The Yazoo Democrat. [volume] (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1858-18??, 1859-01-22
THE CONTRAST.

Inc relative attitudes Of parties are often
determined by the utterances of those who
are recognized as their representative men
1t is ia this view that we have copied into
our columns to-day an article from Doug as
paper IN Maine, contrasting the positions OF
Senators Davis and Douglas on the question
OF Squatter Sovereignty. The article, it will
be observed, emanates from a source bitterly
hostile to the Southern Senator and the in
tereSts he represents; but The facts are clearly
presented. and are iudispuable because they
are drawn from COZ gressional records.
The writer has turned over the pages of
the Globe and by comparing Senator Davis
position in 1850 with his position as defined
III November, 1858, has ascerained that
there is no discrepancy; that then as now,
he ajured the doctrine that it belongs TO
Congress to invest the territories with 'HawfuI
means" to exclude slavery, and that then as
now, he held that the Constitution carries
slavery into the territories, and that thu
Southern States are entitled to he protection
Of all the rights which it was designed to
secure. This is the doctrine of the Suprem,
Court and is the creed Of every advoc; te Of
State Equality in all parts of the Union.
On the contrary, Judge Douglas is shown
by his speeches to have occupied position
in direct antagonism to the foregoing. In
1850 he contended for the omnipotence Of
Squatter Sovereignty. lie was "not pre-
pared to say that under the Constitution, we
(Congress) have not the power to pass laws
excluding negro slaves from the territories -
and lie proclaimed the undoubted right OF
he inhabitants to exclude the South if it was
their will to exercise it. 1T was in the pur>
suance OF this idea that in 1850 he advocated
the admission of California into the Union,
as a separate measure IA scheme which 'he
Mississippi delegation characterized as the
'Wilmoi Proviso in another form" :
To such an extent did Douglas push the
vile theory of Squalter Sovereignty, and so
energeiicaly did he persist in his endeavors
TO carry ii into practical operation, that in
the memorable canvass of 1851, intellig mt
correspondents Of this paper urged that It
was the duty of the people Of Mississippi to
remove his slave property from her borders
they argued with justice hat it was not
proper for the State longer to afford protection
TO the interests of Senator who was devo,
tirg all his talents to the destruction Of hel
rights and to her degrade ion from her po-
sition Of equality in the Union.
The Maine paper takes care to omit all
reference to the attitude Of Judge Douglas in
1874. AS the accredited author of the Ne
braska bill and of Il Report in vindlcation ot
It's principles, he abandoned the odous
ground which he occupied in 1850; ard on
a memorable occasion when inteIrogaied by
his colleague touching his opinions of the
power of the inhabitants of the territories
owes slavery, he declared it II proper question
for adjudication by the Supreme Court aud
indicated his readiness to abide its decision
But in 1854 he returned to his former aboIi-
ton 'liances-renewed his devotion to the
Objectionable doctrine even after the decision
OF the Supreme Court was rendered lgalnsD
it, and in the face of lhe well established
creed of the party to which he affected al e.
glance and unbIushiugIy proclaimed the
u"S"" "Hl"u mas oeeh dc'tP eu ny lht tD'p
bolslh of the Black Republican organization,
BY bringing these facts to light, the Maine
paper has performed service-aIthough III
"a somewhat ungracous style aud has enli
tied itself to the thanks of the Southern
democracy. II is a vindcaion of Mssis-
sippi statesman; it is a whitening exposure
OF the Illinois politician. MisSisSippian.