Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-05-04
sr:llIatIcIstul Rum NInd.


nal. 1t claims, and perhaps truly, to
Lave the widest circulation of any Demo-
Cratic paper in the Union. 1t is the offi-
ciaI organ Of the Administration in New
York city. 1t has the public patronage
Of the Government, and whether all its
rawlings are sanctioned at Washington or
not, it cl0imS to represent the true senti-
mcnts of the President. 1t is by far the
most ultra pro-slavery paper in the United
States; although published in New York,
it is far in advance Of all Southern papers
in its slavery propagandism'
We cut the following sentences from
long editorial in the daily OF the 22d ult
The editor is reviewing sentence IN the
speech # Senator Douglas, which he
quotes and comments upon as follows:
"'The proposition that property in
slaves WAS above AL law, was monstrous
proposition, against which he protested,
in his own name, and in the name of his
constituents. - E9tract from Senator
Doug as Speech.
elf Mr.. Douglas means by this that
''slave' property cannot be touched or con-
troled by laws and constitutions, then he
is unquestlonably right when protesting
against il in his own name and the name
OF his constituents but if he means that
laws can annihlate slave property
can take away this property from the cili-
zen, or under any circumstances whatever
tcontiscate such property-then he Is
clearly wrong. The rights of property,
and which, by the way, are the rights OF
The individual man, as declared by the
Lccompton Conventionalists, are before
laws and more sacred than constitutions.
Personal and property rights are, in this
case, the same thing, and belong to the
primary rights of the individual, which
exist tefore society itself exists. Govern
ments and law are afterward introduced
and adapted to the existing condition,
which they recognize and are permitted
to regulate, but not to annihilate. 1t
is clear, then, that the rights of property
are before laws and more sacred than COLI
stitutions, and ii only remains to be seen
if slave property partakes Of the essen
;tial character universally recognized in re-
spect 10 all other kind and forms of prop
.erly x ~ 1t is, then, in conclusion, per-
fectly clear, we think, that property is be-
fore law, aud slave property, founded or
reason and custom, is equally sacred a.
'otlter kinds of property"
1t had been announced by Buchanan
that the Constitution "f the U lifted State
carried slavery into the Territories, ant
established 1t there by its own force, ant
that, therefore, all OR Territories are ne
cessarily, and by force of the Constitu
tion, slave soil, and must remain SO a
long as they remained Territories, neithe
Congress nor the people having the powe
to prohibit it.
'ahe Southern Senators generally &C
atepted this new and ultra doctrine pr
forth for the first time by Buchanan, an
claimed that the Constitution of the Un
ted States, thus protecting and sustainin
slavery, placed it above and beyond ii
reach of all law-the Constitution beln
the supreme law of the land.
Against this monstlous proposition
even Douglas, who had never uttered a
.enti-slayery seatimentin his life, f'lt Inn
self constrained, in his own name, nv
in the name of his constituents, to ent
his solemn protest, as quoted by Il
Day Book"
1t is on this protest thst the "D'
Book" is commenting, and it will be Be-
that it goes beyond the most eXtrcn
Southern sentiment. 1t does not rest
4iqht to hold slaves upon either laws
constitutions. Laws can be repealed al
constitutions changed, and, consequent
if slavery had no other basis than the'
it might possibly come to an end and m
be free. To prevent this possible cont
pency, the ebay Book" and the Den
cratic party of the Nerth--so far as Il
beading Journal can commit it'-takes
bold, border -raaian ground, embodied
tho "BiIl of Rights" in the Lecompt
Fraud, that "savery is above and bef'
AL law and all constitutions that
1tron, lave an inherent right to ensl'
th. weak, and that, therefore, neither
,or oustitutluns-neither Governm
nor society = has any right to protec; I'll
victims, or loose their Vrant grasp II
their throats.
We are in receipt Of tire "Day Boo
duily, and We venture to say there
not, in any dospotic Government in
rope, a single paper that 80 ineessal
AMI daily denies the rights OF man.
man. or 50 perscveIingly and persistel
advocates the despo,ic and irrespons
right Of the rich and powerful to opp
null grind the poor and weak as this 81
,Nortl.crn Democratic organ.
Our readers may think that such ri
Sny IaDaticism can receive no counten'