Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-08-20
zens of the United States, in respect to
their rights ofpersons or rights of property.


their rights of persons or rights of propert,
".
1. The territory thus acquired, is acqui
ed by the people of the United States ft
their common and equal benefit, throug
their agent and trustee, the Federal Gov
ernment. Congress can exercise no powe
over the rights of persons or property of
citizen in the Territory which is prohibite
by the Constitution. The Governmen
and the citizens whenever the Territory l.
open 10 settlement both enter it with thei
respective rights defined and limited by tn
Constitution.
2. Congress has no right to prohibit tn
citizens of any particular State or State
from taking up their home there, while i
permits citizens of other States to do so.-
Nor has it right to give privileges to on
class of citizens which it refuses another
The territory is acquired for their equa
and common benefit-and if open to any
it must be open to all upon equal ard th'
same terms.
3. Every citizen has right to take witt
him into the territory any article of prop
city which the Constitution of the UuiteC
States recognizes as proper.
| 4. The Constitution of the United State
recognizes slaves as property, and pledge.
the Federal government to protect it. AnC
Congress cannot exercise any more author
ity over property of that description than
it may constitutionally exercise over prop
erty of any other kind.
5. The act of Congress, therefore, pro
hibiting citizen of the United States
from taking with him his slaves when he
removes to the Territory in question to re-
side, as an exercise of authority over pri
vate property which is not warranted by
the Constitution-an the removal of the
plaintiff by his owner, to that Territory
gave him no title to freedom.
This is the only part of the Dred Scot
decision in which any thing relating tc
popular sovereignty is anywhere discern
BILE. This, then, is the instance of the sup
posed concurrence" between the Court
and the Party. Whethera a negro may be
sitizen of the United States, or not, does
not touch popular sovereignty, or any such
Constitutional Powers and Political
Rights of the State and Territories" as
must have been in the contemplation OF
those who framed, and those who adopted
Resolution of the platform made last
Thursday. (See above.) Whether, when
slave is taken by his master into free
State, but returns with him to a slave
State, he is free or slave, does not concern
the doctrine of Popular Sovereignty in
Territories. 1t must be the doctrine
have cited from the Dred Scott case, which
the Democratic Party finds, with "deep
qualification" to concur with its own real
opinions, ''formally arowed by it (the
Democratic Party in three National Con-
ventions."
l cannot believe, that the body OF the
Democratic voters can come to know and
appreciate these things without alarm on
The subject Of the relations they sustain to
the party known as Democratic. For my
own part, l have been strongly attached to
the Democratic Party-.o strongly to aban-
doni from caprice orselfshness-to strong
ly to witness its gradual change from the
defense of State Rights to centralism with
out vigorous efforts to revive its ancient
faith and restore its ancient practice. For
years have seen the party tendency to
Southernism and Centralism-an within
the party organization, have faithfully as
sisted other Democrats in the endeavor to
restrain that tendency. l now give up the
task as hopeless. am no abolitionist.-
L am no fanatic. For quite seventeen
years, l have been in the active service of
the Democratic party and in constant as
sociation with its worthiest members. The
whole number ofinfuenees to which | have
been subject has been unfavorable to the
formation Of extreme opinions, intolerate of
slavery. But will not allow my devo-
ton 10 any party of interest in politics to
make me silent, when all the wholesome
rules of law, when all its constructions in
favor of liberty, are set aside, to make
room for preversion of the constitution
in the interest of the property in men, and
when this perversion, instead ofmoving the
Indignation of the whole country, becomes
matter of addition to the creed of that par
ty, which l have labored to render pros
porous, and which had once hoped to find
always worthy of my devotion and regard.
l will not worship the new idol Of the
Democratic Party. l dare not allow my
respect for the good and true men, who re-
main with the party, to smother the senti-
ment of adherence with which l regard the
least addition to the creed of that party =
No more Objectionable, no more vitally
dangerous, no more entirely detestable
thing than this, was ever approved by par
ty. | speek freely, after the manner in
which ] was taught to speak, by the Dem
ocratic party; truly, as l have ever chosen
to speak of matters relating to the common
veal
The endorsement by great party of the
dictune in the Dred Scott case, declaring
the want Of power in the Congress and in
the Territorial Legislature alike, to prevent
the introduction of slavery, gives that dc
tam the only great Importance, which can
be attributed to it. That endorsement cuts
the throat of popular sovereignty in the
territories, and stabs to the heart every
compromise made on the subject of slave
ry, not actually carried into the Constitu
ton of the United States. In vain shall
the intending Governor, Mr.. Payne, affect,
as he did in the convention when nominat-
oil tr rao.or n. fariolD Tho raacon-