The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-17

eigH in the Territories,4s not sufficient to
save1bim. He is formally degraded from his
position as Chairman of the Territorial Com
mitt.e, by majority of his party friends, and
on all hands given to understand that he is no
longer recognised as leader.
It's no part of our purpose to awaken SYM
patty for Mr.. Douglas, as betrayed and injured
man. He well understood that his co-laborers
in toe per6dious act of repeating the Missouri
ompromise were no converts to his doctrine OF
popular sovereignty that they barely tolerated
his defamation on that head, because it was a
necessary part of the disgraceful act. He well
knew that they secretly resolved to make
mentsl reservation on that subject, on which
they we're to act after accomplishing the repeal.
Senator Hunter, at the time mildly limited at
his objections to popular sovereignty, and, with
his ! ,bitual caution, put himself on record
agabi Il it, which he now brings to light in his
rems Ks on the 23d ult. But his protest was
coucs I'd in the mildest terms possible, as if
afrai they would be overheard by the Demo
cratis. masses of the North, who were shouting
hosasaas to Douglas and popular sovereignty.
Nj Douglas, therefore, is entitled to no
SYM thy. He was in the secret councils OF
the &c ,nfederates, he was their acknowledged
leadal, and was fully aware that they secretly
abhntred his popular sovereignty" only
it'll, less than the Wilmot Proviso.
o. this point Mr.. Mason completely turns
the sibles on Mr.. Douglas, and assumes the air
oft sdeeply-injured party. 1t never seems to
have uttered his head that the boosted pretext
for c, repeal of the Missouri compromise, VIZ +:
in OF .r that the people of the Territories might
be 8 1T perfectly free y to make their own laws,
and z rm their own institutions, was to have any
vitali after the accomplishment of the perhd-
ious nd for which it was conceived. So well
does ehe counterfeit a virtuous indignation
agail:at the author of the Kansas \ ebraska bill,
that ne are almost led to suppose Mr.. Douglas
was HIMSELF party TO the mental reservation OF
his Southern co-conspirators. What could seem
more genuine than the following expression of
astonishment by Mr.. Mason He says
"The honorable Senator says the people of a
Terri ory have power, derived from Congress,
to r. use TO pass what he calls slave code.
Whst is slave code? These catch-words
very angerous things. slave code Does
the h, norable Senator mean that the people of
Tel itory NAV, or may not, at their pleasure,
pass lws TO secure the enjoyment OF the prop
erts which the Constitution says we may take
there that they have that power, and derived
it fro, Congress, either by acts of omission or
comm ission? If he does, if that be his inter
pretasion of the law, then | would say to the
l II L Sc ha-a xxhrl nm tod
fully with him in passing that act, and claim
ing 10 know the undivided opinion of the South
ern States, who reluctantly acquiesced in what
we l,sd done, as their representatives, l would
say to him, 'you promised us bread, and you
have tiven us stone; you promised us fish,
and I, ,u have given us a serpent. We thought
YOU tad given US a substantial right, and you
have iven US the most evanescent shadow and
delusi on.
W close this article with Mr.. Mason's en-
phali assurance to Mr.. Douglas, that no man
entee aiming his views of Territorial rights
could receive the vote of the South for the
Pres,ency; and that the Southern man would
be fsL Sc and recreant to his country who should
vote ir such candidate. He says:
"Ar. President. we have seen the doctrines
said e. have been entertained by that honorable
Senator through the public journals of the day,
for IL: last six or eight months, not in an au-
th0rii ttiye form. They come before US now IN
an al hOritative form from the honorable Sena-
tor | understood him to say, that MIR. Bu-
changu. the President, presenting 1t as a test
OF tll popular Judgment in the free States,
could-have received no votes in Pennsylvania,
or 0'io, or elsewhere, under the construction
WI wy the South places upon this act know
nosEiag about that; it Is impossible that can
III rsas.s ,sssr ssEs<S-
know, what led the Democratic party in the free
States to vote for the present occupant of the
Presidential chair but ! will say to the hon
orable Senator, that claim TO know this and
/ do not fear one dissentient voice south of the
old Potomac river, and extending to the Dor
ders Of Mexico: that if the Kansas Nebraska
act is to be interpreted as he inteprets il if IT
be, in truth, to remit the Southern people for
their rights in the Territories from the Consti-
tuition, from the Supreme Court, to the pleasure
of the temporary occupants of Territory for
the time being If that be the Interpretation OF
the free States upon the Kansas Nebraska act,
and that is to be the rallying point in any fur
Their election of any candidate for any party, the
Southern States would be truant and recreant
TO themselves and to their safety, and to their
honor, if they should cast for him a single vote
| do not mean the vote Of State, but even an
individual vote.
g If that is to be the doctrine Of any platform
of any party by which, let me repeat it, accord
ing TO the construction placed on that act by
the honorable Senator, rights which the South
have been contending for on this question for
thirty years nearly, two generations are to be
taken from the Constitution, from the Supreme
Court, and RENTED to the popular will of the
temporary inhabitants of Territory, no party
on that doctrine can ever receive one vote south
of the Potomac river and if it is 10 be the dis
solution of the party, let it be dissolved, and the
sooner the better If it can only be recon
struggled Ga thai platform, to a modern
phrase, you vii! not End single builder or
plank in the Southern States; not pnR and
they would be truants and recreants If it were
otherwise"
We presume that Mr.. Douglas and his friends
viii h. able to understand this language with
out assistance feoI. 70
RETRENCHING EXPENSES.
/ comparison of the estimates submitted TO