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

whole manhood on the frontier, do
think that we are capable OF 6elfgov
eynmeht." We will never admit that
you are any wiser, better, or more ca
pablo Of self lfgo7eInment than our
selves. We have great respect for
you Of the old States. I think we
love you better than you do US
(Laughter) and will give you good
reasons Tor it. | am a native Of New
England, and | left the land Of my
birth, the scenes of my chiIhood, the
grave Of MY fathers, and went to the
extreme Northwest. And yet New
England is my native land, and love
her on that account. Illinois is not
your native land, and you don't love
her therefore as much as do, who live
there. Hence say to you that the
people Of the Northwest who emigrate
from New England, from Virginia,
from the Carolinas, from any of the
ola STATES, remain loyal in their affec.
tions to the States from which they
removed, while they love sill dearer
the States where they have planted
their wives and children. Yet we
think we are Just as capable of self
government after we get out there as
we were before We started. With all
due reGpect, we think we are quite as
competent as you are: and | will give
you q rtason for that. ! think the
New Hampshire boy who movea to
the West when he is twenty.one years
OF age, is just as capable of self-gov-
ernment as the brother that remains
behind. '.
Just cast your eyes round this
neighborhCod, and find an old gen.
tleman who haG Two soma. The one
was an ambitious, restless, energetic,
daring boy. The other was an amia-
bic, kind, lazy, good fellow. Laugh.
ter) Which OF these boys do you
think went out West9 Which stayed
at home, and lived with daddy and
mgmmy} Haughter.) The bold and
ambitious young fellow went aud dug
up the prairie; or in the wilderness
he carved out his own fortune, made
his own farm, put up his own fence,
and perhaps split his own rails
lLaughter and cheers.) He cultivated
his own fields, erected a school house
and chrrch-tyes, and made his owr
cabinet,work too. BY that time ]
reckon the wild boy had sown bis
wild oats pretty well, and was fully as
capable Of self.governmont as the one
that stayed here and acted under faith
er'S ard mothers advice. And vhs'
more9 Very likely that young fellow,
after he had made a home for himself
in the West, found himselfa q little
lonesome and concluded to come back
and see the old people. II he did, ten
to one that he pat his eye on the
pgettiest girl that could be found in
the neighGorhood, and took her ont
West with him, thus taking away
from the old New England State not
only the smaftest boy but also the
prettiest girl in tie district. (Langh,
ter and cheers.) Now, are you going
to tell me that such people are not ca,
pable Of self.goYernment, merely be.
cause they live IN a Terfitory2 G'Not
we.") hold that every political com.
munity, State and Territory alike, has,
under our system of government, the
right t. govern itself in all things that
are local and domestic, and not feGer.
al. And, what is more, Mr.. Buchan.
an thought SO in 1856; Mr.. Brcckin-
ridge thought SO in 1856. The re-
publicans all thought SO when they
voted for the Crittenden bill in the
Lecompton controversy. (Cheers.)-
The Democratic party thinks so now.
(Applause,) This principle Of popu.
lar sovereignty and non.intcrvention
is g cardina! plank in .he Democratic
platform. Every Democrat has here.
totore declared and considered it a
fundamental article ofhis creed.
But here | must be inst to other
parties. We Democtats are not en-.
titled to the exclusive claim and ex-
elusive credit Of this doctrine of non
intervention and popular sovereignty.
In 1852, it was adopted as a plank
in the Wing platform. Clay and
Webster established it in the Com.
promise measures of 1850. General
Pierce was nominated upon it in
1852, and elected upon it. | remem-
ber well that in the contest between
Pierce and Scott, in 1852, the whole
controversy was which party was en-.
titled to the most credit in the adop.
ton Of the Compromise measures of
1850. TLe Wings were in the habit
OF claiming the exclusive credit, be-
cause their great leader, Henry Clay,
was the suthof Of the measnrs,be
cause their God like Webster made
the argument to vindicate the meas
ure, and because their model Presi-
dent. Fillmore, approved the bill after