The daily union., 1856-12-20

Of slavery in the Territories by act OF Congress put
scheme for Debating indirectly, the domestic INSTITUTIONS
Of the States
The senator from Vermont also asserted that the people
Of the northern States cannot live IN relations OF domes
peace and quiet IN the community with people OF ths
southern States. My friend from Mississippi Mr ADAAS
attempted TO set him right yesterday but as he DID not have
iAir opportunity 10 DO So wouia he - ca AZ so ,ha
there nearly half million more people born In the
northern States actually resdennot temporary or
transient persons, but actually resdentsin slayehodng
States than Of persons born in slayehodng
States residing in the northern States IL appears nom the
census returns OF 1850 that
hundred and twenty six thousand four
hundred and fifty were living in savehodng States who
natives Of ayehoding States and two hundred
and thrytwo thousand hundred and twelve persons
ing in States who were natives OF sayehod
ing States"
It seems we have greater prociyity to emgrate than
our friends the other side of the line.
Mr. President it has been charged in the OF this
discussion that the democratic party in the northern States
avoided the real issue during the late presidential
What the real issue2 The senator from Illinois says
il was whether territorial legislature has has not
power TO abolish savery2 find no such issue propound-
ed in either the republican the democratic platform
The former declares be that territorial legislature
establish slavery but fails to declare whether It can
exclude it, find that the republican platform
absolute power in Congress the Territories
find that denied In the democratic platform.
find the republican platform insisting upon legislation
by Congress exclude slavery from all the Territories OF
the United Staess find in the democratic platform dec
araon that Congress has authority under the cons
tuition, to enact such laws.
find in the republican platform substantial assertion
Of the power of Congress to prevent slavery within the
States find that repudiated in the strongest terms by
the democratic platform
Lastly sir find in the republican platform an exhor
ation TO the disunionstswhom the senator from New
Hampshire has seen but whom the senator from
Massachusetts has seen and denounce and whom the
senator from Maine denounces also, whether he has seen
them notan exhortaon TO these and all other fac
tonisN, of every sort and hue
Black spirits and white,
Red spirits and gray,
to Join crusade to be prosecuted against the southern
States and upon the other hand find in the democratc
platform appeal both the southern States and
the northern States by all they have attained and all
they hope, by the memories Of our heroic age,
by the argument of ancient concord by the aduraon OF
common ancestry common history, common glory,
and destiny to rise above tue squabbles OF
tonasm the arts of demagogues and all the cant OF
these disempered times that they TOGETHER in union and
in peace run their great careers and MI the world
with fame.
The issue thus joined by the two parties in their plat
forms has gone to the country and upon it after much ar
gument and deliberaton, the country has pronounced
final verdict
The President has clearly interpreted that verdict in
| admirable sentence:
"They have asserted the constitutional equality each
and all Of the States of the Unlon Sates they have affirm
ed the constitutional equality of each and all Of the citizens
Of the United States citizens whatever their religion
tanned the goabity of the constitutional rights of the diff
ferent sections Of a Union and they have proclaimed
their devoted and unaterabe attachment to the Union and
the constitution objects of interest superior 70 all subjects
Of local or sectional controversy the safeguard Of the
rights of ALL the spirit and the OF the liberty
peace and greatness of the republic"
The question to which the from Illinois advers
did enter into the issue is ii of the least conse
quenee What territorial Legislature do cannot
do in respect of slavery s question for fit should
exclude slavery tolerate slavery whichever you please
the who wishes to contest its power way au
other beake himself to the judicial tribunals and have
his decided The issue is not what territorial legs
lature do the issue Is what Congress do; and
| that, in my opinion, is nothing at all.
If Congress will leave this whole question to the nhab
ants of the several Territories to be decided in each case
without its intervention and when and the inhabitants
may choose may be able to decide It, shall have no
further occasion Of controversy and schsm. And Con-
gress must do that the Union will totter to destruc
| ton.
do not declare this in facous spirit; express only
the deliberate convictions of my Judgment and express
| them not in anger, but in
1t Is also charged that the democratic party has not
dared in some OF the northern States to defend the prnc
Piles and policy Of the act should not
aude to this at all but for statement in the Globe news
paper yesterday purporng to have been made by of
the representatives from Ohio In the other house OF Con-
gress refer 10 it Of course statement in newspa-
per- not speech. have great personal regard for
those gentlemen and do not believe they would intention
ally misrepresent the positions of their political op
ponents nor can undertake, at this late hour TO
controyet the various details which they have related
The democratic party of Ohio viii be defended in that
House at the next session by Its able and galaA
champions Suffice It, for the present. to declare that do
not know democrat in the Sate-and my acquaintance
is extensive onewho dssents from the principles ex
pressed IN the Cincinnati platform and imboded in the
Kansas Nebraska bill There may be such can
not say that there Is such but say and will
say that have not been able TO find him. In all the
speeches which heard and upon all the banners which
saw, during the late canvass, there sentiment
should hesitate TO affirm in this presence before the
| Union at large.
Why sir we could not have avoided that issue II we had
chosen Besides the Cincinnati platform which was print
ed In all the newspapers and the theme Of incesaut
discourse there is the platform Of the democratic State
convention which assembled at Columbus in January last
| IL declared
That slavery Adomesc institution and that Congress
bas neither the TO legsate into Territory
State 70 exclude II heefrom but leave the people
thereof perfectly free 10 form and regulate their
situations in their own way, subject only to the constitution
| Of the United States"
That the very language Of the Nebraska bill The
outions OF the Democratic State Convention continues
That the right OF the people Of particular
Territory to establish their constitution form Of
ernmen TO choose and regulate their domestic psttu
daments principle OF all free government and that II the
right TO which ancestors waged the
Of the revolutions right lying at the foundation OF all
tree institutions recognised in the Declaration OF Inde
pendence and established BY the constitution Of the United
States and hereby endorse and reafrm this dspu
| ted principle"
These resolutions only assert what the democratic State
convention OF Ohio asserted in January 1s4e upon the
issue then presented After expressing the opposition
OF the entire "people OF Ohio without any distinction Of
parties TO the institution Of slavery aas evil and
favorable 10 the development Of the spirit and practical
benefits Of free institutions" the convention declared
fBut Be further reolped That the democracy OF Ohio do
at the time fully recognise the doctrine held by the
early fathers OF the republic and stil maintained by the
democratic party in all the States that TO each State belongs
the right to adopt and modify It's municipal laws 70
uate ITS internal affairs hold and maintain equal
independent with each and