Year: 1860




EConnuedI


Let me say to the gentlemen from the south
who are so sensitive on this question Of slave
ry, that a sublimer faith would become great
men; those men especially who say that
slavery is OF divine origin. Why, Mr. Speak.
er, who is the author of divine institutions
1t is He who sitteth upon the circuit of the
heavens, and before Him all the inhabitants
OF the earth are as grasshoppers" Ii, then,
lie mas established certain relations between
grasShoppers of one color and grasshoppers
OF another color, be assured those relations
viii stand any and all tests. Who can over
throw them Can the north (Great laugh
teri Is my colleague going to do it think
not; for these things which have the superin
tendence and approval OF Almighty God are
above even these giants who contend against
the right of the people to govern themselves.
The Titans even could not dethrone Jupiter.


The appeal is made to us from every reason
of philanthropy, from every sentiment Of pity,
that those 'poor people" in the territories may
not be allowed to govern themselves, for the
reason that they cannot pay their own eX-
penses. Well, sir, if they cannot do it, is it
not as easy for us to appropriate money to
govern the land districts, or to aid them in
governing themselves as it is to appropriate
money to pay the officials which the executive
shall send out What man can doubt that
Ii they are III such strait as to want assist
ance In their government who is here so base
as to refuse to give it There is no party
here there has been no party in this country,
but what would listen to the appeals of these
people, coming with this plea OF poverty that
they were unable to meet the legitimate ex-
penseS of their government. They would
have an appropriation and one half Of the
ordinary appropriation would be better for
them, paid TO their own citizens, whom they
would elect to these offices, than the whole ap
preparation paid to federal officials, who go out
to the territories only for temporary resi-
dence, and who return with the profits of their
proconsulship to settle i'll Fifth Avenue, or in
some of the eastern cities. Under this mode
of allowing the people to govern themselves,
they will select their own fellow citizens, resi-.
dents in the same territory; and these officers
will receive their salaries, not to be transport
ed to eastern cities to be spent in luxury, but
sir, to be u ed in building up the young terri
tories and the future states which shall be
made within their limits.


Mr. Speaker, another objection of my col
league is, that there can be no law except mob
Law among these people in the territories. |
have shown that in our earliest colonies, with
out the advantage of former experience in
selfgovernment, the people have made models
OF government TOR themselves. have shown
that the people of Oregon have made model
institutions without the advice or sanction of
Congress. My colleague says that nothing
but mob law can exist, except where this om-
niscient legislature shall show the world some
nobler achievements. Mob law, made by in
fants and | suppose carried out by infants
No, sir; mob law made by sensible men, your
equals and mine, from your state and from
mine, every one of them abundantly able to
draw up bill Of rights or constitution.
And these are the men who know nothing but
mob law, and this Congress should exercise
its all wise influence to restrain them from
selfdestruction, from annihilatlon Is it pos
sibe, sir, that in this age of the world there is
any man so big Il fool as to suppose that An
glO Salons have not in themselves the ele
ments of selfpreservatlon Ii there is, sir, he
ought to be schooed while longer by his
nc her and by his nurse | contend, sir, that
|4hglo .Saxous, wherever you find them have
the elements OF self government and the ee-
ments Of self-preservation. Put them down
where you please, i'll small numbers or i'll great
numbers familiar friends, or strangers to each
other, and they will institute IL perfect code OF
laws, aud they will enforce them. Personal
rights, rights of property, all rights will be
protected under those laws.


Now, sir, this is scheme to defy polti-
clans, and that is what it is fought for. w hat
will the politicians do, these men ask, when it
is seen all over the country that the people can
. do without them, and without their supervis.
ion and parental care in Congress "Othel-
los occupation" will be gone, and especially
the occupation of such OtheoS as have their
all invested in Wilmot proviSos or congress
Sional Intervention in some shape What can
they do when the people shall have said, as
they will say, that no provisions are necessa
ry, and no congressional Intervention consis-
tent with the principles and policy Of this
government. l take the stand that any such
provision or any such intervention is III direct
antagonsm to the Declaration of lndepend-
ence, which says that "al governments derive
their just powers from the consent Of the
governed" Is that the kind of govern
ment which this Congress of the United
States, without one word of authority from
the people, imposes to tell them how they
shall act and what they shall do in the terrific
ries? Do you claim, Mr.. Speaker, that you
have right to say that man IN Washington
territory, whose wife is dead, shall not have
the right to marry his former wite'S sister DO
you pretend to say at what time they shall dig
CLANS in Washington territory? (Laughter.l
Who pretends K say that it is the business of
Congress to go into all these minut@; to di-
rect every movement, control every wish,
shape every expression of the will Of the terri.
tories of the United States Whoever pre-
tends to say so is not entitled to have much in
fuence among American citizens.


Mr.. GooCH-I wish merely to say to my
colleague that it seems to me he is fighting a
proposition which nobody ever did assume.
Nobody has assumed such proposition here
to-day as that Congress could do anything of
that kind but merely that we should give a
helping hand to the people in organizing their
local government, which may do these things.


MIR. THAYER-I perfectly well understsnd
MI that. 1t is to give helping hand to the
politicians, not to the people, that is what my
colleague wants. He is afraid | will lose my
place in this House for not lending helping
hand. do not fear anything SO long as adj
here to what l can defend by good logic. do
not 1ear to go before the geople OF auy part OF
the country with this as my thesis that the
people are supreme in this government, and
that they have the right to govern themselves.


Mr.. GooCH-l desire to ask my colleague
whether he means to say that have ever init
mated any such thing as he suggests?


Mr.. THAYER-What?


MIR. GooCH-That was afraid you would
lose your place here on account of your posi-
tion on this or any other question


Mr.. THAYER-I supposed that on account
of your abundant sympathy, that was the case.


Mr.. GoocH-Wheu the gentleman cannot
find something that exists to fight, he nights
something that does not exist.


Mr.. THAYER-If the gentleman wishes me
to come directly to the point, will do SO. lie
says Congress has the power to govern the
people; and he complains because l said that
Congress might exercise that power by telling
the people OF country when they were to dig
clans, and when not and might exercise it
by saying whether man might marry his
former wife's sister or not. Now, i ask my
colleague if he denies that Congress has the
power to say both these things?


Mr. GooCu-What / say in regard to the