The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-06-21
SPE ECH OF
HON. X. s. BINGHAM,
OF MICHIGAN.
On Senator Davis Resolutions.
Delivered I'm the U. 8. Senate, Friday,
f.-. ~, May 25th, 1860.

Mr.. BINGHAM. The resolutions un
der discussion were presented by tn
honorable Senator from Mississippi
(Mr. Davis, one of the most distin
guished and worthy leaders of tn,
Democratic party. 1t is understoo,
that they have been adopted by larg
majority of Democratic Senators il
caucus and although they have no
been formally voted upon by the Sen
ate, yet think. it fair to presume tha
they express the opinions and embod,
the creed, ,notonly of the majority of thi
honorable body but of the dominant pa
ty in the Country. The honorable Sen
ator from South Carolina (Mr. Chest
nnt,) in his discussion of them, say
that they "are just, and therefore wise
In regard to the subjects of which the,
treat, they announce the true doctrin,
of the Constitution. Among othe
things they denounce two capital polit
ical heresies: that which claims sover
eign power for the Government-un
limited pOwer-over this subject, ano
that which claims sovereign power fo
the inhabitants of a Territory" Th,
fourth and fifth resolutions are in tn,
following words:
''4. Resolved, That neither Congress.
nor a Territorial Legislature, whether
by direct Legislation or legislation of an
indirect and unfriendly nature, posses.
the power to annual or impair the con
stitutional right of any citizen of the
United States to take his slave proper
ty into the common Territories; but i,
is the duty of the Federal Govcrnmen,
there to afford for that, as for Other
species of property, the. needfnl pro
lection; and if experience should a
any time prove that the judiciary doe.
not possess power to insure adequate
protection, it will then become the dut,
of Congress to supply such deficiency
''5. Resolued, That the inhabitant o
ar organized Territory of the United
States, when they rightfuIly form
constitution to be admitted as Stat,
into the Union, may then, for the frs
time, like the people of a State, wher
forming new constitution, decide fol
themselves whether slavery as d mes
tic institution, shall be maintained ol
prohibited within their jurisdiction
Congress shall admit them as a State
they shall be received into the Unior
with or without slavery, as their con
stitntion may prescribe at the time O
their admission" 81
The party now known as the Demo
cratic party has been distinct organ
ization more than sixty years, and il
almost coeyal with the foundation O
the Government. Looking for its pa
ternity to the author of the Declaration
of Independence, the immortal Jeffer
son, the Democratic party has eve
claimed to be the advocate of the lars
est liberty; of the greatest good to tn,
greatest number; of equal rights ant
privileges; of y strict construction O
the Constitution and in favor of Stat,
rights, in opposition to the power,
claimed for the Federal Government
by the Federal party. The Democrat
ic party has professed opposition to al
monopolies-all exclusive privileges
and two Of its great leaders, Jefferson
and Jackson, took open and strong
ground against the political decision.
of the Supreme Court, which were de
signed to control the Legislation of Con
gress or to affect the judgment or con
science of its individual members; bu
never, previous to the year 1916, die
the Democratic party, or any of it
leaders, deny the power of Congress
to legislate exclusively for the Terrific
ries, and especially to prohibit the in
PRODUCTION of slavery therein.
Immediately after. the close Of tn,
revolutionary war, Mr.. Jefferson an
nounced the great principles of civi
policy which were to lie atthe founda
ton of the new States, to be formed
out of what was then the only Terri
tory they possessed and i'm 1887, the,
were formally adopted by Congress
in the promulgation of the ordinanc
which prohibited the introduction O
slavery therein. Every new set
tier, as he crossed the border of tha
great Territory, to establish for himsel
and his children home, had the sol
emn assurance of the Government tha
free labor was never to- be degrade,
by its contact with slavery upon tina
soil, and that free men could only liy
there.
shall undertake to show, Mr.. Pres
ident that this benign policy, the salu
tary effects Of which will be acknowl
edged as long as we respect the virtue
of our ancestors, was the policy of tn
Government under the new Constitu
ton, and especially of the party frs
known as the Republican,, and after
wards as the Democratic party an
that the Republican party of to-da
only desires to carry out the principle
which were adopted by Republican pal
Ity of 1900, and by the enforcement
of which the present flourishinp State
of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois. Mich
igan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minneso
ia have sprung up. One of the frs
acts under the new Constitution, vote
for by many of the men who had com
fresh from the Convention whic
framed that instrument, was approved
on the 7th of August, 1889, by Gene
raj Washington; and the preamble
in these words,
"Whereas, in order that the ord
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