M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-10-11
EXTRACTS
FROM
DOUGLAS GREATSPEEGH
CLEVELAND, Sept. 22d., 1860.
sELF.GOYERNAIENT.

Now, my friends. why should not
this principle of popular sovereignty
be carried out in the territories Of the
United Statesl Voices, sit Should."]
The Republicans tell you that it is
right in the States OF the Union but
all wrong in the territories. THAT'S
it."] They say that they have no OBJ,
lection to the people Of Ohio regula-
ting the slavery question for them
selves. They think that you have
sense enough rot only to make laws
for your own, State but also through
your representative in Congress to
govern alfthe territories. Laughter
and applause,1 Now suppose that
assumption to be true, and would you
| if you should move to Nebraska ter
ritOry, be any less capable ofgovern-
ing yourselves after you got there
than You were before you started9--
| [Cries Of mo-" and applause."] l
find before me to. day probably as
many legal voters as car be found in
the State of Delaware, the State Of
Florida Or the state of Oregon. Nobody
doubts but what the people Of these
Statesare capable Of self-government.
tNowif you, being as numerous as the
voters in either OF these States, and be-
ing capable OF selfgovernment at
home, should all move to territory,
would you be any less capable artery you
got there than before you started?--
| [Cries of"No."] Why then do you not
allow the people to govern themselves
in a.terrltory as we'll as a Statel
The republicans tell you that a
State is sovereign power and that
there is no sovereignty in a territory
and nothing but sovereignty can make
laws and establish institutions. | be.
lieve that is theirargument Laugh
ter. That argument is not original
with modern republicans. 1t was
made many years ago by a very res
pectable body ofold gentlemen knowr
as tories. Laughter, applause and
cries of"true."] During the time o
the American Revolution the tories
used to say that the people of thu
American colonies were not sovereign
powers, but q set of miserable squat
ters aud adventures and hence haC
no right to govern themselves.
TIE COLONIES.
But there was q body Of men at tina
time living in America, headed b,
such patriots as Washington, anC
Jefferson, and Franklin, and Han
cock, and Adams, who told the British
King and the tories that British sub
iccts in America were entitled to self
government as wei! as British subject
in England. Laughter and ap
plause. They acknowledged tn
right of Parliament to make all law
not affecting the general welfare of tn
country, without interfering with tn
, domestic concerns of the colonies, jus
as we Democrats now acknVwledg
J the right of Congress to pass all law
affecting the general welfare Of tn
Republic which do not interfere wit
the domestic concerns Of the people c
; the States, or the Territories. Re
5 member that the battles ofthe revolu
] ton we're all fought in defense Of tn
= right Of self-government in dependen
3 colonies, in dependent territories, i
:, dependent provinces and not in sovel
eign States. We only ask therefor
q that the people Of the America
G Territories shall be permitted to er
\ joy the same rights and privileges
e self government which our fathers dC
manded and maintained for the COLI
8 nies. Why should not an America
G citizen since the revolution have {
5 many rights as a British subject b.
l. fore that time. If our American cit
If zens since the revolution are not ent
it tied to all the rights of self:gOVcrI
n ment which we claimed before thi
= event, let me ask what we gained /
IS the sacrifice then made. Cheers.
i. | repeat, the revolution was fought ar
If the victories won in defense of th
If identical principle oflocal self-goverl
ment. "Oh! but" they say, "to pc
nit the people to govern themselv'
l. is squatter sovereignty" Laughter
a 1t is very often easier to ridicule do
n trine than it is successfully to attac
e it, and during the Revolutionary WI
:, the tories were in the habit OF repr
u senting the pretensions Of the Amer
q can colonies to self-government ,
l. "squatter sovereignty" Laughter
Ie They then told MS that the people
the American colonies were entitle
r, to no rights, and no privileges, excel
such as were granted to them by tt
King of England in their charters an
= asserted that the King could conf
J. the right of self.government and tai
W it away when he pleased. Our fatl
D, ers told the King and his tory counSe
<. lors that they did not derive their rigI
], of self:government from the King an
,, lao .b,ul1 ,,o,or knlyO - n,uou Thl