The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-10-05
In prime Of life Tom lost his wife:
,ood Says Dick, to soothe his pain:
"Thy wife. I trow, has long ere nov
90 In Abraham's bosom lain"
.ls"His face forlorn with grief I mourn,
asy The shrewd dissembler cries; -
much I fear, by this sad tear,
o5ll1 She'll scratch out Abrams eyes y
The, Dividing Line Between Fed
pdi aersl and Local Authority.
lar sovereignty IN the Territories
5iBY STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS.
sds y9as( Concluded. -

?.
ss This is the only contingency, accord
-iagn to'the plain reading Of the Constitu-
tion as authoratively interpreted by the
sSupremea Court, in which the. Federal
Government is authorized. required, or
permitted to interfere with slavery in the
States or Territories; and in that. case
only for the purpose ."of guarding and
protecting the owner in his rig hts" to
reclaim his slave property. In all other
respects slaves stand on the same footing
with all other property--"the Constitu-
.tion makes no distinction between that
description Of property and other prop
~ owned BY q citizen, !" and "no word can
be found In the Constitution which gives
Congress . greater power over slave pro-
.pesty. or which entities property Of that
kind to less protection than property of
any other description - This is the ba-
sis upon which all rights pertaining to
slave property, either in the States or
the Territories, stand under the Constitu-
tion as expounded by the Supreme Court
ID the Dred Scott case. s.h,,sO ii neeeda
Inasmuch as the Constitution has dele.
gated no power to the Federal Govern
thent IN respect to any kind of property
belonging to the citizen--neither intro,
dtcing, establishing, prohibiting, nor ex-
slnding it any where within the dominion
Of the United States but leaves the owner
thereof perfectly free to remove into any
State or Territory and carry his property
with him., and hold the same subject to
the local law. and relying upon the local
authorities for protection, n lows, ac-
cording to the decision Of the nonrs that
slave property stands on the aeme footing,
10 entitled to. the same rights and
immunities, and in like manner is
dependent upon the local authorities
and Laws for protection. :STlgl .aG
The Court refer to that clause of the
Constitution which provides for the rendi.
tion sffpgitivel slaves as their authority
for saying that .'the right Of property in
slsyes is distinctly sad. .expFessly affirmed
ID the Constitution. z BY Inference ia
that provision it VIII be seen that, while
the word a.'slayesv is, not used still the
Constitution not only recognizes the right
OF property in slaves, as stated by the
Cdpft .hnt explicitly states what. class oi
persoas shall be deemed slaves, andnndel
what laws or authority they may be held
to seryitnde,, and under what circnmstan-
ces fugitive slaves shall be restored to
thaisi NyPerss AL in the same Section az
tollQE1a msiIiW ,y1ogag3 isoL .aaga3C
..N8,person held tooseryice or labor in
ono State, xndsrsse lasOs. .atersof escaping
into another. shall, in consequence of any
law or.regnlat;on therein be discharged
from such service or labor, but shall be
deliXereds up on, claim of thev party TO
whpp such services or, labor q may be
Thus y viii be seen that q slave, within
the meaning OF the Constitution, is q
@'pefson, held to- service or labor in one
State, snder ehsi State Gisrscf f,'--not. .undel
the Cnnstitutionv Of .bs United States
nor BY the laws thereof nor by virtue, O
any Federal authority Whatsoever bul
under the laws Of the particular State
wh6re such service or labor may be due.
= was necessary to give this exact def
milton Of slavery. in the Constitution, il
ordsf TO satisfy the people OF the South
- Rsit q ,of the North. The. Sslayehold.
ingrSAtgt would never consent fora mo,
me1f that their domestic relations --and
especially their right Of property, in theil
vSS4ibolld be dependent upon FEEDER
Il sHtAbrity aofr III. that Congress should
hav6 INV hover over the subieck-eithe,