Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-09-15
RICHMOND WING.
To COR = Esf ..9 3 e |.
The Democratic Party and the South.

Hinder this canton. tho Charleston Mercury has
article, showing up the scandalous dupi
city and wretched inconsistencies Of tho Democratic
party on the Kansas-Nebraska question. The Her-
,ury it is we'll known, is the accredited organ Of
Calhounism and Southern rights in South Carolina.
And though acting with the Democratic party, it
get has the manliness and independence to proclaim
the truth Car and wide, in regard to its shortcom-
iugs and its abomnable practices 1t takes pretty
much the view in the following extract Of the
course Of the Democracy in respect to Kansas that
we have done. 1t shows that while Justify bawling
out for intervention" it evinces readiness to
violate and trample that doctrine under foot, in
der that "Abohtionsm may be appeased and a spoils
dispensing party led to triumph"
"what have We seen The Territorial Legislature Of
Kansas pass laws, admitting and protecting Slavery, and
therefore obnoxious to Abotionsu. And what Is the
course of Mr. Douglas and other Democratic leaders
Congresss Six years ago when, under the principle
of popular sovereignty Aboionsm in California exclu.
ded the South from that magnificent domain, and she
protested against it, the leaders Of the Democratic party
sustained the principle, and sanctioned our exclusion.
What repeat is their course, when the people OF Kan
sas acting under the doctrine pass laws protecting
slavery Mr. Douglas comes forward with his Pacihca-
ton bi-a bill which, in the teeth OF popular sover
cgnty in the teeth of the Nebraska bill sel-repeaed
whole statutes Of the Territorial Legislature And this
measure fragrant in its violation Of the just uttered
pledges of the Democratic partN-ths
Congressional intervention and repeating the laws OF
proslavery Territorial Legsature-actualy passed the
United States Senate by the vote OF the Democratic party
and Of southern Senators, There Is still lower deep
with efontery beyond conception. Mr.. Douglas in
his late speech that the Democratic Senators
willing repeal the obnoxious laws, while the Free
Sellers resisted it for political effect Mr. Hunter OF Vir
GINA adopts the view. And Mr. Orr, OF South Car
DINA Herods" ALL by invoking Executive nterven.
ton to strange udge and jury" Tor the escape OF Abo
lition maleactors in Kansas
Can betay of principle 60 furthery What this doc
tne Of popular sovereignty that TO day repudists Con
gressiona intervention. aud morrow invites it-thai
makes the Courts OF the United States the sole abter
yet calls abotonised Congress and the President
10 trample upon them? Popular Sovereignty for Caor'
mia, and popular sovereignty for Kansas very differ
things. IL is to be uded and upheld, when it
cluies slavery, but 10 be repudaed when il admits slave
~. Congressional intervention the other hands is to
be repudiaed when invoked 10 protect slavery in Caor
MIA but To be osered when invoked crush it in Kan
sas Tue Compromise OF 1850 is TO be kept, when il de
frauds the South but to be violated when il benefits her
Such is the last warning specimen OF National Democratic
faith"
Now, in our Judgment the Hercury's argument is
unanswerable. And although we have repeatedly
called attention to the fragrant violation by the De
mocracy in the Senate of the principle of "non-in-
tervention," as embodied in the Kansas BILL We have
yet not succeeded in extorting from the Richmond
Enquirer, or any other OF the Southern Buchanan
"Pacifcation BilI of Senator Douglas in utter con-
tempt of the Wanted principles of the Kansas bill,
did Intervene with slavery in the Territory of Kan
sas, by repeating all nearly all the so-edled OBJ
noxious laws of the Kansas Legislature The Kan
sas bill, w were told-and we, for one believed il
was intended and designed to take the agitating
subject of slavery from the halls of Congress, and
transfer il the people of the Territories to be de-
,l..l, ii.
when they TO form a State constitution This
was the sole object of the bill, as understood by
Southern men; and with that understanding, it was
supported by them with cordially and Zeal
But, as the Mercury pertnently inquiries ''what
have we SEEM" Has this boosted doctrine of non.
Intervention been faithfully adhered to and faithfully
carried out in practice? We are not contending that
the people Of the territories in their territorial ca
pacity, have the right to determine the question
whether slavery shall be permanently admitted Or
permanently excluded. BY no means But we 10
maintain that the territorial legsatures-in the all
Of any action to the same effect on the part Of
Congressman only have the right but it is an i'm.
perative obligation resting upon them, which IN, '
should not and must not evade, to pass all propeI
and necessary laws for the protection of slave pro
perty in the territories. In other words it is tn,
bolnden constitutional duty Of Congress- either Il,
its own direct action through the action of Il
territorial legislatures to afford just and needfI pro
lection to every possible species of property whic
may go into the territories either from the North
the South. BY the organic act organizing the terri
torial government Of Kansas, this duty in obedienc
to the idea of Congressional non-intervention wa
imposed exclu lively, as we understand it, upon III
Kansas legislature. Mark you, the duty of prote,
tioH-nothing more and nothing less.
Well, the Kansas Legislature discharged their du
ty and passed such laws as in their discretion an
wisdom, were deemed necessary 10 ensure adeouat
protection to the STAKEHOLDER in his rights Of prone,
ty Ii is not for nor for any man. North o
South, 70 question the right Of the Kansas lcgisa
ture to enact such laws, after that right had beer
conferred upon them by Congress. Nor is it within
the province Of any Of us of any section. remote
from the Of action, and unacquainted with I'M
peculiar circumstances of the case to say that thes
laws are too rigorous too harsh, too inhuman. an,
ought not to have been adopted. that may be ou
Judgment Of them but was it the opinion of tho,
who were alone interested, and whose sole right i
was, according 10 the provisions Of the organic art
70 auord such protection to the slave property Of th
territory as they might adudge to be best Not II
thV Nfn1 ih' hAnhiS legislature only exercised the
right conceded to it, and framed such laws for u
protection Of their slave property as in their ud
ment, surrounding circumstances and the necessi,;
Of their peculiar position required. This being don.
neither Congress nor any other body of men No,,l
or South, nor the individuals of any State had NJ,
right to complain much less had Congress An
shadow Of right TO intervene" TO abrogate Tim.
laws, after IL had conferred the right to pass the,
upon the territorial Legislature And vet il did =,
sumo to do this in palpabe violation Of the rigl
thus conferred, and in direct disregard Of the do
trne Of npn-intervention which lies at the bot,oro
the organic act Senator Douglas "Paciacato
Bill, repeating the laws Of the Kansas Legislature
which we're enacted with the sole and exclusive vie
Of protecting the slave property Of the terri,or,
passed the Senate by a vote Of 40 TO 3. And tbr
at one fell DASH IL the House Of Representatives h,
concurred, every provision aid security for SLAYER
in Kansas would have been swept away.
One thing Is certain that " neither Congress nj
the territorial legislature passes laws to protect Il
institution OF slavery in Kansas, slavery can new
go there And this is the precise condition in viii,
Senator Douglas and his Democratic confederat
srouH 1a.v. "a.