The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-09-28
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Continued from FIRST Page.
en- the ~Leconpton convention the sovereign power OF
srdaining = constitution for The people of Kansas, in
I.ace of the organic act passed by Congress"
The days are past and gone when Mr.. Doug
las led the fiery assaults of the opposition in
the LIecompten controversy. Then it was his
object to prove that a Territorial Legislature,
so far from being omnipotent, was powerless
even to authorize al election of delegates to
consider about their own affairs. 1t was as
serted that a convention chosen under a Terri
torial law could make and ordain no c~onstitu-
ton which would be legally binding. Then q
Territorial government was to be despised and
spit upon, even when it invited the people to
come forward and vote on a question of the most
vital importance to their own interests. But
now all things have become new. The Lee
compton dis. ute has sgone glimmering down
the dream of things that were" and Mr.. Doug
las produces another issue, brand new from the
mint The old opinions are not worth a rush
to his present position: it must be sustained
by opposite principles and reasoning totally
different. The Legislature of Kansas was not
sovereign when it authorized a convention of
the people to assemble and decide what sort of
a constitutions they would have, but when it
strikes at their rights of property, it becomes
not only a sovereign, but a sovereign without
limitation Of power. We have no idea that
Mr.. Douglas is not perfectly sincere, az he was
also when he took the other side. The impuls-
es engendered by the heat of controversy have
driven him at different times in opposite di.
REGIONS. We do not charge it against him as
{. crims, but it is true that these views of his,
inconsistent az they are with one another, al
tho opposition, always give to the enemies of
the Constitution a certain amount of aid and
comfort" an / always add a little to the ran
corous and malignant hatred with which the
Abolitionists regard the Government of their
own country.
Yes; the Lecompton issue which Mr.. Doug
las made upon the Administration two years
ago is done, and the principles On which we
were then opposed are abandoned. We are nc
longer required to fight for the lawfulness of a
Territorial election held under Territorial au-
thority. But another issue is thrust upon rs,
to "disturb the harmony and threaten the in
tegrity" of the party. A few words more, (per-
haps of tedious repetition, by way of showing
what that new issue is, or probably will be
and we are done.
We insist that an emigrant going into O
Federal Territory, retains his title to the prop
erty which he took with him, until there is
some prohibition enacted by lawful authority
Mr.. Douglas cannot deny this in the face Of
his New Orleans speech, and the overwhelm.
ing reasons which support it.
It is an agreed point among all Democrats
that Congress cannot interfere with the rights
of property in the Territories.
It is also acknowledged that the people of q
new State, either in their constitution or in an
act of their Legislature, may makeiths negroes
within it free, or hold them in a state of scr.
vitudc.
Dut we believe more. We believe in sub.
Whiting to the law, as decided by the Supreme
Court, which declares that a Territorial Legis-
nature cannot, any more than Congress, inter
ferc with rights of property in a Territory
that the settlers of a Territory are bound to
wait until the sovereign power is conferred
upon them, with proper limitations, before
they attempt to exercise the most dangerous OF
oil its functions. Mr.. Douglas denies this
and there is the new issue.
Why should such an Issue be made at such
a time? What is there now to excuse any
friend of peace for attempting to stir up the
bitter waters of strife? There is no actual
difficulty about this subject in any Territory
There is no question upon it pending before
Congress or the country. We are called upon
10 make a contest, at once unnecessary and
hopeless, with the judicial authority of the ma
zion. We object to it. We will not obey
sIr. Douglas when he commands us to assault
the Supreme Court of the United States. We
believe the court to be right, and Mr.. Douglas
wrong.