, 1859-09-29

but they we're contcndng for tho great princi-
pic Of elf.soy. rn':lcnt, and tho right to Tcyu
lasc the slave Trade a' they pleased. What i
pliy thut soma d: t!;r ;'a: is.nleru histories
were not Introduced into III. district schools Of
Vermont whcn tue writer MS boy. lie might
then have found cut it MAS because tho mother
country undertook to force taxes upon the per-
pie of the colonies. that they went 10 war; nu'}
that one Of the causes was that his majesty,
George Ill forced Judges upon them, and made
these judges removable at his WILL just what the
author Of this article did with the Kansas peo-
pie in his Kansas Nebrusk1 bill If his histori-
cal record be true, aud tho Territories Of the
United Suites are to be likeneu to the colonies;
and if the colonies coatended for the right to
regulate the African slave trade, why hare not
the people Of the Territories the same right? II
the people Of Kansas want slaves from Africa,
why aecordin. 10 bis reasoning have they not Il
rish. to hare item? What right hare you to
prevent it: Was not TINT the question the col
onits went TO wur about! Yuu say you are
for popular sovereignty, subjcct to the Consti
tuition. What right hare you 10 impose tue
Constitution upon the peopla OF Kansas! Have
The people Of kausas ever submitted to the Con-
stisulion Of the United Stales? Is it any less =
grievance to their great rights Of popular sor"
ereignty, or selfgoVerument, to have law IN
the shape OF Consultation rnt orer them. than
Law in the shape Of an uct uf Congress? They
lave never as>ented 10 the Constitution The
Suites of this Union Lare oil assented to the
Constitution Of the United States. but the Ter
ritories have not. The writer mistakes, vii!
not say falsiGes htst"ry; he mag hare supposed
he was stating historical f4css. lie says Mr.
jefferson in 1884 proposed plan for The gov-
,ernmeut Of tile Territories, aud in TINT plan be
had clause excluding slavery from then, which
WIS voted out. True, hut hos WAS it voted ou.,
There were thirteen States belonging 10 the
Conttderacy. It required minority Of the
States to pass the resolution. Only ten States
we're represented, six roted to retain it, three
a.aiust it, and one did not vote. Thenext year.
1855, which the writer Of this article orkrkoott1,
when twelve States were represented, motion
was made TO 1e-atirm the clause excluding
slavery; eight States voted for it, and it was
adopted.
THUS it appears that alr. Jefferson himself,
:nd u M jar'iy ol the States presen: all along,
were in fayor 1t excluding slavery FROM tue
Territories. Although the report Of the com.
mttee was agreed t. in 1854, the plan Of gov.
erpn,ent they recomu,ended was not perfected
till 1ss7, when what is known as the ordinance
Of that year was adopted. aud slayery excluded
from The territory By the unanimous vote Of all
Tue Stases at the time represented in Congress-
The writer 0f is article SAYS that ia NJ pub.
Tic document is the word Territory used 10 mean
ANYTHING more than trnct Of land, until after
the Constitution was adopted. This is 4 slight
mistake The word occurs in the entitllug
clause of the ordinlnce Of 1857, for tile govern
mcnt of tue Northwest Tertiary,
Tue Federal Conssitu ion Was adopted in 1850;
in the same gear George Washington w.s inuu
:uratesl first President Of the United States;
and one of tile FIRST acts Of the first Congress
uader the Consultation was to re-atIirm the or
dinance Of 1857. In 1900 the territory Of 1ndi-
ana was organized and the clause prohibiting
slavery re affirmed. In 1s05. the Territory Of
Michigan was organized, ThoH1as1 Jcdtrson be-
Ing President. and the clause prohibiting slave
r. WAS re-afGrmcd.
