The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-09-18
WASHINGTON CITY.
SATURDAY MORNING. SEPT rs. 1868.
THE DIsINTEGRATIoN or THE OPPOSITION THEIR
FOUNDATIONS SWEPT AWAY.

union Of the opposition. Their forces were and are
wholly confined to the free States On the basis OF
opposition to the admission of any slave States
they have been able to unite. This union has been
effected on the issuealtogether controversial in its
nature-of hostility to slavery in the Territories.
That issue has been fully tried and the verdict Of
the country is, that tho people of the States
have the absolute right, when they organize their
governments, to ordain OF prohibit slavery They
the only interested parties; they are endowed
by the federal constitution with full authority thus
TO act for Themselves. No pouer conferred by The
constitution upon the people Of the States touching The
matter. They have nothing to do with the subject.
Their assumed anxiety about its existence here or
there is all gratuitous They have right to
interfere in Kansas and Nebraska than in New York
Virginia, and Maryland. 1t is wholly local affair
More than this, all experience has shown that the
local community not only competent to decide it
for themselves but practical question, they will
always do 80.
The opposition four years ago organized the re-
publican party the distinct ground of State inter
venton to prercn the establishment of slavery in the
Territories. So long that issue could be main
tanned they were thoroughly united. When the
question came to be determined, SO palpable did it
appear that the people Of the place would decide for
themselves not only the slavery controversy, but
every other relating to their government that the
opposition were driven off and fought the whole
battle questions of fraud at the elections They
were forced to abandon their former ground; they
were in point of fact, granting that they hon
est, compelled to dsband the party they had organ
lied three and half years before. There is not an
intelligent member Of the republican family who
does not know and feel that the foundations of their
organization have been knocked from under them.
What is the fruit Of this sudden change in the doc
trincs of their creed? In Ohio, where abotonism
had taken its deepest roots, we find new apostle
rising into favor, regulating their whole plat
form, and proposing at once to open the future
canvass of his party on the principles of pop
ular sovereignty" as announced by the Supreme
Court of the United States. Mr.. Corwin does
not formally declare his adhesion to the bred Scott
decision; but take it for granted that in adopt
ing the idea that the people of the new States shall
form and regulate their institutions in their own way
he intends that they shall thus act for themselves
when they come to organize their State systems. 1t
is more than idle to get up controversy on the
raLod ,nost;an of ,oxr;tor;,, nar,,.u r,,.
are tcmnorarv in tber very nature and = ro,,a 10
absurd to suppose that any political organization of
this country would be guilty Of the compound folly
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