Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1859-10-22
GENERAL BLACK.

| EXPRESSED IN HARPER'S MAGAZINE
| FOR SEPTEMBER, 1659.-BI ATTORNEY
| GENERAL BLACK.
| Every one knows that Mr.. Douglas,
the Senator from Illinois, has written
ald printed al elaborate essay, com
prisin@ thirty-eight columns of Harpcr's
Magazine, in which he las undertaken
to point out the " dividing line between
federal and local authority" Very many
persons have glanced over its para
graphs to catch the leading ideas with
ont loss Of time, and some few have
| probably read it with care.
| Those who dissent from the doctrines
o! tals paper owe to its author, if not to
his arguments, a most respectful answer
Mr. Douglas is not the man to be treated
with a djsdainful silence His ability is
a tact nnquestioncd; his public career,
IN the face OF many disadvantages, has
been uncommonly successful and he
has been for many years working,
struggling candidate for the Presidency.
he IS, moreover, the Corypheus of his
political sect-the founder of a new
school-and his disciples naturally be-
lieye in the infalIible verify of his words
as part Of their faith.
4! The style of the article is, in some re-
spects, highly commendable 1t is en-
tirely free from the vulgar clap-trap of
the stump; has no vain adornment or
classical scholarship; it shows no sign
OF the eloquent Senator; it is even with
out the logic Of the great debater. Many
portions OF it are very obscure It seems
to be an unsuccessful effort at legal pre-
cision; like the writing of Judge, who
is trying IN vain to give good reasons
for a wrong decision on a question of
law which he has not quite mastered.
! With the hel p of Messrs. Seward and
Lincoln, he has defined accurately enough
the platform of the so-called Republican
party; and he does not attempt to CON
ceal his conviction that their doctrines
are, in the least degree, dangerous
They are, most assuredly, full Of evil
and saturated with mischief. The "ir-
repressible conflict which they speak
of with SO much pleasure between the
"opposing and enduring forces" of the
Northern and Southern States will be
fatal, not merely to the peace of the
country, but to the existence of the Gov
ernment itself. Mr. Douglas knows this,
and he knows, also, that the Democratic
party is the only power which is, or can
be organized to resist the Republican
forces Or oppose their hostile march up
on the capital. He who divides and
weakens the friends of the country at
such a crisis in her fortunes, assumes
very great responsibility.
Mr.. Douglas separates the Democrat
ic party into three classes, and describes
them as follows:
lst. Those who Lelieve5that the Con-
stitution Of the United States neither es-
tablishes nor prohibits slavery in the
States or Territories beyond the power
Of the people legally to control it, /" but
leaves the people thereof perfectly free
to form and regulate their domestic in
stitutions in their own way, subject on
ly to the Constitution Of the United
States
Cd. Those who believe that the Con
stituticn establishes slavery in the Teri
ritories, and withholds from Congress
and the territorial legislature the power
to control it, and who insist that, III the
event the territorial legislature fails to
enact the requisite laws for it's protec-
tion, it becomes the imperative duty of
Congress to interpose it's authority and
furnish such protection.
Sd. Those who, while protesting to
believe that the Constitution establishes
slavery in the Territories beyond the
power Of Congress or the territorial leg
islature to control it, at.tile same time
protest against the duty of Congress to
interfere for its protection; but insist
that it is the duty of the judiciary to
protect and maintain slavery in the
Territories without any law upon the
subject.
We give Nj. Douglas the full benefit
of his own statement. This is his mode
Of expressing those differences, which,
he says disturb the harmony and threaten
the integrity Of the American Democra-!
cy. These passages should, therefore,
be most carefully considered.
The first class is the one to which he |
himself belongs, and to both the others
he is equally opposed. He has no right
to come between the second and third
class. If the difference which he speaks /
Of does exist among his opponents, it is
their business, not his, to settle it or
fight it out. We shall, therefore, con-
fine ourselves to the dispute between
Mr. Douglas and his followers on the
one hand, and the rest of the Democrat
ic party on the other, presuming that
lie will be willing to observe the prin-
1ir.lc &c 81