The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-03-22

prepared to say what he would do il Congress,
refussd TO interfere, but he GOULD not say
Whaa the South would do. At the very in.
slant when Congress denied to the South
rights guaranteed by the Constitution, as ex
pounded by the Supreme Court, he would
come to the conclusion that the Constitution
is failure and the Union despotism, and
then he was ready to advise his people to re-
tire from the Union.
Mr.. CLARK inquired what way and how they
would go2
MIR. Brown replied that when they made up
their mind to 20 they would find way, and
would leave such o trail behind that their en-
emies might pursue If they chose. He did
not mean to threaten dissolution OF the
Union If extraordinary demands were not ao-
ceeded to; they asked only their constitution.
al rights, which Was not an extraordinary de-
mand.
All this trouble about Kansas might have
been avoided by little frmness and honesty
at Cincinnati. He had offered proposition
there that no State should be admitted until
she has q population of 90, 42O; but it was
rejected, and the meaningless nonsense about
Sufficient" population was substituted,
which no two could understand alike. lie
WHnteQ no more sucn plhtIOIInS.
Mr.. Wade reminded the Senator that he
had but answered the question Of the Senator
from Michigan (Mr. Chandler) as to the ex-
tension of slavery into the States as we'll as
the Territories.
Mr.. Brown replied that he utterly denied
and rePudiated the whole doctrine of squat
ter sovereignty. He utterly denied that there
was any sovereignty in Territory.
Governor Brown, it will be seen, for him
self and for the Southern wing Of the De-
mocracy, which constitutes four ffths Of the
effective force of the party, repudiates and
denounces the doctrine Of popular sovereign
ty as delusion and a cheat. He claims that
Congress snail intervene in favor Of slavery,
but not againstit, and declares, in substance,
that If Congress refuses to pass laws to pro-
tect the rights Of Shareholders in the Terri
tories he is ready to advise the South to dis
solve the Union.
Senator Douglas followed Brown, and in
the course Of his speech, while controverting
Browns position, he distinctly and unequiv-
ocally yielded and repudiated the doctrine Of
popular sovereignty, and admitted, in SO ma
ny words, that Congress possesses the sover-
eign power over and in the Territories. He
therefore, by this admission, strips the Ter
ritories Of oil claim Of sovereignty and leaves
the question as to how far they shall be per-
mitted to legislate for themselves, mere
question Of cxpcdiency and party policy
Here is what he says upon that point, in an
swer to question propounded by Mr.. Clay,
of Alabama:
will answer the Senator's question. First,
| do not hold that squatter sovereignty is su-
perior to the Constitution. / hold that no
such thing as sovereign power attaches to a
Territory while Territory. | hold that a
Territory possesses whatever power it de-
rives from the Constitution under the organic
act, and no more. hold that all the power
Territorial Legislature possesses 10 derived
from the Constitution and its amendments,
under the act of Congress; and because
hold that, denied last year that the people
of Territory, without the consent Of Con-
gress, could assemble at Lecompton and ore
ate an organic law for that people. denied
the validity Of your Lecompton Constitution
for the reason that Constitutions can only be
made by sovereign power; and because the
Territory was not sovereignty, that was not
Il constitution, but petition.
In reply to Senator Brown, Douglas made
the following argument:
admire the frankness. candor and direct.
ness with which that Senator had approached
this question. No man can accuse him, none
will suspect him Of desire 'sto cheat or te
be cheated and hope that shall be able Il
put my opinions on the record in a manner
that will acquit me Of the slightest suspicion
of desiring to cheat or be cheated. Toa Ger.
tain point, that Senator and myself agree
Then there comes divergence, which grow,
wider and wider the further we travel. w,
agree that under the decision Of the Suprem,
Court of the United States, slaves are prop
erty, standing on m equal footing with al
other property; and that, consequently, til,
owner Of slave has the same right to emf
CRATE to n territory, and carry his slave prop
erty with him, as the owner Of any other spe.
cies of property has to move there, and carr,
his property with him.
The right Of transit to and from the Terri
tories is the same for one species Of propert,
as it is for all others. Thus far the Senate
from Mississippi and myself agrec-tha
slave property in the Territories stands on q,
equal footing with every species Of property
Now the question arises, to what extent i
property slaves included; subject to the Law
of the Territory? Whatever power the Ter
ritorial Legislature has over other species o.
property, extends, in my judgment, to th
same extent and in like manner to the slay
property. The Territorial Legislature ha
the same power to legislate in respect /,
slaves, that it has in regard to any othe
property; to the same extent and no further
If the Senator wishes to know what power i
has over slavee in the Territories, answer lie
him tell me what power it has to legislat,
over every other species of property either b
encouragement or by taxation, or any othe
mode, and ne has my answer in regard t
slave property.