The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1859-04-15
Douglas against Popular Sovereignty

Inc Nalcnez Free. Trdder (says the
-htss'sSipp'an) gives Us new Leaf III the
history uI Douglas. 1t states upon what is
regarded us reliable authority, that he was
tho author of the following resolution, which
was reported to the Mississippi delegation !
ut tho Cincinnati Convention, 10y u commit.
tee (ot the dclogation) appointed to conSd
or tue subject OF Slavery:
I'll. Resoiued, That the National Demo.
cratic party believe in the perfect political
equality OF tho States, and that tho citizons
vi evUry State have an equal right to emi-
! CRATE pcacuaLly to the Territories, and to
take with thom whatever is recognized as
property in tho State from which they go,
and there receive for it adequate legal pro-
lection; that there is no pOtcer IN Congress
or in the Territorial legislatures to crciude
from The TerrItorIcs anything rhich is re-
gdrded as. property iH u STATE but when
Territory has sufficient Federal population,
lawfully ascertancd, to ontitle it to one
Representative IN Congress, Il. e., according
to the present ratio, 93,420,J 1t is tho duty
OF Congress TO authorize tho Territory to
form state Consultation, republican III its
form, preparatory to admission into the
, Union as StaIo, that il ID no constitution
al ground OF objection 20 tho admission of
such State, that the Constitution thus form
: cd either admits or excludes Slavery"
: II it be true that MIR Douglas wrote this
, resolution and sent IL by tho hand of "a
friend to tho Cincinnati Convention for pr.
vate circulation among the Southern dole
gates, the facts should be known. Ii we
mistake not, the rree. Trader is one OF tho
lew papers in Mississippi which undertakes
to apologize for MIR. Douglas, and it may be
a that this resolution ls now for the first time
published or credited to the Illinois Senator
= IN order TO soften tho bitter hostility of the
d South towards hun. 1t will DO seen thai
h the resolution is in point.blank opposition
g. TO the FreepOrt speech, which says:
The next question Mr.. Lincoln PROFOUND
ed to mo is Can The people oCG Terrific
H. ry crClude Slavery from their limits, by dnl
If Juir mrdns before Il comes into The UHiO
~ as State l answer emphatcnlly, u
no MIR. Lincoln has heard me answer hun
dred times, on every stump in Illinois. thai
~ in my opinion, lie people oCG Territory ca
ve by tdgfuL means erctude SlGuery before
a. comes u as State. {Cheers. Mr.. Liz
#. coin knew that had given that over an
4, over again. lie heard me argue the NJ
~ braska bill, on thar principle, and all ovC
the State in lS54-'5-'6, aud no has now n
excuse TO pretend TO have any doubt upO
on that subject Whatever the supreme Cou
nd may hereafter decide as to the abstract quo
~. ton whether Slavery may 60 in under Il
Constitution or not, the people Of u TER
os' tory have The tdw)ut means TO admit 1t &
es, erclude ii as hry please, for tho reason tn
rn Slavery cannot exlst u day or an hour an
ora where unless supported by local police reg
-. latiuns, furnishing remedies and means
IVY enforcing tho right to hold slaves, Tho
is local and police regulations can only be ~
ivo nishud by the local Legislature. If Il
,er people OF the Territory are opposed
Slavery, they will elect members to the LIE
islature who will adopt uafriendiy legisi
tion il. If they are for IT, they will ado
nus legislative measures friendly to Slavery
at Hence, no matter what may be the docis
~ OF the Supreme Court on that abstracts
ont question, slill the right of the people
,.- make it a slave Territory or a free Tt
TWO ritory is perfect aud complete under t
oar, Nebraska bill, ! hope Mr. Lincoln "
deem my answer satisfactory on this poin