Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-10-18

his opinions, by stating that upon every stump
In Illinois he expressed the opinion that the peo
be s %s cese can permit or exclude slavery
supreme Court may hereafter decide, as to the
abstract question whether slavery may 60 into a
p. have IN. d lswia mea to pefm. or exclude
hostile police regulations.
culiar interpretation Of the words slawful means,
to suppose that legislation sunfriendly' to the
constitution ard police regulations, hostile to te
DEGREES Of the supreme Court, can in any man
The plan proposed by MI. Douglas for defeat
ing the purposes Of the bred Scott decision are
precisely similar to those adopted by the Aboli-
tionists in 1850 to defeat the Fugitive Slave law
Outing that year, every Northern fanatic, from q
Massachusetts, Senator to Chicago Alderman,
advocated this same unf.iendly Legislation. Dan.
lei Webster then called 1t treason. II would re-
9uire a subtler casuist than Mr.. Douglas to show
that the word does not apply with equal force to
his Freeport theory. During the excitement in.
Law, no man spoke more boldly and eIoouentiv
In defence Of that act than Mr. Douglas, and he
would ind Ii a wholesome task to re- read his
were then pursuing the same course he now ad-
vocates. What beautiful piece Of statesman
ship Is the Senator's position upon this point
What was then admittedly wrong in the legisla-
tors OF state becomes proper now In the squat
tiers OF a territory. What the independent sove-
reignty of a Commonwealth could not do, is to
be an easy task In the popular sovereignty Of
Province. The one could not even notify an act
Of Congress; the other is to he permitted to ab-
rogate decision above all Congresses, and the
people Of Kansas, whose highest prerogative last
winter, according to Judge Douglas, was to
"petition for redress Of grievances !" have, this
summer, the "lswful means" to defy the Con-
stitution of the United states.
SAILING OF THE PARAGUAY ExpRDIrIoN.-
The U. S. frigate Sabine sailed from New York
on the expedition to Paraguay on Saturday
last. She takes out the Commissioner, Judge
Bowlin, and bis suite, and also the naval and
military commander Of the expedition, Com
modore Shubrick, and his feet officers Her
complement Of men, including marines, is about
six hundred.
We may regard the sailing of this vessel as
the starting of the expedition, for the vessels
that are left behind will not long delay their
departure, and, as they are steamers, they
will probably reach their destination soon after
the Sabine, and before any attempt at pacific
negotiation with the Paraguayan Government
can be consummated by the Commissioner. On
the arrival of the Sabine in the La Plata, the
Minister and his suite will be transferred to
the Fulton, and ascend to Assuncion, the CAPT.
tai Of Paraguay, if practicable. If, however,
Lopez should forbid the vessel ascending the
river, Mr.. BOwlin may endeavor to have diplo-
matte communication with him from the fortress
Trias Borcas, at the mouth of the Paraguay
river.
1t is wrong to suppose that these efforts at
peaceable adjustment will be made while our
fleet is in the waters Of Paraguay. On the
contrary, besides the vessel which conveys the
Commissioner to his destination, no war vessel
of the United States will be within several
hundred miles Of the limits of that country's
Jurisdiction. In case a resort to force is ne
cessary 1t is stated that Com. Shubrick will be
able to employ as land force over two thou
sand men; and still have enough force on
board to man those vessels of the feet which
are of sufficiently light draft to be employed
In effective demonstrations.
Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENr-The following
Is statement of the receipts and expenditures
OF the Post Office Department for the quarter
ending on the Both of June, 1858, as exhibited
N