The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-04-28
From the Neo York Evening Day Book.
ARE THE PEOPLE COMPETENT FOR SELF
GOVERNMENT

In tho late debate in the Senate of the Uni
ted States, when certain leading members Of that
body improved the occasion TO define their posi-
tions on the great question of the day, Mr.
Douglas advanced the opinion that if the Demo
cratic candidate in 1860, occupied the ground
contended for by Messrs Mason, Brown, DAVIS,
and others, such candidate would fail to carry a
single northern State This "opnOn" Of the
distinguished Senator, or rather this prediction
that the party would tail 20 b" sustained at the
North if it vrnturcd /" meet 'h" real question
before the country openly aud honestly, as it
and all o,her questions should be, and in a land
where opinion is substantially the governing
power, deserves to be thoroughly inquired into,
and its soundness, the opposite, made appa.
rent to the "party" ut least, if not to the whole
people.
Mr.. Douglas says that If the Democratic can
ddate in 1860 occupies the ground assumed in
Tho speeches Of Messrs. Davis Mason, Brown,
&c. then such cand idac will fail To carry n
single northern State, and consequently tina. tho
E"pnblirnns-tha great sectional party of the
horth--w'l. take possession of the central Gov
ern'nr'. Well, admitting the premises of Mr..
Doug - 10: moment, what are the infcrcmccs
or c"nclus "ns to he drawn from them1 Clearly
and unnvHidahly either that the position of
Messrs. Davis, Brown. &c., is wrong per Sc,
the people are too ignorant and preiudiced 10
perceive its justice to deal honestly and Justly
by their brethren Of the South. One or the
other Of these inferenccs must he accepted by
Dir. Douglas and his friends, for or the other
is the logical, legitimate and, indeed. unavoia
bic conclusion from the premises thus gravclv
assumed in the recent debate by that dis
ti"gushed gentleman" Which, 'hen' will
they accepti Will they say the position
Of Messrs. Davis, &C., is wrOngf Hardly, W.
think.
That position ,s easily understood It was lie.
clared that this Union federation of sov-
eregn States, and the Territories being the
common property Of the ctizens of the States.
all were entitled to equal rights in these Terri
tories-the Virginian to the same protection for
his property in the person of his "ncgro slave
as The New Yorker for his property of amy kind.
In short, the position assumed was thai lately
announced by the Supreme Court-the right OF
southern citizens to occupy the common Terrific
ries with their "slave property. and to receive
the same common protection accorded TO ci,i.
Of the North. Will Mr.. Douglas lin his
private capacity dispute this claim of the mon
of the South Will he venture to say that 1t
Is unjust, or unconstitutional, anti Democratic,
or in contradiction 10 reason or common sense.
or that it is wrong in any respect whatever?
Will he or will any Of his friends question
the morality Of his clam OF the South,
tmre to say that. as an isolated question, outside
OF and independent of political and constitutional
considerations thnt it is wrong or immoral TO
protect slave rr"pcrty2 We presume not. OF
course we dr not pretend to understand MIR.
Douglas ptivn," views Of this question but
think hazard little in saying Tint he has
over, readily admits that southern men are justly
entitled to thnt same common protection for their
slave" property that is given to other species Of
property.
And if we are right in this supposton, if
Mr. Douglas positively admits that the position,
Of Col. Davis, Senator Mason, and others, ,s
aust and constitutional, or i'll other words. that
southern citizens are entitled TO the pro-
lection for their slave" property IN the Terri
tories that is usually accorded TO other species of
property then we are forced of necessity to the
other conclusion, that majority Of the northern
people are too ignorant to understand, too
dishonest to admit, this Just and reasonable claim
of the men of the South. Mr.. Douglas, in Of.
feet. says: 1t is right aud proper per sc to pro-
tect slave property. and Southern citizens, own
ing this species of property, are entitled un-
der the Constitution, 10 its protection in the Ter
ritories, but the northern people are ignorant,
80 prejudiced, unjust and dishonest in their
dealings with the men Of the South, that po-
hticai party which dares to openly and canddly
avow its readiness to thus deal fairly with
all sections and all glasses of citizens is
sure to be defeated" and, as he predicts,
unable to carry single State north of the
Potomaci
Substantially, Mr. Douglas and others like
him. constantly repent that they themselves are
sufficiently intelligent to understand this ques-
ton, and liberal aud honest enough to do justice
to the South, but the majority of the people OF
the North so ignorant and de.uded by
British and Abolition writers, that they will vote
against any party that is honest enough to pro-
claim its design to deal fairly by the men Of the
South! Is this sol Are the majority of north.
voters thus ignorant, prcjudiced and dlshon-
est, thus incapable Of understanding their du.
ties, thus base aud dishonorable III their
relations TO their fellow citizens of the South
in short, are they thus incompetent to under
stand or to perform the duties of selEgovern-
ment2 We. at least, will not believe this
SANDER OIL the northern people. We believe
they are fully competent to understand and
sufficiently honest aud patriotic to fulfill all
the duties Of good citizen ship. State and
national, as inieigcntly and promptly as
Mr.. Douglas himself, any other polili-
clan.
But were it otherwise, were the northern
Pe"r'e utterly Ignorant and bewildered this
question Of slavery, and thus led away by
rem OF the South. what ,henf What is the
duty Of Mr. Douglas aud all others who are
not thua ignorant, prejud;ced aud deludcd1
Why obviously to enlighten the northern
nind-to stand themselves openly and man
fully by the truth. and thus honestly dis.
cussIng the question before the people. strive
to change the opinion Of the majority to the side
Of justice and fair dealing. And even If his
prediction prove true, the battle may still be
won though the election be Iost-,he mind o!
the North 80 prepared, that though the reac-
ton was not rapid enough to prevent the sec
tionaiisis getting iuio power, it might prevent
them from doing my mischief
The Paraguay Erped;tion.-AutI,entc intel,
ligence from Buenos Ayres confirms the report
that President Lopez had agreed to settle the diff
ficulty with the United States amicably Judge
Bowlin had gone far as Ascuncion, and it is
said that treaty Of friendship, commerce and
navigation between Paraguay and the United
States was signed on the eth Of February, at :hat
place. This treaty opens 10 our commerce, and
acc 'nplishes one of the objects Lieut.. Page was
cisargod with effecting, when, in 1852 he was
9red npon the Water Witch. The In Plata
with its tributaries is one of the largest rivers on
the American continent, and its navigable waters
communicate with region of country embra.
cling 100000 square miles An expedition
which has secured the commercial advantages
which will arise from taking the seal off of such
an important avenue to trade, is we'll worth it's
cost, nnd il will not he lonn hafora nnr antar