M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-08-16

Sovereign when our tatherS demanded
the same right If gelf.government}-
Our fathers demanded this privilege
not hg sovereign States but tor de-
pcndrnt coi.nies, iOr provinces, for
rrit"ries Eiie .hey we're Gepen.
dent ard rcAiafging il a colonial and
itr-r;al rou1tjou. (Chetrsl Our
Is mauJej ,hia privilege under
ey tn 4ame crcnmstances that
@RN nocratk now clsm il for the
4,"rl,o. the Territories &
! ,s' D.nncrats ackrd Rledge the
right aud duty Of Congress to(Rass all
laws which are federal, and notlocal
az territorial in their character. We
don't deny the right of Congress to
regulate commerce with foIeign ma.
ions, to make war, 70 collect llfvenue,
IA prriorrn those general acts which
are drral, and not local, in their
character. But we demsnd thati tie
people of a territory, the same as til ose
ofa colony, shall be permitted to make
their own laws aud establish their own
institutions to suit themselves. gap.
pIanse) The Republicans Of New
liam shire will tell you that the peo-
pie Of the territory nave no right Of
sell government, until they become a
State Have no right! Why notl--
Because, they say, Congress has not
given them that right. | have yet to
learn thay an American freeman,
whether in State or Territory, de-.
rives his right from Congress-
! (Chcers.) | am oware that the Tories
Of the Revolution took the ground that
the people OF these colonies had no
rights except those which the King
Of England granted to them in their
charters And they said that mas.
much as the colonies obtained their
rights from the Crown, why, Of course,
the King could take tEen: sway
whenever he thought proper
Laughter) What did Washington,
and Jefferson, and Hancock, and
Warren and Nelly Stark say 10 that
doctrine! daughter and cheers -
They told the King Of England and
the British Parliament, that they did
not get their rights from fhe Crown
and hence that the crown could mol
take them away. They told the King
OF England that they obtained theil
rights from God Almighty, and thai
lie alone could take them away
The doctgige Of tie revolutionary wal
was, that the right Of local governmen,
WAS inhrrept IN the people; and that
hence all righIul government must
emanate from the people; and be es
tabliShed by and for the benefit of the
people. That was the doctrine in the
times of the Revolution. But we are
now told that this inherent right Of
seli-governmeut only pertains to
States--dont belong to territories, nor
colopics, nor provinces, as it G!1 in
l776. Let rs examine this claim for
a'moment.
l suppose that you, citizens Of New
LlampShiGe, without distinction Of
AIRY, all claim the inherent tight Of
Ssil.government. eyes, yes.") You
| thipk it 10 an inherent right that no
pow,g ou caEth are take from yQQ.--.
We'll, I suppose that Democrats and
r politicians agree so far. But the
Republican tells You that the moment
i c,tiz,n OF New Hampshire, (who
IosscSses the Inherent right of self
government SO long as he stage Eere)
crosses IA State line and enters a Ter.
rtory Of the United States, he forfeits
the right. llropical cheers.) Is it
true that Il citizen of New Hampshire
! iortvits his inalienabIe right of self.
government when he moves to a fer
ritoryl ('No Siree," and laughter
What provision OF the Constitution Of
the United States works that forfeit
ure? C'None." Then upon what
ground is it that an American citizen
is delriyed OF his rights when he goes
ino It territory urdcr the Constitution
a"d the American hag! Will it BE-
and that the people ol the territories
ar rot capabIe of self.goyernmcntl- =
Who are The people uI' he territories!
WLcrG i'll they ccana rom! Many
of them sre yopr sons your brothers,
who left the granite hills Of their ma
! five State and vent to Kansas. They
we're capable OF self government, were
they not, when they lett homel When
did they lose their capacity to govern
themselves! daughter and cheers)
We're they any less capable of self,
government after they got 10 Kansas
than thry were when they started?-
Did they lose all their sense and n
teIIigeuce, and the virtue they pos
sessed, while on the ferry boat cross.
ing the Missouri riverl .(Larghter)
Where and when | ask, did the ma
tiye. born citlEen who was capable of
self goyegnmGpt EEen be staIGed, lose
that capacity9 CHeaintlost it yet. y
| will not pretend to say what may be