Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-11-23

Legislature so chosen might employ itself
 Tn passing laws unfriendly to the rights of
 honest men and friendly to the business of
 the robber and the murderer l concede
 this, and Mir. Douglas is entitled to all the comforts 1t affords him. But 1t is an insult to the American people to suppose that any community can be organized within the
 limits of our Union, who will tolerate such state of things. If it shall ever come to that, Mr. Douglas may rest assured that remedy will be found. No government can possibly exist which will allow the right of property to go unprotected; much less can it suffer such right to be exposed to 'un- friendly legislation.''
 Nlr. Douglas thinks that territory may exclude slaves, or interfere with the rights of the owners, because, in some of the or ganic acts, the general grant is made of authority over ''all rightful subjects of leg islation." This is not the least unaccount- able of his strange notions. In such an act nothing is taken by implication, nor could the power in question be given even by express words; for 1t is forbidden by the constitution to the Federal Government itself. The logic so peculiar to Mr. Douglas, which infers the power to give from the want of possession, may sustain such a construction of statute; but noth- ing else will
 A plan relating to the territories was offered to Congress by Mr. Jefferson in l7S4. It was mere project, in the form of reso- lutions, embodying certain abstract propo- sltions in anticipation of settlements vet to be made in the wilderness. It did not establish any government, temporary or permanent, but provided how the settlers, when they would go there, might petition Congress and get themselves organized. There IS not word in any of the resolu- tions about sovereignty or slavery. They were passed in April, 17S4, but three years afterwards they were repealed, the whole ''plan" acas rejected dy Congress, and an other plan totally different (the famous or dinance of l7S7) was substituted in its place. MT. Douglas, in Harper, referred to this plan, and expended column after column ot dreary comment upon it. It was ridicu- lously inapplicable to his argument; like his quotation from Story, it had no more to do with the subject before him than the verdict of Nantes. l referred to it merely as showing how he could wander from the point. But he allows his righteous soul to be vexed at me for saying it was rejected It was rejected; for though Congress as sented to the resolutions when first offered, the plan was repudjated betore single prin- cipie of a acem into operation. Mr. Douglas hnt ssstnn l. unrepeoled and irrepeolaJle" l take it for granted, that he would not have made such an allegation if he had known what now tell him; that it was, in fact, repealed in llS1 by the unanimous vote of the whole Congress.-( Jour. Cong, vol. i, page 754.
 1 have regarded this dispute as on ques- tion of constitutional law, far, very far, above party politics But I am tempted to vindicate the democracy from the imputa- tion which Mr. Douglas casts upon that party when he claims the Cincinnati plat form as favorng his creed. It contains no word of the kind 1 may also add, that every democrat who desires to preserve " the unity of the faith in the bonds of peace v which diSapprove the odious charge which MT. Douglas filings at the President, of agreeing with him on this subject The calm, clear judgment of Mr. Buchanan was never for moment imposed on, nor his love for the constitution shaken, bv this hereSy. Neither in his Sanford letter. nor in his letter of acceptance, nor his inaugural address, nor i'll any other paper, public or private, did he ever give the remotest countenance to such doctrine. lie has often said that the people of the territories had the right to determine the question of slavery for themselves, but he never said. nor intmated, that they could do so before they were ready to form State Constitu- tion.
 l will not follow Mr. Douglas any farther at present. But l must not be understood as assenting to the numerous assertions upon which 1 am silent. There is scarcely sentence in this whole pamphlet, which does not either propound an error, or else mangle a truth. l do not charge him, however, with willful misstatements of either law or fact J. $. B.