Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-02-25
WASHINGTON, d. C.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2s, 1854
JUDGE DOUGLAS AND THE NEW HAMPSHIRE
DEMOCRACY.
POWERS OF TERRITORIAL LEGISLATURES.

The projectors OF the repeal OF the Missouri
Compromise are alarmed at the excitement
prodnaed in New Hampshire, lest il may throw
that State in the approaching election into the
hands of an Observation-Disclosures majority.
Edmund Burke, editor Of the NeiO Hampshire
Reporter avows hs appreciation Of the Bill,
but be wishes the People distinctly 70 under
stand that the repeal Of tho Compromise will
be equivalent to re-establishment Of Slavery
throughout the Territory Of Nebraska.
"The Nebraska billo he says If it shall
pass both Houses OF Congress, repeats the Mis-
souri, Compromise. And what will be the effect
Of such repeal? Unquestio'aably 10 'evaUe and
re-establish SlaVery 0per that whole region.
When Louisiana was ceded to the United
States, tho law Of Slavery existed over that
whole vast Territory 1t required no law to
establish tho instituti0n--t then existed in fact
and BY law And out Of that Territory already
three slave States have been carved, and adj
mitted into the Union, viz Louisiana, Arkan-
sas, and Missouri When they came into the
possession Of the Union as Territories Slavery
had been planted and was furnishing upon
their soil and the whole Territory Of Louisi-
ana was under the dominion of the law which
established and legalzed the institution. There
fore, when those States came into the Union
the people did not have to establish and ordain
Slavery The Missouri Compromise repealed
and e1cluded the institution above the line Of
SO deg. 80 min. The repeal Of that Compro-
mise reyives and re-establshes Slavery in all
the remaining territory Of the Louisiana pur-
chase Therefore the law which permits Sla-
very will be revived and Slavery will exist in
Nebraska and Kansas the very moment the
Nebraska bill receives the sanction OF the
President This il the only deduction which
can be logically drawn from the premises"
The law Of Slavery being against natural
right and there being no power in the Fede-
raj Constitution authorizing the enactment or
continuation Of such . law, we hold that when
Louisiana came under the exclusive jurisdic-
ton of the Federal Government whatever laws
had prevailed there sustaining Slavery, became
that moment invalid, g null and voidn Oh
COURSE a. we do not admit the premise Of the
Reporter, we repudiate its conclusion-that the
repeal Of the Missouri Compromise would re-
vlve Slavery throughout the Territory.
But, we need hardly say that our theory Of
Slavery is not that maintained by the South,
acted upon by Congress, and sanctioned by the
Supreme Court. According to their theory, the
validity Of the slave laws Of Louisiana was not
affected by its transfer to the United States
they continued in force throughout the whole
of the Territory This is the view Of nineteen
twentisths Of the politicians Of the country
MIR. Douglas included. 1t is not for them,
therefore, to impugn the reasoning of the New
Hampshire Reporter. If the view be correct,
its argument is sound. The Missouri Compro-
mise left undisturbed the law of Slavery in
ell of the Territory south of SO deg. 80 min,
and suspended il north Of that l;ne. If il had
been repealed the next Congress, the suspended
Law would have again become operative-the
Territory would have been remanded to its
original condition. Tip delay Of the repeal
does mot affect the principle, To repeal the
Law. Of Freedom in the Territory is to revive
the 0,de Of Slavery, suspended by it. Let the
Democracy OF New Hampshire be admonished
that, whatever assurances they may receive "a
the contrary, this is the argument which slave
holders will urge should the Compromise be
repealed.
Mr. Douglas, in letter to the editor Of the
Reporter, scouts this idea with great display
Of indignation, and asks
q DO Won not know that the Southern men
deny the constitutional poaper Of Congress 10
establish SI0pery IN the Isrriiorlssf Yet in
the teeth Of this undeniable fact, which il we'll
known TO every man, woman, and child, who
has ever read newspaper, your paper repre-
eents these gentlemen a. proposing to violate,
not only the Constitution, but their own oaths.
by noting to establish Siawry ia Nebraska and
Kansas After attempting to fix this brand
Of infamy on the brow Of more than two thirds
of the members Of the United States Senate,
the writer OF the article in question proceeds
to show the kindness Of his heart and the p,,-
rity Of his motives, by assuring your readers
that he is no better than those whom he ar
sails and therefore he approves the not, and
advises its communication"
We cannot allow Mr.. Douglas to mystify
this question. Southern men do not propose
TO establish Slavery in the Territories by a
positive law Of Congress- and therefore his bill
embraces no such provision. They insist that
Congress shall pass no law to exclude Slavery
from the Territories, and therefore his bill
contains no such enactment
Thus far, their course is open and above.
board but here commences the doubled dealing.
VIII the People Of a Territory have the right,
should tho Bill pass 10 srciuds Slavery On
this vital question the Bill itself is ambiguous
Intentionally 80, although at first sight IL may
seem 10 the uninitiated plain enough. aInten.
tionAlly ambiguous" We say, because tho au.
thors Of the Bill know that the 20 called Demo
orats Of the South differ toto eoio from their
associates Of the North, in relation 10 the power
Of the inhabitants Of . Territory in respect. "a
slavery 70 that when 10 Il sought to unite
chem in the support Of common measure, in
volving question ~ 70 this power u l. neces-
sary d lrp ~ terms Of the act 80 that they
may y ~ airsctly opposite construc.
tions. I y ~ now this purpose is accom-.
plisbed II ~ NIlI undsr consideration