Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1859-02-03

cdnScs OF It's apparent success
Shall we admit that party which
was brought into the worl to oppose
the sldte power in its efforts 10 cNer-
throw our republican institutions. TO
maintain the fundamental IDEAS If the
Government. 10 resist an oiigarchy. To
stay the spread Of Slavery, to reStdrc
the faction of the Gevcrnmcn, 10 the
principles Of Washington and Jeller-
son, is not strong enough to succce,.9
That it has anything to gain by avoid
! in5 these issues or exchanging Their.
} fOr others? Ii there ever was party
on the earth which could moi afford To-
hesitate aS to It's duty. or to bc less
than true and logical. it j. the Hepub-
lican party. Its fidelity Is the condi'
ton OF it, success.
Let us. Mr.. Chairman, learn wis
,lom from our opponents. Look at the
Democratic party. and note it, policy:
1t has held possession OF the Govern
ment, with short interruptions. for
more than quarter of a century: not
because il has been in earnest, AMI has
darcdio trust usclf. 1t has never paid
court to It's opponents, or stopped To
speculate upon their weaknesses and
divisions always bold and unpromis-
ing, il has never doubted It's own
suiiicicncy anil invincibility. and 20
il has ever been mighty power in
the land.
And let not tle lesson 10 lc read Ia
the fate Of the old Whig part, be lost
upon us. 1t was the weakness ofthat
organization. that il was too much a
party of cXpcdicntS AMI proyidences-
always waiting for something To turn
mp. II hal no sniff lent unity AMI
pcrsistency. and la.kci prevailing
faith. It's questions were OF measures
rather than principles. Ii was more
disposed TO be controlled hy circum-
stances than to make itself the mas
ter of circumStan ,cs; AMI so with all
itS intelligence anil worth. it enjoyed
no great triumphs. In lsi0 and 1913
it resolved itself into an opposition
party: and though it gained famous
victorics." it gained neither strength
nor power. Divided in its c,unscls.
the Democratic party rulcl. in fact.
with the exception OF a blief period,
tho Administration which is inaegu-
rate !.
In 1885. the s!avs power. acting
through the Democratic party demand
cl the abrogation of the Missouri
compromise, by which Slavery had
been excluded from all that pant OF the
Louisiana purchase lying north of 81
'lcg. 80 minutes; AMI that party. being
in power, OF course granite It's request.
\ large majority of the people of the
free States resisted this demand. not
merely that it involved violation o.
plghtcd faith. but also for the reason
that the prohibition sought to he re-
moved was within the constitutional
power Of Congress, AMI wise and
Just exercise thereof. The Democratic
party North attempted to Justify the
Nebraska bill upon the ground that it
was necessary to practical rccogai-
tion by the Government of what was
called popular sovereignty. This was
false AMI dclusivc pretcxt. for the
reasons that there was no real popular
sovereignty in the bill. AMI that the
great majority Of those who supported
it denied that there could lac any such
thing in the Territory. The questions
raised by this measure were discussed
before the country with uncommon
ability and thoroughncss. and lis YER
diet has been rendered against the
Douglas -Cass doctrines of Territorial
sovereignty. The general power OF
Congress over the Territories is scare
~ denied anywhere to-day. The Drcl
Scott opinion aflirms it, but maintains
that it is limited AMI restrained in the
single ease of Slavery bv the Federal
Constitution, 10y virtue OF which that
system Is guaranteed and protected III
the Territories Of the United States
This now the received doctrine OF
the Slave Democracy. The Supreme
Court Of the United States had, IN
previous decisions, declared that
) the power Of Congress was plcn-
: AIRY ani unlimited; AMI such had been
the construction by all departments o.
the Government, by all statement an
lawyers, down TO ls47 or 1913, when
!, the dogma OF squattcr or popualar SOW
crcignty was fished up by General
Cass. in his pursuit under diiIicullie,
Of a Presidential nomination. AMI il
is not unworthy of remark. that all th,
= politicians who have undertaken Il
engineer this hcreSy-CaSs. Doulas,
and the lc,t-havc been "hoist witt
their own patarl," AMI their broken
remains are scattered over all quarters
: Of the country: their bones, if ! NAV
borrow an expression not unfamiliar
in this House. arc "now bleaching
; on the sea side anl the lake shore. on
mountain and prairie. from Main, =
5 Kansas-to which will respectful,
add. long may they bleach Laugh,
, ter. There are not now 50 many mer
! in this country as would iill an Omnibus
whc deny the authority Of Congress- Il
: legiSlatc for the Territories. subject. o
n course, TO the Constitution Of the Uni
+ ted States; AMI the Republicans main
= tain that there is nothing in that in
o strumcnt tn forbid legislation upon III.
question of Slavery. They have eve
! denounced the squatter sovcrcignt,
4 doctrine as hercsy and a swinile. an'
!. upon grounds the most stable AMI sat
il isfactory.
: The Republican theory. and un
V derstand it, L.. that the Constitution
Il has vested ia Congress original an
4. plcnary power over the Tcrritorie-
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