Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-06-15

I tives. He was among the earliest 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 PROPOSE
tions 10 the form Of joint resolutions, as 0
substitute for that treaty. p, !.
! As Chairman Of the Committee on Terri.
tories in l946, be reported the joint resolution
declaring Texas to be one Of the United
States OF America, and be vigorously sus.
| tanned 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 Committee
first in the House of Representatives. and
afterwards 10 the Senate, be reported and
successfully carried through the bill to organ.
| ize the Territories of Minnesota, Oregon,
| New Mexico, Utah, Washington, Kansas and
| Nebraska. and also the bills for the admission
into the Union of the States of Iowa, Wis.
consiu, California, Minnesota and Oregon
So far as the question of slavery was involved
| in the organization OF Territories and the
admission of new States, be early took the
position 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
institutions to suit themselves.
In accordance with this principle, be oppo.
sed the wv ilmot Proviso" when first passed
10 the House of Representatives in lS47, az
an amendment to the bill appropriatipg
$4,000 to enable President Polk to make
treaty of peace with Mexico, and afterward
in the Senate when offered as an amendment
to the bill for the organization of the Terri.
tory of Oregon. 1n August, l848, however,
he offered an amendment TO the Oregon bill,
| Ia -:
indefinitely westward to the Pacific Ocean,
in the same sense and with the came under.
standing with which it was originally adopted
in 1920, and extending through Texas in
l845, prohibiting slavery in all the territory
north of tho parallel Of 3Go 3O', and by
implication recognizing its existence south Of
that line. This amendment was adopted iu
the Senate by q decided majority, receiving
the support OF every Southern, together with
several Northern Senators, but was defeated
iC the House OF Representatives by nearly q
sectional vote.
The refusal Of the Senate to adopt the
policy 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 lS49-'50, which was temporarily
queted by the Legislation known as the
Compromise measures Of 1850. Mr.. Douglas
supported these measures with zeal and vigor,
and on his return to his home in Chicago,
finding them assaied With great violence, be
defended the whole series in @ speech to the
people (Oct. "a, l950,) which is regarded by
his friends as one of the ablest be has ever
made. In this speech be defined the princi-
Piles on which the compromise acts of 1850
were founded, aud upon which be subsequently
defended the Kansas. Nebraska bill, in these
words :-"These measures nre predicated on
the great fundamental principle that every
people ought to possess the right of framing
and regulating their own internal concerns
aud domestic institutions 10 their own way
These things are all confded by the
Constitution to each State to decide for
itself, aud know of no reason why the same
principle should not be extended to the
Territories.
Mr.. Douglas was an unsuccessful candidate
before the Democratic National Convention
at Baltimore 10 1852, for the nomination for
the Presidency. On the 30th ballot be re.
ceved 80 votes, the highest number given
to any candidate on that ballot, out of total
Of 2S8 votes.
At the Congressional Session of l653.'54,
he reported from the Committee on Terrific.
ries the celebrated bill to organize the Terri.
tories of Kansas and Nebraska, which eifec-
tually revoutionzed political parties n the
United States, and formed the issues upon
which the Democratic and Republican parties
became arrayed against each other. The
passage of this bill caused great excitement
in the Free States Of the Union, and Mr..
Douglas, as its author, was widely and vehe-
mently denounced, aud in many places was
hanged and burned in effigy. The whole
controversy turned on the provision repeating
the Missouri Compromise, which MIR. Douglas
maintained TO be Inconsistent with the priu.
ciple of non.interveniion by Congress with
Slavery IN States and Territories.
After repeating the Missouri restriction,
the bill declared to be the .'true intent and
meaning of the act, not to legslate Slavery
into any State or Territory, nor to exclude il
therefrom, but to leave the people thereof
perfectly free to form and regulate their
domestic institutions 10 their own way sub.
ject only to the Constitution of the United
States" Whatever diversity of opinion may
exist iu regard TO the correctness of this
principle and the propriety of its application
to the Territories il must be admitted that
Mr.. Douglas has proved faithful to it under
all circumstances, and defended it whenever
assaed or violated.
10 1856 he was again candidate for the
Presidential nomination, before the Demo.
cratic National Convention at Cincinnati
The highest vote he received was on the
sixteenth ballot, which stood For Mr.
Buchanan, l6S; for Mr. Douglas, III for
Mr.. Cass. 6.
10 the Congressional session OF 1878 he
denounced and opposed. with energy aud
ability, the Lecompton Constitution, upon
the distinct ground that it was not the act
and deed of the people OF Kansas, and did
not embody their will.
Before the adjournment Of that session of
Congress, he returned home to vindicate his
action before the people of Illinois 10 one of
the most exciting and we'll contested peliti.
cal cauvasses ever known 10 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. But he succeeded
10 carrying the election Of sufficient nun.
ber OF State Senators and Representatives to
secure bis return to the United States Senate
from March 4, 1859, by 54 votes for him, to
46 Tor Abraham Lincoln, his able and dis
tlngnlshed opponent. 1t was manifest, how.
ever, by the popular vote for certain State