Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-02-25
Important Debate in the Senate.

aQulIlOnal ScCtiDu.
! Sec, Ind be- II further enacted, That
the first section of the act entitled An act
! for the admission of the State 81 Kansas
into the Union" approved May !. 1898; he
| and the same is hereby amended. by striking
| out the following words, VIZ: Nv hcne'er IL
| is ascertained by census duly and legally
taken, that the population OF the said icrri-
tory equals or exceeds the ratio OF represen..
tation required for members OF the House OF
| Representatives in the Congress OF the nj
! ted States" which words are hereby re-
pealed.
Mr.. Stuart. of Michigan, said he had al
ways been opposed to the restriction which
it was proposed to repeal, and would vote ac-
| cordingly, but he regretted that the exciting
subject had been thus brought before the
! Senate.
Mr.. Seward said he was surprised at the
ccntlemans remarks. Congress had SAID that
unless Kansas would accept the Lecompton
constitution. she could not come into the
Union until she had population of -, ~
! He thought that every man opposed TO the
odious and uni ust restriction would embrace
the first opportunity to repeal it.
! Mr.. Brown expressed the opinion that eve
~ State coming into the Union should have
the population required for representative
| in Congress He was, however, wiling 70
admit Kansas either az free or slave State,
with the fractional part OF the representative
ratio which entitled South Carolina to a mem
Der of Congress- but a census was necessary
to ascertain her population. This was a
question which would have an important
bearing upon the next Presidential election.
The gentleman from Michigan. Mr.
Chandler, had anticipated the success OF his
party in that contest he with equal conf
dence expected triumph of his party. But
in this matter he neither wished to cheat or
be cheated lie wanted full understand
ing, and he desired triumph Of principle
The spoils of Office to the people were as sound
ing brass or tinkling cymbal. The South
wanted her rights in the Union and she
wanted the bred Scott decision faithfully car
ried out. By that decision it was affirmed
by the Supreme Court, that the citizens OF all
sections Of the country had the right to car
nv their property into the territories, but the
right was valueless unless it carried with 1t
the obligation To make laws TO sustain that
right. Ii laws 10 protect slavery did not eX-
ist in the territories, the right to take slave
propcrty there was nullity. The consttu-
tional right must be sustained by positive
enactment. 1t was the duty Of the Terrific
rial Legislatures to frame laws accordingly,
and if they failed to do so, it was the duty OF
Congress, whose creatures they were, to de-
priye them Of their powers and carry out the
provisions Of the constitution. Slave proper
ty was entitled to protection, and being OF L
peculiar character, peculiar laws should be
enacted in its behalf American ships on tine
high seas were entitled under the constitution
to protection, but how could it be afforded
without legislative enactments. He regard
ed the Territorial Legislatures as the mere
creatures of Congress, and their powers
should be annulled if they did not discharge
their duty in providing protection for all Spee-
cies Of property. He denied most emphatl-
callv their right to exclude slavery.
Mr.. Douglas, of ILL.,. energeticaliy defended
his doctrine of popular sovereignty and con
gressional non Intervention, and reiterated
the doctrines concerning the force Of the
bred Scott decision and slavery in the terri
tories, enunciated during his recent campaign
in Illinois. He held to its fullest extent the
power of the people of the territory to decide
the question of slavery for themselves lie
thought they possessed the right of self-gov-
eminent as fully as the people ola State, and
should not be subjected to congressional IN
reference. This was the doctrine OF the
Cincinnati platform.-it was the doctrine OF
Mr.. Buchanan's letter Of acceptance, and UNI
der any other Interpretation he could not
have carried a single Northern State. The
Cincinnati platform conceded the right OF the
people of territory to exclude or admit sla-
very as they chose and under no other con-
structon would Northern State have voted
for Buchanan, and he wished Southern Sem
ators to understand that fact. MIR. Brown
wanted to force slavery upon people whcth-
err they desired it or not. He wanted the
people to decide the matter for themselves.
He believed that under the bred Scott de-
csion Il southern man had an abstract right
to take his slave into any territory al the
United States, but he could not hold it there
unless the Legislature passed laws for his
protection, and they had the right To refuse
to do 50 ifthey chose. In reply to aquestion
propounded by Mr.. Biger, he replied that
he did not recognize black men rs citizens
this was Il government of white men.
Applause being manifested in the CALLER
les, which were densely crowded, the chair
gave OTucTS tllht lleN Sii'uli Nv t"ditu III 'i'
disturbance was repeated.
Mr.. Douglas concluded by saying that there
was nu use for excitement or anger upon this
subject If southern men could not stand
upon the same platform with him, it was bet
ter quietly To separate. The Senator from
Mississippi had said that he wished neither
80 cheat or be cheated. lie had hoped he
had met him in kind and friendly spirit, and
that his position had been clearly and une-
quivocally defined.
Mr. Davis replied to Mr.. Douglas elabor
ately. denying that he rightly interpreted the
obligations of the democratic party.
Mr.. Pugh said that Mr.. Brown had asked
if northern democrats would vote for con-
gressional intervention to protect slave pro-
perry against local legislation. He would
answcr-never. 1t is monstrous. 1t is
against the plighted faith of both the South
and tn" North.
Mr.. Pugh discussed the question at length, !
and said he stood on the platform of his
party with the Interpretation which he cx
planned.
Mr.. Green said he was sorry this subject |
Of contention had been brought forward to
try to bring discord into the democratic par
ty--the only party able to override the re-
publican party. He hoped and believed that
there was no difference between the North |
and South. A government is formed to pro-
tect persons and property, and when it cea-