M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-07-12

Territories in 1916, he reported the
joint resolution declaring Texas to be
one OF the United States of America,
and he vigorously sustained the ad
ministration of President Polk in the
measures which it adopted Tor the
prosecution OF the war with Mexico.
which was the ultimate consequence
Of that act As chairman OF the Ter
r.torial Committee, first in the House
OF Representatives, and atterward in
the Senote, h. reported. and succ :
fully carried through, the bulls t or
ganiZe the territories of Minnesota.
Oregon, New Mexico, Utah, Wash.
ington, Kansas and Nebraska, and al.
SO the bills for the admission into the
Union ofthe States of Iowa, Wiscon-
sin, California, Minnesota and Ore
gon. So far as the question OF slave.
ry was involved in the organization of
territories and the admission of new
States, he early took the position that
Congress should not interfere on one
side or the other, but that the people
Of each territory and State should BE-
allowed to form and regulate their own
domestic institutions to suit them.
selves. In accordance with this priB.
ciple he opposed the "WIlmot Provi
So" when first passed in the House of
Representatives in 1947, as an amend
ment to the bill appropriating S3,00O,-
OCO to enable President Polk to make
a treaty Of peace with Mexico, and af-
terward in the Senate, when offered
as an amendment to the bill for the or
ganizaticn of the territory of Oregon.
In August, 1917. he offered an amend.
ment to the Oregon bill, extending
the Missouri Compromise indefinitely
westward to the Pacific ocean in the
same sense and with the same under
standing with which it was originally
adopted in 1920, and extended thro'
Texas in 1925, prohibiting slavery in
all the territory north of the parallel
of 36 deg. 80 min, and by implica.
ton recognizing its existence south Of
that line. This amendment was
adopted in the Senate by a decided
majority, receiving the support of ev.
sry Southern Senator, but was defeat
ed in the House,of Representatives by
.nearly..a sectional vote.
The refusal of the Senate to adopt
the policy Of Congressional prohibi
ton Of slavery il all ,ne territories,
and the rejection il tI. House Of K p.
.resentatives Of the proposition to e,-
tecd the Missouri Compromise to the
Pacific ocean, gave rise to the section.
al agitation ot 1910 80, which was
then temporarily quieted, by the legs-
ation known as the Compromise
measure, with zeal and vigcr; and on
his return in Chicago, finding them
assailed with great violence, he de-
Tended the whole series in speech TO
the people, October a, 1S50l which
is regarded by MS friends as one of
the ablest he has ever made. In this
speech he defined the principles of
which the compromise acts Of 1850
were founded, and upon which he
defended the Kansas Nebraska bill in
those woIds: These measures are
predicated on the great fundamental
principle that every people ought to
possess the light of framing and regu-
lating Their own acknowledgements and
domestic institutions in their own way.
~ = = These things area all con.
fined By the constitution to each State
to decide for itself, and know of no
reason why the same principle should
not be extended to the territories. -
Mf. Douglas was an unsuccessful can
.didate before the Democratic Nation.
al Convention in Baltimore, in 1853,
for the nomination fer the Presidency.
On the G0th ballot he received 92
votes, the highest number given to
any candidate for that ballot, but of
total Of 28S votes. At the Congress.
sional session Of 1858 81, he report
ed from the committee OF territories
the celebrated bill to organjzc the ter
ritogieE ofKansas and Nebraska. which
efectually revolutionized poIitica, par,
ties in the United States, and formed
the issues upon which the Democratic
and Republican parties became array
ed against each other.
The passage ofthiS bill caused great
excitement in the free States OF the
Union, and Mr. Douglas, as its author
was widely and vehementIy denourc-
| ed, and in many places was hanged
and burned in efigy. The whole con-
troversy turned OF the provision re-
pealing tie Missouri compromise,
which Mr.. Douglas maintained to be
inconsistent with the principles of
non-inter7ention by Congress with
slavery in the States and Territories.
After repeating the Missouri restric-
ton, the bill declared it to be the
"truo intent and meaning of the act
not to legislate slavery into any State