The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1859-08-13
rAs PraA%ns Legislator .na shs Com

70 On the l4th Of December, 1883. Genera
ol Augustus Cesar Dodge undertook 10 distinguish
r himelf BY the introduction into the United
States Senate, Of bill to organize the Territor,
!, OF Nebraska, which contained this provision =
. "AHHhe Iass pssssd BY tie Legislssivs d.
n stmoty and Governor sAaH Be Submitted to ~
co"S,s'. cf tAs Usited States and If d;ssp-
proved sAett % ssA and Of no eject"
Ar. Kirkwood has upon one OF svo occasion.
asked the General TO explain 70 him the consis
: tensy between his present position ON the sub
= Jeee OF "Squatter Sovereignty" and the idea
entertained BY him 10 1853 % embodied in his
: bill to organize Nebraska. Can any Of the Gen.
erals Democratic friends imagine his answer to
TINS demand for IN explanation! We think
} not.
Sen. Dodge ID not willing to frankly confess
'nat ne changed his views on this subject when
Mr.. Douglas invented the dogma of "Soua,ter
sovereignty" The General is particularly de-
s'tous that it shall be believed that be alwsys
favored that dogms, and, indeed, that he was
It's original discoverer. So, to relieve himself
from the unpleasant dilemma in which he ia
placed oy the quotation from his own bill of the
l4th OF December, he says, that, when he made
us m'nd to introduce bill to create . new
territory, he sent page Of the Senate to some
ous Of the way depository Of refuse papers.
connected with the Senate Chamber. for the
copy OF an old bill that had been introduced
ior the creation of some other Territory. Tho
old original bill that had been cast aside on
some former occasion, was brought to him from
toe nies,-he beheaded it By striking out its
s'se and substituting Nebraska, introduced il |
INTO the Senate without reading it, it was passed
through several Legislative stages without his
knowing word Of it's contents, and was finally
superseded by Mr.. Dougss' BILL
Now We do not presume to doubt the correct.
ness Of Gen. Dodge's statement in regard to
this matter, but, really, in what ridiculous at
tltude docs it place the disting guished gentleman
hefe is grave, reverend, conservative Senator.
VINO coniesses that be introduced bill into tho
United States Senate, and pressed for ts passage,
providing for the organization of a new empire
almost,-a bill that would affect the lives The
hoerty aud the property Of hundreds of thou-
sands Of people, bill that might contain pro-
visions at war with the principles upon which I
our institutions are founded! that he introduced
such bill and sought its enactment, without
readne It or knowing any portion of its provi- q
sons. Will General Dodge manfeat the same :
enterprise aud the same prudent zeal in regard
10 the Legislation Of this State, if he shall be
elected Governor? v
ueneral Dodge says that be did not know that q
'he bill ne introduced into the Senate contained
me foregoing provisions. But General DODGE h
ssa kno" that Governor Chase, of Ohio. then a III
United States Senator from that State. offered u
IN amendment to Mr.. Douglas bill in the follow
ns "ords:-"7he people Of a Territory, through "
"ear proper representatives, may, if they sec fk al
'ro"'b" slavery therein" for we find General
'odses name recorded against its adoption =,
1o"ever profundly ignorant be may have been ly
u the provisions Of his own bill, he certainly "
new OF this amendment, was called to act upon aE
= and voted against it. Will the General make ~
mother explanation Here was the very prin- az
'pie OF "Squatter Sovereignty" which he now e.
heartily approves, offered for his acceptance, 81
nd he rejected it. Will he explain rhy be re- an
'ctec its 1t he was in favor of Popular Sow. ca
reignty on the l4th of December, 1853. wby ~
Id he vote against Governor Chase's amend s.' -.
lent in March, 1854? We wait for an ex br
aEation. tai
VIII the Democrats OF Iowa, in the mean ~
me-, reflect for one moment upon the position sn
which their candidate for Governor has ST.
aced himself. Was more ridiculous confess of
on ever made by man whose friends claim 10
him the reputation of statesman? a.,