Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-09-09

over II conferred by congress l. Inc power
coupled with the da,y of guarding and pro
tecting the owners in their rights
sth. The only ground dupon which Mr. Doug.
las base, the prctencc ihat the Compromise
measures of 1850 affirmed his doctrine Of terri.
toria sovereignty, is that they extended to ter-
rtorial legislatures power over all .iShtiu!
subjects oi legislation consistent with the
Constitution AMI that no clause was inserted
"erctpi;aq -l.trjea@ ''"ron. which exception,
he argues, would never have been omitted were
it not that Congress irten,ird 10 empower the
territorial legislatures 10 prohibit the ilo;iins
Of slaves. This is very Illogical The proposed
clause which WAS o.nitlej oaght to have Lcan
omitted The words consistent with the Con-
stitution,n werc Of themselves sufficient to pre-.
vent the prohibition of :lavcry'. The Insertion
Of the proposed exception would only iayc
operated to prevent the !roteci;"g o' slavery
By the territorial legislatures.
Molecycr, Mr. Douglas mist remember that
one, 1T least, Of the Cornpromise measures, and
one too for wiici. hc lote'i-so Iu from assert
ing territorial Sovereignty, actually invaded
State ,oycrei.ntv-by impo>ia: on the >:ete
of California = Constitution Trained .i,d pro-
claimed under the military authority Of :: Bii-
gadicr-Gcnc.al of the United S,atc,' army.
9th. So far from asserting. the kansaS-Nc-
braska act directly contradicts Mr. Douglas
theory Of territorial sovereignty. II subjects
the legislative power Of the territory TO the
control Of the President Of the United statcs
hy authorizing the President 10 appoint, in
struct and remove, 1T will, tir Governor
Of the territory, which Governor. acting nudcr
the instructions Of the President, may vel" any
act Of lhe territorial legislature. 1t establishes
all he Court, within the limits Of cacl, terrific
~ Ii cmbodics two laws for the protection of
slave persons and slave property in t!,c terrific
rr;--onc OF these laws even discriminating in
favor Of slave property as compared with other
property. II proyideS direct Congrcs >ionai L.
gislatioa even for the iacst minute parti-
culars n internal government " - prof.
ding even for the appointment of militia oil
cers ard county magistrates. II wtlho!ds
from territorial Legislature ov"n the direction
Of financial infringement, placing IL moneys
under the control Of the President nf the rni,
tel States and his arrointeea.
loll. The Cincinnati platform u"l only ap-
rroncs nil the foregoing provisions Of lic Kan
-aS-N Nebraska act, but farther asserts
That every citizen and every section oi the
country has y right 10 demani' from the "tc(
cral Government 'and insist upon al cqu;.li-
ty Of rights and privileges, and 10 complete and
ample protection Of persons and property from
domestic violence"
Keeping in mind these points, thus ha,ti!
enumerated. the yercst tvro can easily conlutc
the entire argnmen; 5y which Senator Douglas
attempts to disseminate the opinion that ter
ritorial Legislature may legally and constitu-
,ionally deprive Shareholders oi csnal rights on
the soil Of TERRITORY r"m;mon 10 al ihe citizens
Of the Union.
Mr. Douglas essay can bc regarded in no
other light than as an iuccndiary document,
calculated to produce nothing less than rcrc-
titon of the anarchy and blood>hed which has
lately diSaraccd the soil Of our territories. We
publish it only for the purpose Of pointing on,
its errors, and Of warning the conservative mcn
nf the whole country against this last and
most dangerous phase which anti-slavcry' a.'-
iation has yet assumed.