The Washington union., 1857-08-21
From the N. Y. Journal Of Commerce,
POLITICAL HEREsY.


The New Orleans Delta portion of the demo-
cratic press of political heIesy because they declare that
not the duty Of the democratic party TO advocate the
extension of slavery Now if this be heesy it is clear
that in the opinion of the Delta it would be orthodox
the democratic party TO add clause their plat
form principles pledgng themselves to promote the ex
tension Of slavery Independently Of the will of the people
whom il is to he extended and to expunge that clause
which leaves the settlement OF the question the people
Of the States and Territories respectively the only e
climate judges under the constitution In our opinion,
hi, would be dangerous heresy, and not whit more
justfablo than the doctrine of the republicans who
assume that Congress has the power of prohibiting
slavery in the Territories We believe that our opinion
is shared by the great of the democrats in the
South and that had they the power to-day 10 control
the party throughout the Union procure the adop
ton of resolution for the ndiscminate extension of
slavery, they would not exercise it. but would adhere
to the broad constitutional doctrine that peo
pie of the States where slavery docs exist have the
right to adopt exclude it they think proper in the
way that in States where it does exist the people
alone entitled to Judge whether it is expecn to con-
nue abolish it and that it is the right of the people
who settle the Territories when they ask admission into
the Union coequal and coordinate members of the con-
deracy to decide whether domestic slavery shall or shall
not be of their institutions 1t would be Just as ur-
waantable and unconstitutional the people of
Kansas to legaze slavery by their State constitution
contrary to the will of the majority Of the people, as
would be to seek to compel the people of New York OF
Massachusetts, to do There is but one safe course to
pursue and 1t is that which the national democrats
throughout the entire Union have adopted namely to
leave every State to manage its institutions and de-
eide whether compulsory labor shall shall not be one of
them TO leave the Territories while they continue SUCH
open to settlers from the North, South, East and West
who when they frame their State constitutions shall decide
in the prescribed by law whether they will tolerate
slavery not with due regard for the rights of those
who have previously introduced negro slaves Were all
the States in the Union except to abolish slavery the
which retained it would be just much entitled TO
protection in its rights the many now 1t docs
not matter that northern democrats prefer to see the
Territories into the Union free States or that
southern democrats prefer the contrary. Neither would
wish to crafty their predictions if the only way to do
to allow Congress the power of deciding the aues-
ton However strong their preudices they are ready to
sacrifice them if they not shared by the majority of
the people Immediately concerned, and willing bow
to whatever verdict they may pronounce The distinc-
tive character of the political creed of the democracy is
that it is national knows sectional differences and
knowedges supreme law but the sovereign will of the
people in their separate Commonwealths. With regard
to the extension of slavery, in all other questions it
recognises other power to decide than the voice of the
people OF the State Territory Immediately interested
expressed in a legal and constitutional manner.