Iu lo0y, tie Territory of Illinois was orcau-
ized, James Madison being President, aud the
clause prohibiting slavery Was re-atlirmed. In
1870, James Monroe being President, the Mis-
souri Compromise WAS adopted, excluding
slavery from all tie territory acquired f1ot1
France lsiuy north Of 81 deg. 50 nil. In 1886,
An,lrew jackson being President. the Territory
Of Wisconsin was formed. and s'avery wus ex
ctudeti from it bg act Of Congr. S.. Ia ISIS,
Martin Van Duren being President, the Terri.
tory Of Iowa Was organized, anil sla1ery was
excluded by act Of Congress. In ls45 Texas
was annexed, with y clause III the anue xation
es,usion prohibiting slavery North Of u
d!rs: 20 min: w. Douglas making tue rropo-
sitlon. In lsfs 0reSon was organized, Iln,es
X. Polk btiug President, aud slavery therein
was prohibited ty act Of Congress With
this history befure you, al1 spread out upon
the statutes Of the c,untry, what do you think
Of the statement that uur fathers fou.b{
the battles Of the Revolution to maintain
tue principle Of allo:sing each community
II regulate for Itself tile subject of slavery.
WlIen son gee the men who fought the battles
of tl1e Resolution, the s:lirf,
jefferson, Madsou, and u1i the patriots Of that
.fay participating; in tile a:=a:;e of acts exc1ud
ing slavery from the Territories what do YOU
think OF tlst statement that they vent to war to
establish the rights of the colonies to hare
slavery it they wanted it!
I lmil1 nut detain you 1onccr with the discus
slun Of this nlagsztne document. have said
enough to show HAT this thing called popular
sovereignty. or self Eorcrnm-ut, s,lhject to ,l..
Constitution, Is an uunrauf1,y phrase. II it
lacans the ri.hr u do as one pleases, il would
1e dcstrnct1sc OF the Constitution and thr
tniou. hare said enough to show that it is
utterly imprAciicahc, because its authors can
MT carry it out. Sovereignty implies supreme
power II the Territories are sovereign. the
United States Government il not superior tn
them. They are not Suites belonging IL the
Union. The anen w!ln advocate this docsriuc
arc Inconsistent, for tiley impose restrictions
npon the people Of the Territories. The Kaf.
*as Nebraska bull is an utter retuiation Of the
tinctrinc Of popular sovereignty.
lwtll untictt IKE to state what il the true
theory Of the tuytsnEr'cnt Of the Territories.
They are not to he llkcned 10 tue colonies Ut alI
The cuones were forever 10 remain lepeutIcu-
to Ermain under Congress until it las enough
population u come in and b. Que of the United
otateS. Territories arr like tl.e children Of u
household. DO You think it wron. that chil.
dreu should be uutcr the control Of their pa.
rents. Would any QUE think It right to adso
cate that child SHOULD do as he pleased, aud
That there was no ,il1srence between cnntrol-
ling child and IN adult person: For
child 10 be subject 10 Ais parents during
minority Is very different thin. truul hts being
forever afterwards subject to them. The COLI
nles were forever to be under the control Of the
crown; the Territories under the consrol Of the
t;enerul Government 0uly until their popula-
tion will justify the formation Of Saate gov
rTnMent. when they become sovereign in their
jurisdiction over domestic affairs.
The Constitution Of tile United States, fellow
citizens, was not made for TERRITORIES. 1t was
made for Stales- Tue preamble of the Cous,i-
tuition reads" We, the people OF the United
do oEda'a und establish this Constitution" "tor
the United States Of America" |. was made
between the original Statts, and for the States.
1t contained provisions that the government
which they created should have certain powers
in regard 10 themselves, aud certain other pow
cts in regard to Territories. They conferred
upon the government power to 90 things out
side of The States We lave interests lying be-
yond the States, aud exercise authority, and
send men beyond the States to attend to those
interests. Agents are sent to China aud to
England, although the Constitution Of the Uni.
ted states does not govern IN Canton or
London. So with tile Territories They
were outside Of the States; but the
Federal government has conferred upon it
the power to make all ncedfui rules aud resula-
tions respecting the Territories. This is the
language Of the Constitution. The men who
u,ade tie Constitution knew they had territory.
The ordinance Of 17>7 wss adopted while the
Convention to frame the Constitution was in
session. Many Of the members Of the iesisla-
tire. body. which passed this ordinance were
members Of the Constitutional Convention.
Congress, when it comes to make these needful
rules, should nuke such rs are best for the in-
teresis Of the people ~ho 60 10 territories, aod
Tor tue interests Of the whole country. Is that
ruling the people as the colonies we're ruled!
Who make the laws for the government Of 4
Territory except it be the people who are to
possess Them, nd it matters nol whether these
rules ase agreed upou before or after ,ley ret
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