, 1859-11-25

portunity Of voting on IT, Mr. Douglas
carried L further, and warmly opposed the
Constitution, denying even its Validity, be-
cause other and uRdisputed parts Of it bad
not also been Submitted to popular vote.
Now he is willing that the whole slavery
dispute in any Territory, and oil questions
that can arise concerning the rights Of the
people to that or other property, shall be
decided ct once by Territorial legislature,
without any submission at ALL Popular
Sovereignty in The last Congress meant the
freedom Of the people from oil the re-
straints Of law and order; now It means a
government which shall rule them with q
rod Of iron. Il swings like q pendulum
from one side clear over TO the other.
Mr. Douglas opinions on this subject Of
sovereign territorial governments are very
singular; but the reasons be has produced
70 support them are infinitely more curious
STILL For instance, he shows that Jefferson
once introduced into the old Congress Of
the Confederation a. plan for the govern
ment Of the Territories, calling them by
the name Of "new States" but not making
them anything like sovereign or indepeu-
dent States; and though this was q mere
experimental preject, which was rejected by
Congress, aud never afterwards referred 10
BY Jefferson himself, yet Mr. Douglas
argues upon Il as II Il had somehow become
apart Of our fundamental law.
Again: He says that the States gave to
the Federal Government the same powers
which, as colonies, they bad been willing
70 eoncede 10 the British government, and
kept those which as colonies they had claim
ed for themselves. II be will read a com
mon school history Of the Revolution, and
then look At Art. i, sec. s., Of the Consti-
totion, be will hnd the two following facts
fully established. i. That the Federal
Goyernment has power TO collect taxes,
duties, imports, and excises;S y and g That
the colonies, before the Revolution, utterly
refused 70 be taxed BY Great Britain; and,
50 far from eonceding the power, they fought
against Il for seven long years.
There IS another thing IN the article
which, Il il had not come from disiin-
gnished Senator, and a very upright gen.
tleman, would have been open 10 some in-
putaiion Of uufairness He quotes the
Presidents message, and begins in the mid
die Of sentence. lie processes to give
the very words, and makes Mr. Buchanan
say; That slavery exists in Kansas by
virtue Of the Constitution Of the United
Siatesp What Mr.. Buchanan did say was
avery different thing. Il was this. "It
has been solemnly adjudged by the highest
Judicial tribunals known to our laws, that
slavery exists in Kansas BY virtue Of the
Constitution Of the United States.s Ev-
srybody knows that by treating the Bible
u that way you can prove the nOn-existence
of God.
The aTeHmentnm ad k0minem Is not fair.
and We do not mean q. use it. Mr.. Dong.
has has q right 10 change bis opinions when
ever he pleases But we quote him as we
would any other authority equally high In
favor Of truth. We can prove BY himself
that every proposition he lays down in
Harpers 9iagasias Is founded IN error
Never before has any public man 10 Amer
ica 50 completely reYolntiouized bis politi-
cal opinions IN The course Of eighteen
months We do not deny that the change
is heartfelt and conscientious. We only
insist that be formerly stated his PROPOSE
tons much more clearly, and sustained them
with FAR greater ability and better reasons,
Than he DOES now. e lasa
When be took a tour 70 the South at
the beginning Of last winter, he made a
speech at New Orleans, IN which be an
nonnced 10 the people there that he and his
friends in Illinois accepted the Dred SeOit de-
eision, regarded slaves as property, and fully
admitted the right Of southern man to 20
into any federal territory with his slave,
aadt hold him there as other props,tv Is
held. 19i 1853 ac % iael M tael8I
In 1s49 be voted in the Senate for what.
was called Walkers amendment by which
il was proposed 70 pot all the internal al.
fairs Of California and New Mexico under
the domination Of the Presided, giving him
almost unlimited power, iegisiaiire, judieiat
and erccafire. over the internal afairs 81
those Territories. (See SOth Cong. D. n
Undoubtedly this wAs strange way ofI
treating sosereignties. II Mr.. Douglas Il
right now, be was guilty then Of most afro
eious usurpation
Olan y as much q sovereign State as any
other Territory, and as perfectly entitled to
enjoy The right Of fselfgoYernment. On the
l2th Of June, 1857, Mr.. Douglas made a
speech about Utah at Springfield, Illinois,
in which he expressed his opinion strongly
iniagor Of he absolute aud unconditional re-
peal Of the organic act 6lotiiag tks Terri
foriai goryAment out Of srisisncc, and put
ting the people under the sole and exclu-
siTe Jurisdiction Of the United States, Ike
fort, arsenal, doekyard or ulagazine. He
does not seem to have had the least idea
then that he was proposing to extinguish
sovereignty, or to trample upon the sacred
rights q an Independent people,
The report which be made to the Senate
m 1886. On the Topeka Consultation, enun-
GATES a very diaereat doctrine from that q
the Magazine artisle. 1t is true thnt the
Language Is little cloudy, bat no one eau
understand The following sentences 10 sir.
nify that the Territorial goyernments have