The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-08-30

i A'N'hS NN0 sSAS ~0SNEO O tOW nGi .
What is the Lincoln positioul Tt
(, doctrine proclaimed at Chicago was q
exact opposite. Our friends at Chicap
say that no individual or combination /
individuals. have the power to introduc
Slavery into territory now free.
TO reduce it to the shortest form. tb
Breckinridge party say there can be q
freedom outside of a State.
The Republicans meet this and sa
there can be no Slavery outside of Slav
State-where it has been positively estab
li-hed.
1t all turns upon the true meaning o
the Constitution of the United States
If it is the Constitution for Slavery, th
Breckinridge party are right. If it mean
that it was as it says, to establish liberty
then the Republicans are right.
Well, fellow citizens, where is th,
Douglas party If you take it by it
plstfor you can understand it very we'll
If you take it by its candidate you car
understand it very we'll If you take il
by the declarations of Douglas you car
understand it very we'll. But it is moi
where the great mass of the Democratic
voters think it is. / was one of the Dem
ocrats, and | know the feelings of the De-
Uocracy, and do not think they really
want Slavery extended.
1t became my duty as United States
Senator to oppose the repeal of the Mis-
souri, Compromise. 1t was advocated on
precisely opposite grounds. One side
held that the Constitution took Slavery
into the Territories. Gen. Cass and Stu
art hold that it could not. I do not know
what Stuart thinks, but understand that
since the Dred Scott decision my veDera.
bic and excellent friend, Gen Cass, now
thinks that it does.
But these Democrats, after the repeal,
went through the Free States and pro-
claimed that this repeal would secure the
Territories to Freedom. There is large
proportion of Douglas Democrats who be.
lieve today that by this principle of
Squatter Sovereignty the Territories
would be preserved to Freedom. Nor
am | prepared to say that if you had e
true principle of Popular Sovereignty,
such would not be the case. That is to
say, if Congress and the President would
not interfere at all--but leave it to
the settler-there would be no Slavery.
But the Douglas party have no such
thing as a genuine Popular Sovereignty
in their creed,
Now let u inquire what Popular Soy
ereignty implies 10 the first place, it
seems to NE you must have people ev-
cry one OF whom is free. But. not to
press that point, you have certainly got to
have people who have the power Of lc-
gisstion-of making their laws--of choo-
sing their own officers, their Own judi.
ciary.
10 the next place, you must have peo-
pie who organized their own institutions.
Didutyou choose certain persons to 60 to
Conven ntion, who submitted the Consttu-
ton framed by them for your rejection or
approvall There are these four things
l. Organize the Government. 2. Choose
the Legislature. 3 Choose the Executive;
and 4th. Choose your own judiciary.
Now, is any one of these in the Kansas
Nebraska billl want my Douglas
friends to consider whether they have any
real Popular Sosereiguty--whetber they
are building on the sand, or Oh the rock.
These are no new ideas. When | was in
the Senate | urged these same objections.
Who organized the Territorial Govern
meDt! Wig, the Commit on Terrific
ries at Washington City, of which Doug
las vas Chairman. organized it. Who
voted on the lawl Who N sde it'll Why
my friends, Mr. Douglas made it. And
be is so great Popular Sovereign that
be can, as Chairman. organize Govern
ments for the whole country! | tell you
that the people, under the Kansas Ne
braska bill, have nothing to do with or
gaDizing their own Government. In the
next place, do the people of Kansas choose
their legislators Why, the Federal
Government tells them they may choose
certain persons-but the Federal Govern
neDt tells how long aud where they must
sit. The people neither pay nor control
the legislators. If Ohio should tell you
to choose legislators. bat say we will pay
them if We choose, when they shall sit,
and how long, what sort Of Popular Sow
ereignty would that bel | tell you we
should have another war; and it would be
q worse one than the Toledo war. This
Kansas-Nebraska act vests the power of
legislation where In the men elected
by the people! No. In SO many words
it says in the Governor and the Legisls-
ture. The Governor That is a very
important item. He can forbid any law
being passed unless passed By a two.tbird
vote. So the Governor has as much pow
er as two thirds of the men elected BY
the people. But who is this Governor /!
He is appointed By the President. Sup
pose--to illustrate by Ohio, but We have
DO notion of interfering-suppose We in
Ohio should appoint Jour Governor
They wouldn't be likely to appoint my
good friend Gov. Wisner--perhaps they
would appoint Sam Medary. Would you
l;ka n Probably we should have an