local
laws and domestic institutions OF each and
all the States of the Union; and be there
fore invites all the non-slavcholding States to
band together. organize as one body, and
make war spon slavery in Kentucky, upon
slavery in Virginia. upon SLAVERY in he Car
oliuas upon slavery in all Of the slavehold.
ing States in the Union. and to pcrsvere in
tina, war until it shall be extermlnated. lie
then notifies the savehokling States TO stand
together ~ q unit and make an aggressive
-, ,,,.., III, fro, States nf this Il MON nth