The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-07-29

workings of the Free Labor sy'sem !, The
West Indies.
PARTIES AND THEIR CHANGE OF P,rscr
fy PILES.
Second Articlei
General Cass, rival candidate for tbt Pres
identinl konors of bis party, after aavinb taken
ground with Wilmot and others for prec aiding
Slavers from the domain acquired of be1ico
devise. q new scheme, which the int -.i,eat
men of neither party accepted; or endors. l. bat
which was rightly considered an evasi,s !. sHd
trimming party expedient. This was ~ Joe.
trine Of Territorial sovereignty, declari,k hat
the frs5 inhabitants or squatters on the 4lrol;c
domain without the limits of he Statess we're
invested with the sovereignty that perts o., to
a sovereign State, at least on the sabjects 5la.
very. How and whence they derived + ID at
tribute, and by what means or un6er wt9 ,on.
stitutidnal provision Slavery was mfde an /. .ep-
ton to Federal sovereignty, was naver o. i1ac.
torily explained by the author or his f ,ds,
although during almost every succeedi. ses-
sion, while the venerable gentlemen cot. D.usd
in the 'ehate, he made labored efforts to IL sne
his posstion and his doctrines.
ABBOTT the same period, Mr.. Calho sd.
vanced his theory, which none but the e. It me
nullifers regarded as worthy of attention hat
Slavery was above and beyond the Co itu-
ton; TIA. neither Congress nor the TER ( .jes
could legislate on the subject, or prev ii its
extension that everywhere withia ther Il ats
of the Republic, except where prohibi by
positive State ensctments, the institute vas
valid, End to be sustained. In short, til sls-
very il these United States was nations and
Freedom local that no law was requi to
establish the institution; that it was a i mi
tive right, extending wherever the F. rel
Constit Ition was extended that it coulSeea in.
terdicitd only by the States in the exer, of
theft stsereign power and that, conseqsa ~,
eitherCongress nor the Territories, vi in
their dependent Territorial condition, Z, lid
prohib it in any part of the public dom :
These were the novel and conflicting &C les
of the lhree prominent leaders, who VIC . for
the ancient Territorial poles 4 the
Government. Neither was recognised : ap-
proved by the great majority in Congress. the
country; for whatever differences were ater.
tanned On the subject Of Slavery, there = no
disposi ion with the great body of the pc !, o to
enlarge OF diminish the Federal author to
curtail the rights of the States, Or pla $ the
Territosies or an equality with them. ser-
al pfv 40 ooaapt,al ott,.h,ka &C ,,ocos,
and does not and cannot exist in 4 Teri -.jal
dependency, but does in the States. The We
delegated to the Federal Government in
powers, and the incidents of those RS.
Among the granted powers is that of wa nd
the incident conquest; and the tarritor.s IN
quered o acquired must be governed auds ed
for by TIE sovereign power which conc5s~ed
and acqsired it, until it becomes ST !. or
States,s and is capable of taking sover snty
upon itself. This was the doctrine and orac.
tice of the Government-the old Teri ,ri.l
policy, which the theorizing and intr 4aing
politicians for ten years past have Reep la ring
to undermine and destroy.
Mr.. Buchanan, consistent with Ills cha Ter,
adopted q halfway policy, but, entertain t, no
doubt ,,f the full and ample power of the }ov.
ernmest 70 legislate. on and control the 81 Get,
propoesd that Congress should prohibits ,ery
IN part OF our Territories. This was bis icy,
his stasesmanship. g. -.
Mr.. Jsss, with equal consistency, irstf pred
an exclusion of Slavery from the who : &C.
quireds domain, and then, suddenly rav sing
bis petition, proposed that Congress sbal OBJ
dictate 80 ,ereignty in the Territories ONT sub
ject Of s. avery, and leave the inhabitant nth
out Law, gut insisting the people had TIC her
emit ana Constitutional right to decided sn-
selves,: while yet in Territorial CT ion,
whethsr they would or would net have 8. cry.
Mr.. Calhoun, often cratic, but subj, ana
lytic, sne adroit, with more sagscity thru ,her
Of the ottyers, presented new snd bold ,ory.
which, Tough repulsive to all, and ia rect
conflict With the practice of tile Cow nent
and Tie spirit of the Constitution, We e ,yer.
theless not halfway scheme, nor a t i ming
policy inconsistent with itself, like two
others. but radical measure, iatende. Sec
tionalIFe and change the policy aud t,e hsr.
acter Of the Government. While the low.
ness and absurdity of the other two VI, e ,ade
palpaltle by discussion, the radicalism Z .,old.
ness a. ar. Calhoun's proposition beg. ,bsr.
ents a;a9ng the extremists MULTI 9 who
for ye.,rs had been vociferous on the II ct Of
Southern rights"
Whit have been the questions in co. vs,v
between parties during the last ten ye |. Not
the commercial issues or questions . ,ei N
policy si.ch as, from 1900 to 1916, calls NJ i,e
opposing forces of the Republicans az ed r.
alists got the financial issue, or ir,a q, e.
lating to the banks, currency,sand us " o,
the psblic treasure, which divided lln cr,,ts
and Wings from 1880 to 1916; butJb sucs.
tons in controversy from ls4s have q ID to
the 7srrgteriaa policy of the Gcsernns lief
ly as connected with Slavery. The ii ripn,
in recsrsing the events of this perioa, 1.-The
party struggles to which they aase Nv rije,
will peesent them as new aua. distisc h, Sc
from thcse which preceded it. On ar &C.
casions, there were, as there arc now, III iHles
lying 1t the foundation of the,e diffsr a.
princialss tending to centralizs on the O Il ie
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