Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-04-04
q EQUAL RIGHTS"

EQUAL RIGHTS"
All that we have asked is, that the Southern
States shall have and exercise rights an the no.
tional domain, equal to those enjoyed by tho
Northern States o-Southern EIchdnge.
You ask for what you already have. The
Southern States have now, and may exercise,
rights in Nebraska equal to those enjoyed by
the Northern States The citizens of the for
mer removing there, cannot make people work
for them, without wages, and unless they please;
nor can citizens Of the Northern States. The
prohibition Of Slavery is not confined to Grasses,
but is universal operating upon oil alike We
are happy to be sustained in this view by Judge
Douglas, who is looked upon affectionately by
the Shareholders rs a martyr in their cause
"Sir,n said he, /" do not hold the doctrine
that to exclude any species Of property by law
from any territory il violation OF any right
to property. Do you not exclude banks from
some Of the Territories? DO you not exclude
whiskcy from being introduced into large por-
items Of the Territories of the United States 2
Do you not exclude gambling tables, which
are property, recognized rs suoh, in tho States
where they are tolerated. And has any one
commended that the exclusion Of gambling Ia
bles and the exclusion Of ardent spirits, was a
violation of any constitutional right or priv
Iege2
why, sir, our laws now prevent tavern-keep-
or from going into some Of the Territories Of
the United SIates and taking bar with him,
and using and selling spirits there. The law
also prohibits certain other descriptions OF bu
siness from being carried on in the Territories
am not therefore, prepared to say that under
the Constitution we have not the power to pass
laws excluding negro Slavery from the Terri
tories. 1t involves the same principle"
This is from the revised official report Of a
speech made by Judge Douglas in 1880, in the
Senate, on the Omnibus Bill, and wo arc not
advised that he has changed hrs opinion.
IL the exclusion of Slavery from Nebraska be
violation Of the equal rights Of the States,
there arc other violations which are very qui-
city acquicsced in by Southern men. What
think they Of the act Of Congress Of 1880, pro-
hibiting slaves from being brought into this
District, from any State, for tho purpose Of sale,
or to be held in depot for transportation to the
SOUTH This is n palpablo denial to slave
property" so called, Of the usual privileges &C.
cured to property. If to exclude Slavery from
Territory be violation Of the equal rights
OF the States on the ground that the right Of n
master TO his slaves is entitled to the same pro-
lection and favor Mt the hands Of tho Federal
Government, as the right to "any other prop
erty,v then, to prevent him from bringing or
sending his slaves TO this District as he would
bring or send "any other property, is a viola
ton Of the equal rights Of the States"
Again the prohibition OF tho foreign slave
trade must be regarded in the Same light. II
slaves be property in tho view Of the Constitu-
ton, and Congress cannot exclude such prop
erty from the Territories, without violating
the equal rights Of the States, how can it,
without similar violation, exclude slaves, pur-
chased by American ctizesss, and imported in
American vessels, not only from the Terrific
ries, but the States themselvcs7
The logic Of Slavery, like ITSELF is an alb
surdity
Should Congress pass m act, authorizing the
hemp-growers Of Missouri to remove TO Ne
braska, and hold their slaves there, but pro-
hibiting the introduction Of slaves from any
other quarter or, should it allow the immi-
grant from the South in that Territory 70 hold
certain number Of slaves but forbid the
Northern immigrant to hold any, Il would be
guilty Of wicked and wanton discrimination I;
but there can be no violation Of the equal rights
Of any State, so long as the citizens Of M are
allowed 10 immgrate into United States Terri
tory, and are therc placed by tho laws on an
equal footing
Were Utah at this moment "a Sovereign
State and should the MormoDs claim the
right OF settling in Nebraska with their Sc
raglios, on the ground Of the equality Of the
States, would tho shareholders deny the power
OF Congress, or tho Territorial Legislature, to
pass laws for the prohibition Of polygamy or
bigamya II consistent, they would; for, TO
exclude polygamy from United States tori
tory, while a single State recognized il a. one
Of it's institutions, would, according to tho rea-
souing Of these gentlemen, be violation OF
its equal right 70 the public domain!