Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-08-26
FRIDAY, AUGUST 96, 1859.

be considered national 20 resist such de-
crces. as soon rs IL would come to be anti
dom'uahc(!) to do so. Ills position is thi'.
lle admits the constitutional rights Of proI-
crty IN slaves. and says what? That the
people ought not to sustain that right
that the STAKEHOLDER has an advantage un.
der the constitution in his slave property
that does not deserve protection and that
IL he were the owner Of a hundred slaves he
would invoke tho vengeance OF the people
upon i;-iha, the people have rieh, tore
fuse it rroiectiOn-be is sstoppOd by his
concession to cay these things.
IL may be assumed then that the domi.
nSnt party does not in It's measures or pol.
icy assume the poirr or pu'po's to restrict
slavery either by Congress, the territories,
or the people, but clearly denies all such
power and discl'ims all such purpose. For
the maintenance Of such power. and Tor
such purposes the people must look else
where. Unless it is to be yielded thA, tho
American people are not sovereign over
their political institutions, an eIisency in
political Affairs has arisen. when it il neccs-
.ary 10 assert and maintain the absolute
sovereignty Of the people over oil political
questions. TAc im1ioda CoHgr,u nth
rrhich i' me po,rer Of gorcrning ne terri'o-
ri,,. must bs h,idio posses hs potrsr and NE
ngkifo d,i,cai, thdi po,Ser 10 ne people Of
me- isrriionO 10 cI'rdt,, di a 'orTdgH rohi-
ical rish. not juiiaai, a5oVe he eowi, and
,r,ih uiisi n, court odH not mirtpc, and
that ne people ThH hsy come 10 form a
State Consultation may iciormiae ne 9v,,-
non absolutely, az an act ofindTHd,ni state
,oraasniy. These doctrines are not new
or extraordinary, hut have been uhiiormly
recognized and prac,lced upon from the or.
canirl,ion Of the government.
Congress ha, always LCrn held to posses
the plsnary power over tho whole subject
The territorial government has been held
to po.scs. jus, - much as and no more
power than Congress delegated, aud the IN
habIiants. occupants Of the territory Of the
United Sia,c-, not being or assuming 10 10
an Independent, or sovereign people but do
pendent. and taking their power. from the
federal government, have no inherent right
or general power Of legislation. independ-
cnt of their organic act. say again the
people will look in vain to the dominant,
party for the power or the purpose to rc-
strict slavery.
Will the Democracy Of Maine declare
against the right Of property in slaves un.
der the Constitution? tho righ, Of transit
10 and from the terriIorics1 Will they de-
clare for the power Of Congress or the pow.
or Of territorial! government to exclude
slavery, absolutely, as great political
right, and subordinate to no power, by way
Of revision? VIII they strike down the
the provision Tor appeal from the sovereign
people TO the Supreme Court upon aquss-
ton Of freedom or slavery contained in the
Kansas NahrAskA actl
viii they maintain that there i' ab'o-
Lutte sovereign power anywhere, in Congress
territorial government, or people Of terrific
rial government, or people Of territory or
state to exclude slavery, without an II or
but, or reference to the Court for revision,
or reference to the Constitution
Dare you ssseri, rs party, as national
demoerats-sound national democrats, that
the people Of this country, upon n purely
political question, in the spirit Of the hero
aud patriot Jackson. may interpre, the
Constitution a. they understand i,:' |
know you have not - asserted Of late, and
| fear will not know ss a party you
agrccd-uot lin 1854, tha, upon this
question OF slavery you would have no opin'
ION. you would not think Of it, or talk Of
IL. unless forced 70 DO so. You said it had
been troublesome question, and 1t was
perilous 10 have opinions upon It. You
would refer i, 20 the Courts you would
maze it a judicial question you would CAL
a question involving the inherent political
rights. OF personal liberty. Judicial mere
question of property, contract, commerce,
mercantile, insurance. or what not, not
within the province oi an American states
man. aud to DO referred to the Court; and
so you said It was eIredien, that Congress
should not intervene ia this question here
after-shouli not express opinions or give
directions, would no; exercise the power it,
self. aud would not give the terrltarial gov
ernment authority to act, but II 1t dId pre-
sumc 20 act. i,s acts should all be subjected
to a revision by the Court, and so the Court
should not only fix the creed Tor the party,
bu, should be invested with the extraordIn-
ary power Of determining the political pow.
or. Of Congress, and thus great party, the
dominant party Of tie nation, determined
50 far Us that party was concerned, would
never thereafter entertain tor itself opinions
upon the grea, political questions of person.
al freedom or slavery in this country; but
would take its opinions, humbly and sub
'missiyely, from the jndiciary-lt would on
ly have Judicial opinions upon that subject
would bc Judicial party, an adjunct to
tho federal judiciary; and now, when new
opinions come from tho judiciary, they are
eagerly seized upon as "ffied opinions, and
the President thinks mystery the great
democratic party. with such President at
it, hand, had no, invented these novel opn-
io,s I,r itself