The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-10-05

manner and under the same regulations as from the
circuit Of the United States when the value Of
the property or the amount in controversy, &c,
&c., &c, shall exceed one thousand dollars; except
only that IN al inroipng title 10 saU4 the said
writ oferor or appeal shall be allowed and decided
by said Supreme Court stthou regard 10 The 1aie d
he matter, property OF iak III controversy and except,
aso that writ Of error or appeal shall also be al
lowed to the Supreme Court Of the United States
from the decision Of the supreme court created by
this act, or of any judge thereof of the district
courts created by this act or of any judge thereof
Upon any prt Of habeas corpus invoirg The question Of
personal freedom"
Here are two most important exceptions created
by this bill in the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court
Of the United exceptions not 10 be found IN
any other territorial bill. Why were they made The
answer is too palpable to admit of doubt Itw
TO facilitate the adjudication by the Supreme Court
of this very subject in controversy, and thus perma
nently settle the question of territorial power.
In the face of all this, the Judge contends that,
though the Supreme Court, in case brought by
writ of error appeal from the territorial court,
should decide that the territorial Legislature had
poar to pass laws prohibiting the holding of slaves
within its jurisdiction, "still the right of the people
to make it slave Territory or free Territory is
perfect and complete under the Nebraska bill" That
is, while the bill gives the Supreme Conrt power to
adjudicate the question for the Territory, the legs
ature of the Territory is left perfectly free to form
and regulate their domestic institutions in their own
way" Thus he asserts power above the constitu,
ton, and utterly repudiates the express limitation
contained in the grant tself-"subet only to The
aitution of the United States"
Now, the announcement of his present Freeport
doctrines in the debates on the measures of 1850
and 1854 was not complained of at the time by the
great body Of the democracy who differed from him
for it agreed not to make test of this ques-
tion upon the express understanding that this being
legal question, its decision should be referred to
the Supreme Court, whose judgment should be
adopted by the entire party. Accordingly, before
that august tribunal announced its decision Mr.. Blu
chanau, in his inaugural address, and, after it
pronounced, in his messages, was prompt and en-
phatic in declaring the adhesion of his adminisra-
ton to that decision. Not so with Mr. Douglas.
Not content with taking issue with the national de-
mocracy the Kansas question last session; not
content with arraigning them before the State of
Illinois upon the charge of attempting to practice
fraud, swindle and cheat upon the country, he has
made bold to assail tho decision of the Supreme
Court the very point in which he had agreed
to accept its judgment and raised against the party
new and formidable issue on the slavery question
Thus not only are his doctrines unsound but he is
guilty of gross breach of faith to his party and to
the South and shown that his heart is as treacher-
ons as his prnciples are rotten.