Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1858-08-13
NEXT PRo-sLAvERY STEP.

orce Of numbers, the successful advance
IF pro-slayery pretensions would oeca-
sion serious alarm TO every lover Of our .,
free institutions. The memory Of the =
Youngest politician will furnish Us with !.
facts enough for this conclusion. But a !,
few years ago, slavery was supposed 70 =
be forever prohibited over large part
Of our public domain, by the authority Of
Congress, the suiljeiency ofrhich no man
questioned. Even John c. Calhoun,
who marched a generation in advance Of
the most intrepid body of pro-slavery ,
propagaudists, As late as 1888 only went
so far as TO deny the erpedie,ey of any
Congressional set 20 abolish slavery in
the territories. 1t was in 1917, in his
celebrated resolutions in the Senate, that
be publicly reached the ground OF deny
lag the constitutional right Of Congress
70 exclude slavery from the territories
doctrine which Mr. Clay, Mr. Web
ster, and all the great men then in The
Senate promptly and emphatically disa-
vowed.
But the seed then sown was too con-
genial 10 pro-slavcry soil not to spring
up and bear fruit. Il is useless to de
scribe the process. It's sufficient 10 say
that by the Kansas-Nebraska bill the
clauses of the Missouri Compromise act
which restricted the area Of slavery were
repealed, and the institution was nomin-
ally free to try It's powers Of existence
anywhere in our territorial domain. We
say nominally, for on the plea Of popular
sovereignty, which then came in vogue,
it was urged that the repeal Of the Mis-
souri, Compromise merely took. of the
Intervention Of Congress against slavery,
but further, than that did nothing for
the institution, which must be left, like
every other domestic question, to be set
tied by the people of each Territory. A
decision Of the Supreme Court exploded
all this, and declared according to Dem
ocratic Interpretation, that the Constitu-
ton, by its own vigor, carried slavery in-
to all the territory of the United States,
from which it could by no possibility be
excluded until Territorial should give
way TO State government. Here was
the cohsummation of a revolution, which
in two or three years had gone through
the successive phases which we may dis
tinguish by these declarations l.. Con-
, gress has the right, frequently exercised,
of prohibiting slavery in the Territories
2. The people Of each Territory shall
have slavery or freedom as they shall de-
eide by vote. 3. All the United States
Territories by the fiat Of the Constitution,
and the Inhabitants have no power in the
premises.
o. Thus slavery has become national, and
goes with the flag Of our country. What
more can It's advocates demand Slaves
P can be taken into any Territory, and the
most overwhelming anli-slavery commu-
nifty can make no law or regulation .la-
=, pairing the rights Of the MASTER But
=. will they do anything to secure III al-
legged rights--to make his property safe
! and strengthen his legal light into real
and personally valuable right? Here is
the rub. And here is where we are led
D., to expect that the next pro-slavcry de-
q mand viii he made-ana made, Of course.
4 through tae Democratic party. The
p signs are already abroad The New
. York Day Book, which is Bacbananite
. through thick and thin, IN rebuking the
proflless, half way stand Of BIr. Doug
lass, says:
. 'Of course the people Of Territory
when they frame their State Constitution
may adopt or exclude slavery ! bu
:, while they arc Territory, If they fai
to protest property invested 10 the per.
son, or industrial capacity Of the negro
- they grossly violate equai rights, anc
- therefore are not authorized 10 c0nsidei
themselves Democrats. The whole qaes
ton is resolved into this simple right o
no right 10 protection 70 slare pr operlg u
Lie Feaerat Territories aud as ih'
4 Charleston Hsaos sugge 4, Il must e0H
stitute Gie issue n 1860
The Richmond Enquirer, which up
piauds the present position Of Jadg'
i, Douglass, says:
he The right of property ia slaves, il
a. the States, Is now placed practically, a
s. veil as legally, beyond The reach Of iede
= raj legislative encroaehment. Bot in lh'
Territories, the ease Is different Il !
. not suiIieieni tlsat tie decision Of ibe So
a preme Court prevents Congress and al
=, les delegates from tie prohibition Of sla
!, very fa "a Territory. There sssst b. pos