Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-05

ton of the great declaration? The
perpetual vassalage of a colonial sys-
TEN such as is practiced in England
against India is in direct contraven-
ton of the Declaration Of Independ-
ence. Every American President from
Washington to Harrison inclusive has
in effect SO declared. No public men,
not even Jefferson, ever hammered away
with more labored and reiterated per-
sistency for this principle than Abra-
ham Lincoln ! hold in my hand an
original edition of the great debate
between lincoln and Douglas in 1859,
when they canvassed the State of Hi
nois and held eight joint discussions.
| will here insert few sentences from
the utterances of Abraham Lincoln: i
have never said anything to the con-
trary, but / hold that notwithstand-
ing all this, there is no reason in the
world why the negro is not entitled
to all the natural rights enumerated
in the Declaration of Independence
the right of life. liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness" AgaiR Il adhere
to the Declaration of independence, if
Judge Douglas and his friends are
not willing TO stand by ii let them
come up and amend it. Let them
make it read that all men are created
equal except negroes"
1.-THE authors of the Declaration OF
independence meant it to be-as,
thank God, it is now proving itself
a stumbling block to all those who
in after times might seek to turn a
free people back into the hateful path
of despotism. They knew the prone
ness CT prosperity to breed tyrants,
and they meant when such should re-
appear in this fair land and commence
their vocation they should find left
for them at least one hard nut to
crack"
If ever there was a vindication OF the
Chicago and st. Louis platforms in its
entirety, except on the question OF
protection, it is to be found in the ut
terances of Abraham Lincoln. Not a
plank there but he has such upon and
defended. This is not the time nor
place to enlarge upon this assertion
but | know what / am talking about.
and can produce the full proof, that
all of the essential planks of our DEM
ocratic platform can be sustained by
the concurrent appreciation of that
great triumvirate of statesmen, Jeffer-
son, Lincoln and Bryan.
The Constitution of the United States.
come next in order of the discus
sion to speak of the Constitution and
it's vindication by the present admin
istration and the Republican party.
I desire to ask one question: Upon
what article, paragraph or clause OF
the Constitution can be based the
power to hold conquered territory in
perpetual vassalage and colonial pos
session?
The Constitution says: New States
may be admitted by the Congress into
this union" Ours is a government OF
limited powers-limited by the Con-
stitution. No power can be exercised
by the government unless expressly
conferred by the Constitution or de-
rived by obvious implication from the
powers directly conferred. Can we
from the power to admit new states
into this union exercise power to con-
quer foreign territory and hold 1t in
perpetuity as a colonial possession?
Can any such power be implied from
the direct power to admit new states
The idea is monstrous, and has been
repudiated over and over again by all
of our greatest statesmen without dis
tinction of party. have recently sub
scribed and received the valuable COM
pilation of the public uterances of our
presidents, made by Representative
Richardson, under authority of an act
of Congress. l have thus had fresh
access to the public views of all OF
our presidents from Washington to
Mckinley inclusive. Now l defy any
man to point out single president,
anterior to Mckinley, who has ven
tured even to suggest the provincial
theory upon which the Republican
party now insists. Thomas Jefferson,
who acquired Louisiana by purchase
distinctly repudiates any such theory
and insists upon the organization of
our newly acquired territory into in
choate states, thence to be developed
into full-grown members of our great
confederate sisterhood. Said he: ION
this important acquisition so favora-
Bile to the immediate interest of our
western citizens, so suspicious to the
FN~~NS S'-AA oNkulAby VI IuC HdIIUu III
general it adds to our country terri
tory so extensive and fertile and to our
citizens new brethren to partake of the
blessings Of freedom and self-gov-
eminent, l offer to Congress and our
country my sincere congratulations. ~
Or the ordinance of 1887, by which
this acquired territory was provided
with territorial government, a cele-
brated historian has said: This Or
dlnance was in the nature of a COM
pact between the states and settlers
OF this territory, providing a right to
seIt-government for them, while in the
condition of inchoate states and for
their future admission into the union. y
john Adams, in the negotiations
about the Floridas took the same
ground and recommended that they
should be furnished with government
like that given to the territories west
OF the Ohio river
John Tyler, who annexed Texas. ney-
er dreamed or intimated that she was
TO submerge or lose her separate State
mood by becoming a member of the
American Union. On the contrary, in
the joint resolution offered on the 18th
day of January, 1S45, by Milton Brown
and adopted by the American Congress
it was expressly provided that Texas
was to come in as a new State. and
when Texas adopted it on the 4th OF
July, 1S45, it was provided that a con-
vention sheuld be held TO form a new
constitution, as one of the United
States of America.
When as an indemnity for our loss