Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1860-07-21


and put it on its passage, when memb Der
Of the House Of Representatives.
He was among the earliest advocates OF
the annextion of Texas. and alter the
treaty for that object had failed in the
Senate, be was one Of those who intro
dnced propositions. in the form Of Joint
resolutions, as substitute for that treaty.
AS chairman of the Committee on Terri
tories in 1916. he reported the joint resolu
ton, declaring Texas to be one of the
United States of America, and he yfgor-
ousy sustained the administration of Pres.
ident Polk in the measures which it adopt
ed for the prosecution of the war with
Mexico, which was the ultimate conse-
qnence of that act. AS chairman Of the
Territorial Committee, first in the House
of Representatives, and afterwards in the
Senate, he reported and successfully car
ried through The bills to organize the terri.
tories Of Minnesota. Oregon. New Mexico.
Utah, Washington, Kansas and Nebraska.
and also bills for the admission into the
Union Of the States Of Iowa, Wisconsin,
California, Minnesota, and Oregon.
SO ia: a. the question Of slavery was
involved in the organization of Territories
and the admission of new States. he eariv
took the position that Congress should nut
Interfere on the one side or the other. bu,
that the people Of each Territory aud State
should be allowed to form and regulate
their domestic institutions to suit them
selves. In accordance with this principle.
he opposed the "Niimot Proviso' " hen
first passed in the House OF Representa-.
ttves in 1917, as an amendment to the bill
nppr0priating 50 100000 to enable Prcsi
deHt Polk to make Il treaty of ,eace with
Mexico. and afterwards in the Senate
when offered as an amendment to the bill
tor the organization OF the Territory of Or.
egon. In August. 1913, however, he offered
an amendment to the Oregon bill extend
my the Missouri compromise line indetin-
itely westward to the Pacific ocean, in the
same sense and with the same understand.
ing with which it was originally adopted in
1870, and extended through Texas in ls4J;
prohibiting slavery in all the territory north
OF the parallel Of 50 degrees 80 minutes,
and by implication recognizing ITS existence
south Of that line. This amendment was
adopted in the Senate by a decided mailr
ltv, receiving the support of every Sonth-
ern, together with several Northern Sena-
tors, but was defeated in the House Of
Representatives by nearly sectional vote
The refusal Of the Senate to adopt the
policy OF Congressional prohibition OF
slavery in all the Territories, and the re
jection in the liouse OF Representatives Of
the proposition 10 XLend the Nj ssouri com
promise to the Pacific Ocean, gave rise To
the sectional agitation Of 1919 80, which
was temporarily qnieted by the legislation
known as the compromise measures Of
1880. Mr.. Douglas supported these meas
ures with zeal and vigor and on his return
to his home ia Chicago, fniing himself
assailed with great violence, he defended
the whole series in speech to the people,
(Oct. u. 1880 which is regarded by his
friends as one Of the ablest he has ever
made. In this speech, he defended the
principles on which the Compromise Acts
of 1880 were founded, and upon which he
defended the Kansas Ne
braska bill In these words: ""hpsc meas
ures are predicaled on the great funda-
mental principles that every people ough,
10 possess the right of framing and regu-
|ating their own internal concerns and do
mestic institutions in their own way
These things are all confded by the Con,
stnution to each State to decide for itself,
aud know OF no reason why the same
principle should not be extended to the
Territories
Jodge Douglas received the higa COM
plimcnt of % votes as the Democratic
candidate for the Presidency in the Ma.
tional Convention n: Baltimore in lS52.
when he was only 80 years Of a.e. At
the Congressional session Of lSj3- ) /, he
reported from the committee On T-rritor.
les the celebrated bill to organize the Ter
riteries OF kausas and Nebraska. The
passage Of the bill caused great excite.
ment in The free States of the Unian, aud
Judge Douglas as its author was widely
and vehementls denounced, and in -many
places was banged and burned in eifigy.-
The whole controversy turned on the pro.
vision repeating the Missouri compromise,
which Judge Dongas maintained TO be in.
consistent with the principle OF non inter-
venton by Congress with slavery in the
States and Territories. Afer repealing
the Missouri restriction, the bill declared
it to be the true intent and mean 'ng Of
the act. not to legi>late slavery into anv
State or Territory, nor to exclude it there
from bu, to leave the people thereof per-
lectly free to form and regulate their do.
nestle institutions IN their oNn way. sub.
ect only to the Constitution of the United
States Whatever diversity of opinion
may exist in regard to the correctness of
this principle, and the propriety OF its ap-
plication to the Territories. it must be ad
miited that Judge Douglas has proved
faithful to it under all circumstances. aud
defended it whenever assaulted or violated
In 1856, in the National Democratic
Convention at Cincinnati, he received, on
the 10Th ballot, III votes as a candidate
for the Presidency In the Congressional
session Of ls57-'5S, he denounced and
opposed with energy and ability the lie,
compton Consultation, upon the distinct
ground that it was not the act and deed ol
the people OF Kansas, and did not embody
their will. Before the adjournucn, OF
that session of Congress, he returned home
TO vindicate his action before the people
Of Illinois, in one OF the most exciting
and well contested poli,ica. canyasses ever
known IN the United States He had
alike TO encounter the determined hostility
OF the Federal Administration and all its
patronage, and the powerful opposition OF
the Republican party. But he succeeded
in carrying the election Of sufficient
number OF State Senators and Represen.
tatives to secure his return to the U. S.
Senate for six years, by 81 votes for hin,
TO AZ for bis opponent. During the whole
of that contest, he maintained and defend.
ed the doctrine OF non intervention and
popular sovereignty, in the same sense in
which he had previously proclaimed il in
Congress. Subsequently, ina debate in the
Senate, Feb. 23, 1857 he avowed and