Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1880-07-07

ity."
On another occasion he said:
1--WE do not like this institution
of slavery, either in its moral, So
cial, or political bearings, but con-
slider that it is matter which, like
all other domestic affairs, each COM
munity ought TO be allowed to de-
eide for itself
In the course Of Mr.. English's
second Congressional term, Know
nothiugism asserted itself, and 1t
7 found in him an able and fearless
opponent. He was elected to Con-
gress for a third time, notwith-
standing his request that his con-
stituents would select another can
didate; and the slavery question
came up again in the proposal to
admit Kansas as a State under the
Lecompton Constitution, which did
not prohibit slave-holding. Al
though the proposal was favored
by President Buchanan and by the
entire South, Mr.. English stoutly
opposed the measure on the ground,
chiefly, that there had been no de-
cisive vote by the people of Kan
sas in its favor. The Senate pass
ed the bill admitting Kansas under
the Lecompton Constitution, but
the House rejected it. Then the
House passed Substitute bill,
which was rejected by the Senate.
A conference committe was APP
pointed from the two Houses, and
Mr.. English, as member of that
committee, submitted bill which
provided for the submission of the
question of the admission of Kan
sas under the Lecompton Consti-
tuition to vote Of the people OF
Kansas. The ill was accepted by
both branches of Congress and it
became law.
This act referred the question
back to the people of Kansas, and
they voted against admission under
the Lecomp,on Constitution. At
ter the passage of this bill, Presi-
dent Buchanan offered Mr.. Eng
1 lish an important position in his
administration, and q similar offer
was made by President johnson,
with whom Mr.. English had been
in the House of Representatives;
but both offers were declined. Of
the two Senators and eleven Re-
representatives. constituting the H.
diana delegation in the Thirty
third Congress, only Mr.. English
and Thomas A. Hendricks are liv-
ing.
His election for the fourth time,
in 1853, was by a larger majority
than ever, although few Democrat
ic Congressman were elected in the
North in that campaign. He at
tended the Charleston Convention,
not as a delegate, but in the ca
pacity of q peacemaker. Before
the close of the Convention, he re-
turned TO Washington, discouraged
by the poor prospect for harmony.
In speech made shortly after his
return he said:
Il may be permitted to say. sir
upon this subject of the Presiden-
CIV, that / have but little sympathy
with those who imperiously de-
} mand Caesar or nobody no sym
! patty with that rule-of-ruin spirit
, which has been exhibited too much
of late in both wings of the Dem
ocratic party"
| The movement of the Soutl
, toward secession was opposed b.
| him as stoutly as had been the pro
9 posal to admit Kansas under th'
= Lecompton Constitution. "Th'
{ great Democratic party" he said
= THAT has so long and so justl,
n boasted Of its nationality, must no
y degenerate into a mere Southern
< sectional party or party that toll
: crates the sentiment of disunion
}. if it does, its days are numbered
!, and it's mission ended"
;. Again he said, addressing hi
: words to the Southern Represen
I. tatives in Congress
:. "Looking at this matter from tn
: particular standpoint you occupy
e it is to be feared you have not al
= ways properly appreciated the pos
n ition of the Free-State Democracy
: or the perils which would enviro
J. them in the event of a resort I
a the extreme measures to which
; refer. Would you expect us i
such an event to go with you on
d of the Unioni If so, let me tie
n you frankly, your expectations wi
h never be realized. Collectively, q
n States, it would be impossible, an
le as individuals, inadmissible b,
e cause it would involve innumerab
rs sacrifices, and severance of thos
S, sacred ties which bind every ma
d to his own immediate country, an
E which, as patroits, we never woul
g. surrender"
IN In 1868 he founded the Fir
c. National Bank of Indianapolis, or
y of the first to be organized und'
& the national banking system, an
a the first to get its issue in circul
lie ton, and became its Presiden
ID holding that Office till July, 1877
when be retired from active bus
We pess. His position in regard to Il