New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-06-02
Senate of the United States for six years from March

In he House of Representatives, Mr.. Douglas was
prOmnentamong those who, In the Oregon controversy
with Great Britain, maintained that orr title 10 the
Who'll. of Greg n ND 10 lai So 40 was ceGr AID m
questionable" He declared Tat "he never wonid
now or hereafe En- yield inch OF OrgoD, either
TO Great Britain any other Goyerunent. lie aH-
vOcated the policy Of giving notice % terminate the
Joint occua ion Of e-labl sling Territorial Govern
ment over Oregon, protected by sufficient military
force; and OF quitting the country once III st'e Va
preparation, SO that If war should result IRON tn9
ton OF our lust rights, We might dnre " 6ieae Di'
end The last vestiges of ROYAL authority from uO
Continent of North America and make ibe I'M
ted States On ocean bound Repubhc. lio u'IiSu
the right of the Federal Government 20 lloseIu'e
system Of inter- al Improvement III inc o'".eel oue
be maintained the cOnstitutionalty abG cAPr"ihs!
improviny rivers haruors and navigabie waters and
advocat. a 81 heme Of tunnage dules LOT thi PurPVe
10 be levied and expended by the local Authoues lie
mainly instrumental III securing VIC PeSssG %
law extending the maIiline aud odurOIty uttdcilon
ri tha Fedora, courts over the great cham OF NOtbefn
Iekes having reported the bill as member OF the Jud
cay Committee aud put 1t upon lit paRsage, when
,nenber of the House Of Representatives. He was
among the earliest advocates Of the annexation Of
Teas and after the treaty Tor that object mad failed
in the Senate, he was one Of those who introduced
propositions in the form OF joint Tesolu-
tions, as q substitute for that treaty. As
Chairman Of the Committee on Territories III 1916, he
reported the joint resolution declaring Texas 10 be one
Of the Uniied States of America, and he vigorously
sustained the Administration of President Polk in the
which 1t adopted for the prosecution OF the
war with Mexico which ives the ultimate Consequence
of that act. As Chair man % the Territorial Commit
tee first in the House of Representatives, and ailer-
ward in the Senate, he ported and successfully carried
through the bills TO rgsuze the L rritorles OF Mlnhe-
sofa Oregon, New-MeXicO Utah, Washington, HAN
cas- and Nebra ka and also the bills for The Admission
iuto the Union OF the States of Iowa. Wisconsin, Cali
fornia Minnesota, and Oregon. 80 lar as
the question Of Slavery was involved IN the
organization Of Territories end the admission
of new States, be early took the position that
Congress should not interfere on the one hde
or the other but that the people OF each ferory ana
State should be allowed to form and regulate their do
nestle institutions to suit themselves In accordance
with this principle, he opposed the Nllmot ProV'o
when frs passed in the House Of Representatives In
1877, as an amendment TO the bill appropria,ing
So coo 600 10 enable President Polk 10 make treaty
Of peace with Mexico, and aiterwGrd in the Senate
when offered az amendment to The bill for the Or
ganizatlon OF the Territory of Oregon. ln August,
fS4s however, he offered an amendment to the
Oregon bill, extending the Missouri Compro-
mise line indefinitely westward TO the Paclhe
Ocean in the same sense and with the same I'M
derstanding with which ii was originally adopted III
1870 al d extended through Texas Ill 49, prohibiting
Slavery in all the territory north of the parallel OF 30
3d. and by implication recognizing i existence south
OF that line This amendment was adopted IN the Sem
ate by decided majority, receiving the support OF
every Southern, together with several Northern Sena-
tors bpt was defeated in the House OF Representatives
by nearly sectional VOTE
rel
pressonl prohibition OF Slavery in all the Territories,
and the re election in the House of Representatives OF the
proposition 70 extend the Missouri Compromise 10 the
Pacific Ocean, gave rise TO the sectional agitation OF
1880 which was temporarily Quoted by The Lexis
aton known a. the comprom measures OF 1850. Mr..
Douglas supported measures with zeal and vsor
end on bis e urn 10 his home IN Chicago, nd them
as,ailed with great violence, he defended tie WHOLE
series in speech to the people Oct "a iS1O Which
is regarded by his friends of the ables, be has
ever made In this speech he defined the principles
which the compromise acts of 1855 were founded, and
upon which lie subsequently, offended the Kansas
Nebraska bill in ihese words "1bese measures
predicaied ON the great fundamental principie that
every people ought TO posses the right Of framing and
regulating their own internal concerns and domestic
institutions in their own way. These things
are all confded by the Constitution to each state
decide for itself, and know Of no reason why the
same principle should not be extended TO the Term
tories.
Mr. Douglas Yves an unsuccessful candidate before
the Democratic National Convention al Baltimore in
1852 for the nomination for the Presidency. On the
3Oth ballot he received 90 votes, the highest number
given to any candidate that ballot out of total of
235 votes.
At the Congregational Sestion Of 1884, he report
ed from tine Committee Territories the celebrated
bill 20 organize the Territories Of Kansas aud Nebras-
ka which eectually revolutionized political parties ia
the United States and formed the issnes upon which
tie Democratic and Republican parties became sraye1
against each other. The passage Of this bill caused
great excitement in the Free States OF the Union,
and Mr. Douglas. az its author, was widely and
vehemently denounced, and in many places was
hanged and burned in efBgy. TIE whole controversy
turned on the provision repeating the Missouri Com
prorpise which Mr.. Douglas maintained 10 be incon-
sistent with the principle of nonntervention by Con-
press with Slavery in States and Territories After
repeating the Missouri restriction, the biil declared
10 be the "true intent and meaning Of the act not 10
leQsate Slavery into any State Territory 10
cude il herefrou but TO leave the people thereof per-
fectly free to form and regulate their domestic insttu-
tions in their way subject only 70 the Conslltn-
tion of the United States." Whatever diversity Of
Opinion may exist in regard TO the correctness Of this
principle and the proprety Of its application TO the
Territories il must admitted that Mr. Douglas has
proved faithful TO 1t under all circumstances ana de-
tended il whenever assaulted violated.
In 1856, he again candidate for the Presiden-
tial nomination before the Democratic National Con-
vention at CincDnsi. TIE highest vote lie received
was on the sixteenth ballot winch stood: For Mr. Bu-
cLanan l6S; for Mr.. Douglas, III for MIR. Cas-, b.
In the Congressional session Of 1878, be de-
nounced and opposed with energy and ability the Lee
compton Constitution, upon tue distinct ground that II
was not the act and deed OF the people OF hansas and
did not embody their will.
BEFORE the adjournment Of that session Of Congress,
he returned home to viDdcae lis action before the
people 81 Illinois Of the most exciting and we'll
contested political canvasses ever known In the United
States He had TO encounter the determined hostility
of the Federal Administration and all its patronage,
and the powerful opposition Of the Republican party
Bat he succeeded in carrying the election Of suh
number OF STATE DcDaJOfh
secure bis return to the United States Senate for six
wears from March A. 1859 by 81 for him TO 46 for
Abraham Lincoln bic able and distinguished oppo-
nent Ii was manifest, however, by the popular vote
for cersin State officers who were chosen simulta-
neously with the members of the Legislature, that
majority of the people opposed 70 Mr. Douglas.
TIE Republican candidate for Superintendent Of Com
mon Schools received ia, 566 votes the Douglas
didate for the same Office l22 and the Buchanan
or Administration candidate, 5l73. During the whole
of hat contest be maintained and defended the doe
trne of non-Dtervenion and Popular yeeignty, in
the same seIse in which he had previously proclaimed