The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1859-09-28
of Couu

| Speaker Of the House of Representatives.
- &C. W. BABCOCK,i
| - President of Council.
9th. Now the Northern invention.sts are
pledged by their platform, to repeal the Slave
code in New Mexico and prohibit slavery by
act of Congress lin that, Territory ,.while the
Opposition party in Kentucky and the South
ern interventonistss generally are pledged by
their principles to intervene and protect slave
ry in Kansas, and to insist upon such congress
sional legislation as may be necessary to pro-
tect slave property in that and all other Terri
tories.
7th. These issues must and ida--N7iHbe wN7iiH-be met,
by the Democratic party Non Intervention,
and popular sovereignty must be maintained
in New Mexico and Kansas. If New Mexico
wants slave code and slavery she has a right.
| to it. If Kansas does net want it, Congress,
must not force it on her. ,.s,,. 80. ga. aste =
Sth. Northern and Southern intervention
lists agree in the principle that slavery is a
rghtful subject of congressional legislation,
but differ in regard to the character of such
legislation-each insisting that Congress
should intervene in favor of their section and
against the other, in violation of the rights of
the people interested in the question: to de.
sired it for themselves. o'9a' 7flitis 8
9th According to the doctrine of the Inter-
rightful subject of Federal Legislation, de-
pendent upon Federal authority for its exis-
tence and protection, and consequently sub
ject to Federal regulation and control--the
one conten'ing that the whole power of the
Federal Government should be exerted for its
protection and the other for it's destruction.
} 10th On the other hand, the Democratic
party hold that slavery isa State institution,
and that it exists in the several slave holding
tota md {1a1 ~ Inv,
virtue of the Constitution of the United States
and consequently it is beyond the reach or con-
troll of the Federal Government; for good or
for evil, exceptin the simple case of return
ing fugitive slaves that according to the
bred Scott decision stne right of property in
a slave is distinctly and expressly affirmed in
the CONSTITUTIONAL 'ftheg0f ornament in
express terms is pledged to protect in all fu
ture, time, if the slave escapesfrom his owner,
that ''the only power. conferred is the power
coupled with the duty Of guarding and pro-
tecting the owner in hiss rights ,'z when the
slave escapes-that"no word can be found in the
Constitution which gives Congress greater
power over slave property, or which entities
property of that kind to less. protection than
property of any other description" that all
other property is dependent n upon the
local law for protection, as well in tho Terri.
tories as in the States, and that slave proper.
D ty stands on the same footing in every re-
q spect whatever. r3fsfr 72dfe ~et
18th. He referred to the doctrines OF SQUAT
: ter Sovereignty" and said that the term, wher
first christened by Mr.. Calhoun, had no refer
ence to the powers of Territorial Legislature
when organized under the Constitution ant
V laws of the United States, bat referred TO til,
action of body of men who had settled OIL
s the public domain without title or authority o
o. law, and had set up government independ
ent of the United States and without it's con
S sent, as in Oregon, where they prohibited sla
) very before Congress established a Terri oria
> Government This Mr.. Calhoun denounced
as ssSquatter Sovereignty"
18th In contradistinction to tSquatte
Sovereignty" as denounced by Mr. Calhoun
and Congressional Sovereignty as advocated
- by the. opposition, the Democratic, party i
. pledged to the principles of Popular Sover
y eighty by which the people Of the organized
Territories, "like2those of a State shall decid
i for themselves whether slavery shall OF shal
" not exist within their limits.n ~. ,-x,r.,
Il 18th. Those who insist that the frs
Handful of settlers should not decide tn
IL slavery question, should vote against;the oi
J. ganization of the Territories until they, ,hav
lr sufiic lent population for political communit
= capable of self government in all their domes
- tic concerrls-that' no legislature should b
~ established for people who were mot quail
:; fed by numbers and in all other respects t
legislate for themselves on all rightful sui
h. jects of legislation subject, only to the Cor
4 stitution; and if their legislative enactment
IA should conflict with the Constitution. that wa
{, judicial question, which could only be d,
a cded by the Courts, and whose decision mus
be obeyed and respected by all good citizen:
- 14th. He denounced the system of spuriou
- emigration by Elnigrant Aid Societies for til
IL purpose of controlling the Territorial legisl;
lr ton as fraud upon the elective franchise in
he tended to subvert and destroy the great priI
cples of self fgovernment-that none but til
actual Inhabitants who had abandoned the
y citizenship and allegiance in their RESPECTIVE
"a States and settled in the Territory in goo
L. faith, with the view of making it their perm;
9 nent home have a right to a voice or vote
the legislature of the Territory. =" ~ ~
70 18th. He emphaticaly condemned tn
c, doctrine of Mr.. Stewards Rochester speech
a. respect to, the irrepressible, conflict betwee
o. freedom and slavery in the several States
said that he had denounced the same doctrir
when announced by Mr.. Lincoln in the Ill
-" nois canvass as subversive of the principle
upon which the Union was founded He COZ
tended that uniformity in the local laws an
domestic institutions of the several States wa
g nsither desirable nor possible Athat so gre,
variety Of climate and interests created
y "a necessity fora corresponding variety in til
IT, local legislation, adapted TO the wants of eac
st locality that the liberties of the people an
IS the Union Of the States depended upon I'll
- inalenable. right of local self government
~ tall the States and T Territores,s., ssisigcA.
"a @ j 10th. He said that the duty Of ,restorr
IL fugitive slaves was an Obligation imposed
q the Constitutions which every good citizen W;
~ bound to obey--that tiss example set In I'll
ol North of refusing to execute the fugitive sla,
IN law because they did not approve its provi
ions had been initiated at the South by r
ne fusing to execute the law against the Africa
IN slave trade for the same reasonsa1that tho!
ao who had setthe example, as weuas those wi
ne had followed q bad example, were alike faitl
less to their duties as citizens and shoul
RS suffer the penalties ofthelaw, >''."N
nd s<1Tth. Hearguea that if the doctrine
ue non-intervention and popular Sovereignty WI
-.- maintained, the Union was susceptible of il
"a definite expansion that steady growth wa
one Of the necessities of our national sexi
ne tence-that it was our destiny sooner or lat,
hS to spread over the entire continent and the a
&C. iacent Islands and make ours an ocean bour