The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1859-10-29
Judge Blacks Review of Douglns' Harper
Magazine Manifesto Continued.

which the people Of the whole South are more
vitality interested, and q subject too, which
viii form q leading ard prominent element in
the next presidential canvass.
Judge Black next arraigns Mr.. Douglas Oh
the point that the country had a right to ex-
pect Gomthim a clear and ineligible definition
of his own doctrine. Judge Black assures us
that in this expectation we are disappointed.
1t is hardly possible to conceive anything more
difficult to comprehend. We will transcribe
it again, and do what we can TO analyze it
Those who believe that the Constitution
of the United States neither establishes nor
prohibits slavery in the States or Territories
beyond the power Of the people legally to con-
troll 1t, but I" leaves the people thereof perfect
" Tree to form and regulate their domestic
institutions in their own way. subject only to
the Constitution of the United States"
The ;;Constitution Of the United States nei-
Their establishes nor prohibits slavery tn the
States or Territories. If it be meant by this
that the Constitution does not, p,oprio vigore,
either emancipate any mans slave or create
the condition Of slavery and impose it on free
negroes, but leaves the question Of every black
mans stdtus, in the Terriries as well as in the
States, to be determined by the local law, then
We admit it, for it is the very same PROPOSE
ton which We have been trying to prove. But,
if on the contrary, It is to be understood as
an assertion that the Constitution does not
permit q master to keep his slave, or q free
negro to have his liberty, in all parts Of the
Union where the local law does not interfere
to prevent it, then the error is not only a very
grave one, but it is also absurd and selfcop-
Trajectory.
/" The Constitution neither establishes mon
prohibits sarery in tie States OF Territories be
yond the pcarer Of the people legally to con.
troll it,.
This is sailing to lPoint-No Point again
Pr course 9 subject which is legally con.
trolled can not be beyond the power that con.
trolls it. But the question is, what constitutes
legal control, and wheu the people Of d State
or II Territory are in a condition to exercise it,
The Constitution Of the United States I \
Z leaves the people perfectly free, = n
and subject only to the Constitution Of he
United States. This carries US round a full
circle, and drops us precisely at the place Of
beginning. That the Constitution leaves every
body subject to the Constitution is most true.
We are far from denying it. We never
heard II doubled, aud expect we never will.
But the statement :ef ii proves nothing, de.
fines nothing, and explains nothing. 1t merely
darkens the subject, as words without meaning
Always do. But Notwithstanding all this cir.
Guilty Of expression and consequent opaqueness
of meaning in the magazine article of Mr..
Douglas, we think we can gness what his
opinions are, or will be, when he comes 10
reconsider the subject. He will admit lat
least be will not undertake to deny) that the
status Of a negro, whether Of servitude Or free.
dom, accompanies him wherever he goes, and
adheres to him in every part Of the Union, un.
til he meets some local law which changes it.
1t will be also agreed that the people of a
State, through their Legislature, and the peo-
pie Of a Territory, in the Constitution which
they may frame preparatory to their admission
as a State can regulate and control the condi.
ton Of the subject black race within their
respective Jurisdictions, as to make then bond
or free.
We have now arrived at the point at which
opinions diverge. Some contend that no citi-
zen can be deprived Of his property in slaves,
Or jn any thing else, except BY the provisions
Of q State constitution, or by the acts Of a
State Legislature while others contend that
unlimited control over private right may be
exercised BY q Territorial Legislature as soon
as the earliest settlements are maze This
latter opinion is the one SO stfN8fhIgly main.
tanned by Senator Douglas, and we venture to
give the following reasons to prove that he is
||4ih error.
The Supreme Court has decided that a Ter.
%ritorial Legislature has not the power which
he claims for it. That alone ought to be suti-
Gent. The right Of property is sacred, and
the drst object Of al human government is to
make it secure. Slaves are regarded as proper.
ty in the Southern States. The %jarists, legis.
'ators, and people Of the Northern States,
have always respected the right Of property in
slaves held by their own citizens within their
own jurisdiction. In every nation under
heaven, civilized, semi-barbarous, or savage,
where slavery has existed in any form analo.
gous to ours, the rights Of their masters to
the control Of their slaves as property has
been respected aud on no occasion has any
government struck ut those rights.
Here then is a species Of property which is
Of transcendent Importance 10 the material
interests Of the South-which the people Of
that region think it right and meritorions in
the eyss>of God and good men to hold-which
is sanctioned by the general sense Of all man.
kind among whom it has existed-which was
legal only q short time ago in all the States Of
the Union, and was then treated as sacred by
every one Of them-whlch is guaranteed TO the
owners as much as any other property is
guaranteed by by the Constitution /; and Mr..
Douglas thinks that q territorial legislature is
competent to take it away. We say, No; the
Supreme legislative power Of a sovereign State
alone eau deprive a man Of his property.
We will conclude ,Judpe Racks arr,n,eptc