Daily national Democrat., 1859-05-14
The Voice of the South.

From the South Carolinian, the central or
gan of the South Carolina Democracy:
The DOCTRINE OF NoN,lxrERvENTIoN-T
RECENT DEBATE-The doctrine Of Congress
siona Intervention in the affairs of the Ter
ritories, as announced by some of our promi-
nent Southern men. is variously commented
on by the press of the country. The argu-
ment is: Southern men have right, under
the Constitution to go to the Territories with
their property in slaves; they should, there
fore, be protected while there by Congress,
the executor of the Constitution. The Free
soilers, on the other hand, contend that the
Territories being the property of the States.
Congress, as the legal representative of the
States in their federal capacity, has the right
to exclude it. Here is a direct conflict. which
it became necessary to adjust. To effect this
it was necessary to do that much-abused act
compromise.
In despotic governments, where there is
conflict, coercion is the remedy. In repub-
lies, as was illustrated in the formation of the
federal compact, and in the construction of
every State constitution, where there is con-
fiict reconciliation can only be obtained bv
compromise In such a spirit was the doc.
trlne OF non Intervention announced to the
country; and after being discussed in Con-
gress, through the press, and on the hustings,
IN every State in the Union, it was accepted
as the final adjustment. 1t was then parti
cularly acceptable to the South. Southern
men saw that the North possessed the nu-
merica control of Congress; the Wilmot pro-
viso, proposing to exclude them entirely from
the Territories, was being urged in almost
every Northern State. 1t was plain that the
South had nothing to expect from Congress
with this assumption prevailing to such an
extent.
The assumption of authority to exclude
slavery, which had been asserted and prac.
ticed under the Missouri compromise, was
met by the counter doctrine of non interven.
tion. By two powers could her institution
be legisated against-by Congress, or bv the
people of the Territory Congress, if the
right to legisate was conceded to it, would. it
was thought, exercise it inimically. The doc
trine of non Intervention tied its hand, and
left the people of the Territory still able. as
they were before, to act in reference to sli-
very. 1t conferred no more power upon the
people than they possessed previous to the
compromise, which disqualified Congression-
al action. The point gained by the South
was that of the two powers; that which was
regarded as the more dangerous was dis
qualified The South accepted it as tho only
practical solution consistent with her honor
and her rights. We may dislike to acknowl.
edge that the people of the Territory can
control the question; but wherever there is
trial by jury there will be popular power,
whether we acknowledge it or not.
Such was the result Now we see the dan.
gerous doctrine advanced that the South re.
quires special protection from the Federal
government. 1t would be well to reflect
what this protection means, and to what ex-
tent it will involve the intervention of GOV
ernment. The first step would be the pass
age of code of laws. But as enacting is one
thing. and enforcement another, and as the
former is absolute mockery without the lat
ter, so to furnish Federal protection to South
ern property, there must be an exercise of
force. The process, then. would be this: an
action would be instituted under this code
The judge would expound the law, as did
Judge Wayne and Judge Magrath before the
grand jury in the Echo case
If the people of the Territory were adverse
to slavery, they would quietly throw out the
Oil. What next? Either nothing or tyraE-
ny. Either aeqriescence or the subversion
OF the independence of the jury system
Those who propose this, overlook the fact
tons our federal government is petfectlv
powerless beyond the right to enact. All.
powerful in the management of foreign nf-
fairs, it can be and has been with perfect i'm
punity delied by grand juries both North and
south and if it attempted to establish slH-
very in Territory where the popular senti-
ment was hostile 10 it, signal failure would lie
the result. What folly, then, what inconsis-
tency, in Southern men, after having abused
the federal government and pronouncng that
it was thoroughly aholitionized, to turn and
implore its protection
The LAST NUGGET The Zig lump of gold
and quartz, found in Columbia st week, was
purchased by w, y. Sleeper & Co, by whom
it was crushed and melted Mr. Hooker
one of the firm, furnished us with the follow.
ing items in relation to it Weight of lump,
45l:l0 100 ounces; weight after melting, in
lar, 35S;S5-l00 ounces. Probable value,
Courier