The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-08-08

ana cries OF 'G0oQ, "go0d,' "hear,"
"hear."1 The Revolution was fought in
defense Of the great principle of local gov
ernment. Nay we, their sons, be faithful
to that principle, and never permit it 10 be
violatsd either in State or Territory, prov.
ince or colony. Applause and cries Of
"GoOd."] II we only remain faithful to the
fundamental principles, leaving the people
OF each State and each Territory free to
maintain their own domestic affairs and in
ternal concerns 10 their own way, without
interfering with those of their neighbors,
there can be peace forever between the
North and the South, the East and the West.
Applause. You have institutions in Mas
saChusetts peculior to yourseves-institu.-
tons differing from those OF US 10 Illinois,
differing from those in the Southern
States, differing from those upon the Pacific
coast. When come to visit you, you're
ceive me with open arms, welcome me
amongst you, and show me everything
that is curious or sacred in the history OF
our country; and sir, trust, when come
among you, that shall pay all due res
pect to the constituted authorities, and rem
der obedience to your laws ["Good" and
applause. But, sir, il you fad me COM
planning that do not like your laws, your
Institutions, your domestic affairs, expec,
YOU will tell me that while you regret my
displeasure, these laws were made for you
and not for me, and if do not like them, |
can 60 back to Illinois. [Applause.] And
now, Mr.. Mayor, permit me to say to you,
in return for the kind sentiments with which
you have welcomed me to Bunker Hill, in
the name OF your fellow citizens of Charles.
town, if you will do me and the State that
have the honor to represent, the honor Of
making US visit | will take pleasure and
pride 10 welcoming you to Illinois, but ]
wish you TO understand that it is on the ex-
press condition that you will obey laws
respect our institutions, and not interfere
with our domestic concerns laughter and
applause, and il you complsin to me that
you do not like our laws, | shall say that,
while regret it, you must remember thu,
they are cur laws and not yours laughter
and cheers we made them for ourselves
and not for you renewed cheering we
adapted them to our condion-to our in
terests, to our wsnts-and ifyou do net like
them, you must 90 back to Massachusetts,
where you will find better ones. [Applause.
So it is in the Southern States. II you Of
Massachusetts, or we of Illinois 60 10 Char
lesion or New Orleans, it does not become
us to tell those people that they have bad
institutions, which we do not like. They
are their institutions. If they be good ones,
let them enjoy the blessings of them-iI
they are evil institutions, let them bear the
the burden and the evils they entail, until
they become wise enough to change them
and make better ones. [AppIuuse] And
especially, when you 60 TO Kansas, or to
New Mexico, you viii! find body of mcG
there possessing more Of the elements OF en-
ergy, of courage, of enterprise, and of in-
teIect, than you will find in any State oI
the Union; tor suppose that | may utter
one great truth without fear of offence
being Yankee, like the balance of you
laughter by saying that New England
ls an emgrating country, and whenever O
New England lurmer has two sons, the one
little wild, daring, reck less, but nte llect
ual, he thinks the valley where he was born
is little too small theatre for his opera
tions, and starts off west-goes into the
wilderness, or upon the praires, and carveE
out his own fortune, and makes man o
himself by his own energies. The other
brother being, perhaps, little more obeGi-
ent 10 parental authority, a little less am
bilious, and little less energetic, and lit
tie more lazy laughter, would rather stay
at home and be supported by his daddy ant
nanny than to go west and support himself
tGreat merriment Hence, if you 60 tt
the frontier, you will find men Of the highes
capacity of any in the known world. These
men go from Massachs letts, from Vermont
rom South Carolina, from Virginia. from
ireland, from all parts of the world; ant
when they get there, they carve out thei
own homes, erect their own houses, lay ou
there own towns, erect their own churches
establish their schools and colleges, ant
lay there the foundations of society, ant
establish just such institutions as they be-
lieve will be best for themselves and thei
posterity forever. ["Good, good" and op-
plauso. | believe that they are entitled tt
that great privilege of self-government.
won't do for them that particular system
of laws is good and another bad, and there
fore they must not have it. They have al
inalienable right to determine for them
selves what Is good end what is bad. Tha
is their privilege and not ours. You judge
for yourselves; let them determine for them
selves. They are responsible to the aam,
Divine Providence as you are. They hav
got consciences Of their own, as we'll o
you. They leave children behind them t.
be blessed or TO be cursed by the acts o
their fathers as we'll as you. Let then
work out there own salvation; make theiI
own laws; establish their own institutions
manage their own afflirs in their own way;
and be responsible to posterity and to the
Almighty, but to no other power on earth.
Applause, and cries of "Good."7
Gentlemen, did not come here to make
a speech to you, but in the presence of thai
monument, and inspired by the place, and
by the noble deeds Of those immortal men
to whose virtues and patriotism that work
was erected, my attention was unavoidabIy
directed to the consideration of the grea
! principles involved in that memorable strug
gle. "Bravo."l That principle was,
repeat, the right, the inherent, inalienablt
right of the people-the people Of colonies
of territories, of provinces, as well as o
States, to make their own laws, establish
their own government, and msnage thei
own affairs, Let us be true to that princi
pie, and THE Union will last forever. LIE
1t never be said, let not the historian eve
record, that the children of those sires who
erected this temple of liberty were no
competent to maintain it. Remember tina
when the revolution began, Virginia sen
her Washington to Bosten, to take com.
mand of the army. [Applause. Remem-
Der that Northern and Southern men stoo
side by side in all Of those great struggles
Northern and Southern men from the fre
States and the slave States poured out thei
blood in common cause, in order tina