Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1858-09-16
The Louisville Journal on Douglas and
LincoIn--Opinion of the Home Organ
of III cury CLAY.

The Louisville Journal has received
Douglas Freeport speech, and to the SEN
ator's new avcrment that slavery may be
kept out of the Territories by the refusal
of the local legislatures to pass police laws
for It's protection, in spite of the authorita-
tive mandate Of the Constitution and the
Supreme Court, thus replies:
Mr.. Lincoln, though doubtless far from
approving this answer, will probably deem
it more satisfactory than Senator Doug
lass Southern Democratic friends are like
ly to think it, We ask the gentlemen,
plainly, what they do think of it. Is it
good Southern doctrine? Is it good law?
Is it statesmanlike? Is it even in confor-
nifty with that system of public ethics
which obtains among nations tolerably
civilized! Saying nothing of the histo-
ric prestige-spawn of Senator Douglas S
own brain as it isis it comparable, in
honesty, or dignity, or expediency, OF any
other quality which might paliate or re-
deem grave error, to Mr.. Lincoln's po-
sltlon on the same question? Most GER
tainly 1T does not. \ more silly DISCUS
ting exhibition Of ignorance and duplicitv
was never male by man Of respectable
pretensions. According to Senator Doug
las, the Territorial Legislatures, though
prohibited by the Constitution from abol-
ishlng slavery within their respective iu-
risdictions, may lawfully abstain from en-
forcing the rights of Shareholders, and so
extinguish the inst tuition by voluntary
neglect. In other words. Senator Dong
las contends that the Territorial LcciS'a
lures may lawfully evalc the Constitution
by deliberately emitting to protect the
rights which it establishes. He holds tia.
the people of the Territories NAV law
fully abolish slavery Indirectly. though
the Constitution forbiis them to abolish
or prohibit it directly. 1t is impossible to
conceive Of squattcr sovereignty in a more
contemplate shape than this. 1t is the
scurviest possible form Of the scuivic.t OF
all possible hcrcsies. Achievement, more
over, is ad'lci to the enormity of tie fact
that the bred Scott decision, to which
Senator Douglas constantly parade, hi~ al
legiance, expressly prcclules the whole
thing. The opinion of the Court in that
denies the right of the Territorial Legisla
lures to refuse protection to slavery as iii,
timely as it denies their right to abolish OF
prohibit it, "And if the Constitution. >
says the Court, recognizes the right OF
property of the master in a slave, and
makes no distinction between that descrip
ton of property and other property owne.l
by citizen, no tribunal, acting nm Ter the
authority of the United States, whether
, n
has right to droe sach d.s'i,hf;on. o,
DENY 10 IL the beneft AZ tic provisions mn
guarantees uhich hare hea p osishd fo,
the protection OF prirofe property against III.
encroac'ments Of the Gorerhmea" Tn.
} doctrine finds as little warrant in the lat,
. famous opinion oftlie Supreme Court rs in
law or morals. or the di tate of a ia r ana
wise craftsmanship. 1t la, no basis either
in reason or authority 1t is utterly ant
astoundingly false. No friend to the con
: situtional rights of the South or to man
/ L. public dealing can or will ;o.ratc il
for an instant 1t is most vile and mis-
cradle and unmitigable heresy. Senator
Douglas, in publicly cspousing it. goe,
several lengths beyond the most intcns,
, and passionate Republican in the who'll
! North. He rushes in where Mr. LIMO +
and his colleagues scorn to tread
Mr. Llncoln's position on this point has
the merit OF openness If not business I'm
5 dced, as compared with that Of his alroi
) but short lsighted and unscrrIpu ous antay-
o.list, it possesses merits consi,lcrab' '
more substantial than simple frankncss.-
While taking sound national groanl 81
every other important point of the "vexet
; question:" Mr. Lincoln avows his belle
| Gin The right and duty of Congress to pro
hbit slavery in all the United States Ter
= ritories." We consider this am error. i T.
= volving. theoretically at least, very lev
: ous injustice to the citizens of the slave
. holding States. 1t is undoubtedly scrio,i,
error. regarded in itself Yet every inn
partial mind must perceive AMI admit tina
it is the pink of truth AMI justice com
: pared with the wretched 10 trine announc
+ ell by Senator Douglas. In The name o
: common sense and common fairness, i
slavery is to lie prohibited OF abolished il
the Territories by any legislative tribunal
> let it be done by one in which the Who'll
nation is represented. an.l not by one com
h posed of the representatives of the frs
). stragSlers from some over-burdened cit,
or restless border State who happen t
squat on the public domain. If slavery
e to be prohibited in the Territories by leg
P islation at all. let it be done by the PEG
It pie of the United States, and not by til
% first handful of monadic settlers in the Ter
ritories themselves If we must have an
'e sovereignty in the case, apart from the Con
re stitution, give us the sovereignty of tn
IT American people, not squatter sovereignt
70 in its most detestable and unwarantabl
share. Senator Douglas, as we have seer
gives us the latter. Mr.. Lincoln the for
lie mcr. Between the two. no intelligent
Ie discerning patriot can hesitate a moment
K. Mr. Lincoln's position, aside from its vii
IN tually speculative cast, is infinitely less III
. friendly to the constitutional rights an
just interests of the South. When, ful
Sc thermorc, we reflect that the Suprem
m Court has pronounced this identical pos
N ton unconstitutional, and would infall
a bly, nnllify any Congressional legislatio
in pursuance of it, the practical conss
quence of Mr.. Lincoln's error vanishes il
t, to all but nothing. 1t becomes a harm
81 less crotchet--a political dream. But
! it were as vital as it is lifeless, it would
L L Il