Daily national Democrat., 1858-10-08
Fulfilling our Prophecy.

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was all hypoeritieal, and that they only
waited a fair opportunity for opening upon
ritl their pent up sluices of villifcation. The
Mercury, at Sacramento, has already said
that i and IT. and if such and such were tie
case, why, it would have to deuounce Doug.
las. The Sierra Citizen did not wait for any
IFS and dnds, but let loose TRADE of abuse
against him, on general principles, day or
two ago. The Exp. ess, being in the middle
Of a strong Douglas population. and know
ing the regular Democratic organization of
the county to be Douglas organization, has
been very gingerly, indeed, in its use OF
| Douglass name, and has been exceedingly
careful to treat him with very marked res
pect Yesterday, however, it seemed to be
preparing the way for something to come,
and, like the Mercury, begins to deal in ifs
and dnd' "If," it says-but we will quote
its own words:
"If recent speech of his be correctly
reported even his most devoted friends aud
warmest tadmrers-those who have stood 10y
| him throughout the contest-must admit that
he has left the Democratic party, not only
/ on the Kansas question, but on every other
question involving Democratic principles.
| In the speech to which we have alluded, he
is represented as taking the broad ground
that the decision of the Supreme Court of
the United States, in the Dred Scott case,
which denies to Congress, or 10 the Legisla-
ture of a Territory, the power 60 legisate
81 lvery into or out of the Territory, is a mere
abstraction and of no binding force what
ever; that Congress not onl has the power
to prohibit slavery in the Territories but
that it may delegate that power to a Terri
torial Legislature; that he has always enter
tPined these views, and that they embody
his construction of popular sovereignty. lie
is further reported as declaring that he has
zone as far in opposition to the doctrine de-
cided in the Dred Scott case. as Senator
| Chase of Ohio, proposed to go, in his pro-
posed amendment to the Kansas Nebraska
Law"
In conclusion of the article. it adds:
"We hope some of the special friends of
Mr.. Douglas, who claim that he, and he
alone, is the embodiment aud exponent of
Democracy, will inform us, definitely. wheth
er he has or has not taken the extraordinary
position which he is reported to have assum-
ed. Can the Democrat give us the informa-
tion q
As the Express has very inquiring mind
which is commendable-and, as it is so
extremely anxions lest Mr.. Douglass reputa-
ton should suffer from unjust aspersions, and
as it has appealed, in its anxiety, to us. all
we have to say is, that, if Mr.. Douglas was
ever reported to have said anything of the
kind imputed to him, land we suppose his
enemies so reported him. he was never re-
ported correctly. lie said this in one of his
recent speeches: that, although the Supreme
Court had decided that slave property was
protected under the Constitution of the
United States, in Territory, yet it belonged
to the Territorial Legislature to pass such
municipal laws as would make that protec
ton operative; and, consequently that, il q
majority of the people were opposed to
slavery, very likely the Legislature would
not pass any laws of the kind necessary for
such protection, and the owners of slaves
would have to do the best they could under
the general and rather lily defined protec-
ton of the Federal Constitution. lie was
merely stating what he conceived would be
the effect of the Dred Scott decision in a Ter
ritory where the people were opposed to the
introduction of slaves.
Whether Mr.. Douglas is disposed to treat
with contempt a dec sion OF the Supreme
Court of the United States or not, may be
inferred from the subjoined extracts from his
Chicago speech, delivered at the opening Of
his present campaign, in Illinois, against the
Lecomptonites and Republicans combined:
The other proposition advanced by Mr..
Lincoln in his speech consists in a crusade
against the Supreme Court of the United
States, on the ground of the Dred Scott de
cision. On this question also desire to say
to you unequivOcally that | take direct or
distinct ssue with him. | have no warfare
to make on the Supreme Court of the United
States applause, either on account of that
or any other decisions which they have pro
nounced from that bench. The Constitution
of the United States has provided that the
power of the Government--and the Consti
tutions of the several States have the same
provisions-shall be divided into three de-
partments-the executive, legislative, and
judiciary. The right and the province of ex-
pounding the Constitution and the construc-
tion of law is vested in the judiciary estab-
lished by the Constitution as a lawyer /
feel at liberty to appear before court and
controvert any principal of law while the
question is pending before the tribunal but
when decision is made my private opinion,
your opinions, all of our opinions must Weld
20 the majesty of that authoritative adiudica-
ton Cries Of Good" and cheers l-and |
wish you to bear in mind that this involves
the great principle upon which our rights,
and our liberties, and our property all de-
pend. What security have you for your pro-
perty-for your reputations-for your per-
s0nal rights, unless the courts are to be up
held and their decisions respected when once
finally rendered by the highest tribunal
known to the Constitution
Hence am opposed to this doctrine of Mr..
Lincoln's, by which he proposes to take an
appeal from the decision of the Supreme
Court of the United States upon these high
constitutional questions, to a Freesoil or Re
publican caucus situated in the country
yes, or to any other caucus or town-meet.
inc. | respect the decision OF that august
tribunal; | shall bow in Difference to it. |
am a law-abiding man; | will sustain the
Constitution of my country rs our fathers
have made it, and | will yield obedience to
the laws, whether | like them or not as
find them on the statute-book | will sustain
the judicial tribunal and the constituted
authorities in all matters within the pale ol
their jurisdiction as defined by the Constitu-
tion.