The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-06-07

could be elected. After a spirited canvass
Mr.. Douglas was chosen by upward of 400
majority. He was reelected in 1874 by
majority of 1900, and again in 1916 by
nearly 5000 majority. He did not, howev
er, take his seat under the last election,
having in the meantime been chosen to the
Senate of the United States for six years
from March 4, 1847.' In the sHouse of
Representatives Mr.. Douglas was promi-
nent among those who, in the Oregon con-
troversy with Great Britain, maintained
that our title to the whole of Oregon, up to
lat. 81 Q 4O,was "clear and unquestionable."
He declared that " he never would, now or
hereafter, yield up one inch of Oregon, Ell
ther to Great Britain or any other govern
ment." He advocated the policy of giving
notice to terminate the joint occupation of
establishing territorial government over
Oregon, protected by a sufficient military
force and of putting the country at once
in state of preparation, 80 that if war
should result from the assertion of our just
rights, we might "drive Great Britain and
the last vestiges of royal authority from the
continent of North America, and make the
United States an ocean bound republic"
He denied the right of the Federal Govern
ment to prosecute system of internal inn
provements in the States, though he MAIN
tanned the constitutionality and expediency
of improving rivers, harbors and navigable
waters, and advocated scheme of tonnage
duties for that purpose, to be levied and
expended by the local authorities. He was
mainly instrumental in securing the passage
of the law extending the maritime and ad-
miralty jurisdiction of the federal courts
over the great chain of northern lakes,
having reported the bill as member of the
judiciary committee, and put it upon its
passage, when member of the House of
Representatives. He was among the ear
liest advocates of the annexation Of Texas,
and after the treaty for that object had
failed in the Senate, he was one of those
who introduced propositions, in the form
of joint resolutions, as q substitute for that
treaty. As chairman of the committee on
territories, in 1876, he reported the joint
resolution declaring Texas to be one of the
United States of America, and he vigorous
ly sustained the administration of President
Polk in the measures which it adopted for
the prosecution of the war with Mexico,
which was the ultimate consequence of that
act. AS chairman of the territorial com,
mittee, first in the House of Representa-
tives, and afterward in the Senate, he re-
ported and successfully carried through the
bills to organize the territories of Minneso-
ia, Oregon, New Mexico, Utah, Washing
ton, Kansas and Nebraska, and also the
bills for the admission into the Union of
the States of Iowa, Wisconsin, California,
Minnesota and Oregon. So far as the
question of slavery was involved in the Or
ganization of territories and the admission
that Congress should not interfere on the
one side or the other, but that the people of
each territory and state should be allowed
to form and regulate their domestic insti-
tutions to suit themselves. In accordance
with this principle he opposed the "Wimot
proviso" when first passed in the House of
Representatives in 1847, as an amendment
to the bill appropriating $3,O00,000 to en-
able President Polk to make treaty of
peace with Mexico, and afterward in the
Senate when offered as an amendment 10
the bill for the organization of the territory
of Oregon. In August, 1848, however, he
offered an amendment to the Oregon bill,
extending the Missouri compromise line
indefinitely westward to the Pacific ocean,
in the same sense and with the same UNDER
standing with which it was originally
adopted in 1920, and extended through
Texas in 1845, prohibiting slavery in all
the territories north OF the parallel of $50
80, and by implication recognizing its ex-
istence south of that line. This amendment
was adopted in the Senate by decided
majority, receiving the support of every
southern, together with several northern
senator's, but was defeated in the House of
Representatives by nearly sectional vote
The refusal of the Senate to adopt the poll
cy OF congressional prohibition of slavery in
all the territories, and the rejection in the
House of Representatives of the proposition
to extend the Missouri compromise to the
Pacific ocean, gave rise to the sectional
agitation of 1849 so, which was temporar-
lily quieted by the legislation known as the
compromise measures of 1850. Mr.. Doug.
las supported these measures with zeal and
vigor; and on return to his home in Chica-
go, finding them assailed with great violence
he defended the whole series in speech to
the people (Oct. "a, 185O) which is re-
garded by his friends as one of the ablest
he has ever made. In this speech he defined
the principles on which the compromise act
of 1850 were founded, and upon which he
subsequently defended the Kansas ebraska
bill, in these words -" These measures are
predicated on the great fundamental prin-
ciple that every people ought to possess 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 to decide for itself, and know of no
reason why the same principle should not
be extended to the territories" Mr.. Doug.
Las was ap unsuccessful candidate before