Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-08-25

The HARTFORD CouRAST puts forth re-
of the position of Senator Douglas and the
Democratic party on the slavery question,-so
remarkable that it seems to us unaccountablc.
Speaking of popular sovereignty in the terri
tories, it says -
son this point there are three distinct opin-
ions. The Southern Democracy believe that
Congress has right to interfere in favor of
slavery in the territories: the extremists
of the Republicans assert the right of Con-
gress to interfere against slavery in the terri
tories, as well as in its favor; while Douglas
and his followers uphold the power of the peo-
pie of the territories to settle all such matters
for themselves"
1t explains its meaning further by asking
what the Times will do if the Southern ex-
tremists in the Charleston Convention move
that body to "afirm the power and duty of
Congress to introduce slavery into the terrific
ries by express enactment" In all this there
are some rather important mistakes.
l. Mr.. Douglas does not leave the people of
territory to settle for themselves the ques-
ton of introducing or prohibiting slavery.
He expressly denies that they have power to
prohibit slaveholding and the introduction of
slaves, for, in his view, the right of slavery to
exist in the territories is secured by the feder-
al constitution itself. His popular sovereign
ty" consists of the affirmation that Congress
should not enact territorial slave code- hit
leave this matter to the discretion of thy
tiers themselves. "GGnly this and noe c
more Never before was there a loud pre-
tense which really meant so little.
2. 1t is quite as incorrect to say that the
Southern extremists admit that Congress has
power to introduce or prohibit slavery in the
territories. They deny this altogether, hold
ing that the constitution has already settled
this question in their favor. Douglas agrees
with them on this point, ard on every point I'M
til he comes to their demand for Congress-
ional Slave Code. This he opposes because it
is in his view unusual and impolitic; that is
to say, he shows more GOODNESS and cunning;
he is shrewder than they. Substantially they
agree; therefore, in the Charleston Conven-
ton, he will be more likely than any other
man to unite the two wings of the party and
secure the nomination. So far as we have OBJ
served, he is now the only candidate openly
and ardently upheld in South Carolina. The
Courses he has received from the south were
provoked more by his defiant bearing than by
anything in his doctrines. They did not mean
much and they will do him no harm.
3. Perhaps the Courant can explain what
it means by ''the extremists of the Republi-
cans, who insist that Congress has power to
interfere, not only against slavery, but also
! Gin its favor" We have not made their &C.
quaintance. The authority of Congress over
the territories was never questioned by any
party until slavery demanded crusade against
the Missouri Compromise. The practice of
the government had always assumed it and,
at the beginning of our national existence,
slavery was prohibited in every foot of terrific
ry then subject to the control of the federal au-
thorities. Republicans believe it was right
and noble in Congress to establish the ordi-
nance of 1877, and they wish to restore the
doctrine and practice of the olden time Were
the founders of the government EXTREMISTS" I?
If SO, there are now a great many persons who
will rejoice to be found worthy of the same
appellation.
We will here suggest to the Courant that
the men who established the ordinance of
1887, no more admitted right in Congress to
establish slavery than to create monarchy
The right to prohibit the thing did not, in
their view, imply right to establish it. If
the Courant has found Republicans, who MAIN
tain that Congress has legitimate power to es-
tablish either slavery or monarchy because it
is authorized to forbid them, we will not ques-
ton its right to call them Extremists" Such
men have very mysterious kind of logic I;
and it will not surprise us to hear that they
can prove it right for man to lie because it is
his duty to speak the truth.