Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1858-08-05

form. tTremendous applsuse.) Hence,
what was my duty, in 1854, when It be
came necessary to bring forward bill for
the organization Of the Territories Of Kan.
sas and Nebraska Wss it not my duty,
in obedience to the Illinois platform, to
your standing instructions 10 yonr SEN
ators, adopted with almost entire unanim !.
ity, to incorporate in that bill the great
principle Of selfgoyernment, declaring that
il was :" the true intent ami reaning Of
the act not to legislate slavery into any
State or Territory, or to exclude it there
from, but TO leave the people thereof per-
fectIy free 70 form and regulate their do.
mestic institutions in their own way, sub
ject only to the Constitution Of the United
States7" (Cries Of "yes. yes" and cheers.)
| did incorporate that principle in the
Kansas Nebraska bill, and perhaps did
as much as any living man in the enact
ment of that bill. (great applause thus
establishing the doctrine in the public pol
icy of the country. (Cries Of "good," and
renewed applause.) then defended that
principle against assaults from one section
Of the Union. During this last winter it
became my duty to vindicate it against
assaults from the other section of the
Union. (Cheers.) yindicated it boldly
and fesrlessly, as the people of Chicago
can bear witness, when it was assailed By
Freesoiers; ("yes, yes" and cheers and
during this winter vindicated and defen.
ded it as boldly and as fearlessly when it
was attempted to be violated BY the almost
united South. Immense applause.) I
pledged myself to you on every stump in
Illinois in 1854, pledged myself to the
people Of other States, North and South
wherever | spoke - and in the United
States Senate and elsewhere, in every
form in which could reach the public
mind or the public ear, gave the pledge
that |, 50 far as the power should be in
my hands, would vindicate the principle
of the right of the people t. form their
own institutions, to establish free States
or slave States as they choose, and that
that principle should never be violated eli
ther By fraud, by violence, by circumven
ton, or BY any other means, if 1t was in
my power to prevent it. tApplause.) l
now submit to you, my fellow citizens,
whether | have not redeemed that pledge
in good faith. (Cries of Eyes, yes" and
three tremendous cheers.) Yes, my friends,
| have redeemed it in good faith, and it is
matter Of heartfelt qualification to me to
see these assembled thousands here to-
night bearing their testimony to the fdel.
ity with which have advocated that prin
ciple and redeemed my pledges in connec
ton with it. Three cheers.l
! will be entirely frank with you. Ny
object was to secure the right of the peo.
pie of each State and of each Territory,
North and South, to decide the question
for themselves, to have slavery or not, just
as they chose and my opposition to the
Lecompton Constitution was not predca.
ted upon the ground that it was pro sla
very Constitution, (cheers,) nor would my
action have been different had it been
freesoil constitution. Ny speech asains,
the Leeomp,on fraud was made on the 9th
of December, while the vote on the slavery
clause in that constitution was not taken
until the 2lst Of the same month, nearly
two weeks after. made my speech against
that Lecompton monstrosity solely on the
ground Eat it was violation Of the fun.
damenta, principles of free government,
on the ground that it was not the act and
deed of the people of Kansas, that it did
not embody their will, that they were a.
verse to it; and hence l denied the right
OF Congress to force it upon them, either
as free State or slave State. (Bravo.1 / !
deny the right Of Congress to force slave
holding State upon an unwilling people,
(Cheers.) / deny the right to force free
State upon an unwilling people. (Cheers.)
deny their right to force good thing
upon . people who are unwilling to re.
ceive it. [Cries Of "eood," "good," and
cheers. The great principle Of the right
Of every community to Judge and decide
for itself. whether thing is right or wrong,
whether it would be good or evil for them
to adopt il, and the right Of fres action,
the right Of free thought, the right Of free
Judgment upon the question is dearer TO
every true American than any other under
q free government. My objection to the
Lecompton contrivance was that il under.
took to put q 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. 1t is no answer to this argument to
say that slavery 10 an evil, and hence
should not be tolerated. You must allow
the people to decide for themselves wheth-
er it is good or an evil. You allow them
to decide for themselves whether they de-
sire Maine Liquor law or not; you allow
them TO decide for themselves what kind
Of common schools they will have; what
system Of banking they will adopt, or whe.
thcr they will adopt any at all !; you allow
them to decide for themselyes tie relations
between husband and wife, parent and
child, and guardian and ward % fact, YOU
allow them to decide for theMsel u all
other questions, and why not upon this
question Cheers. Whenever you put