The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-09-07
senntOr Douglas on Popular
Sovereignty.

l sovereignty.
In a very able, logical and, we think. in
controvertible article in Harper's MsgaEine
for September, Senator Dougl.s gives BIZ
views on "The Dividing Line between Fed
eral and Local Authority" The article fur.
nishes complete vindication Of the doctrine
Of"PoPular Sovereignty in the Territories, .
and reply to his Arguments, deduced from
unquestionable historlca fscts, will probably
only be attempted BY some of the ablest o.
those statesmen and politicians who oppose
ais views.
AS the article is copyrighted, we cannot
Of course, publish it until that restriction ia
removed; but we make an extract from On
editorial in the Pittsburg Post, paper which
has steadily adhered to the support Of the
National Administration, from which our
readers may obtain some idea of the power
and merits Of the production
Mr.. Douglas is a successful politician
gentleman OF talent, tact, and education.
Although he has chosen an unusual medium
to lay his pen.work before his fellow coun.
trymen. he has adopted a theme which he
thoroughly understands and discusses most
ably. His speeches upon the theme Of popu.
lar sovereignty, have eloquenty re.echoed
from the galleries of the Senate Chamber,
and through the columns OF the news papers,
been sent broadcast into every hamlet in the
land nd,-enlightening and convincing the peo.
pie, and raising monument OF fame 20 their
gifted author 10 the hearts of his country.
men. He now gives US an elaborate and
carefully prepared essay upon q kindred sub.
ject. In this his first literary effort, he does
not abandon his political proclivities.
He sdys that it is the duty OF on American
statesman, under our complex system Of gov.
ernment, to distinctly mark the dividing line
between the authorities of the federal and
local governments. In relation TO the gov.
erDment of our territories, the question sris-
es prominently at the present time. The
Republican purity asserts that the Constitu.
ton confers the rght-the supreme right
of legislation over the territories of the Un-
ion upon the Federal Congress The Dem
ocratic party deny this assertion, but are
somewhat divided in opinion.
These differences of opinion arise, accord.
ing to Mr.. Douglas, from the different inter.
pretations placed upon the Constitution BY
persons who belong to one OF the following
classes
"FirSt-Those who believe that the Con.
stitution of the United States neither estab.
fishes NOT prohibits slavery in the States or
Territories beyond the power Of the people
legally to control it, but 'lenves the people
thereof perfectly free to form and regulate
their domestic institutions in their own way,
subject only TO the Constitution Of the Uni. |
ted States.'"
Second-Those who believe that the Con.
stitution establishes slavery in the Terrific.
ries, and withholds from Congress and the i,
Territorial Legislature the power 10 control
II ; and who insist that,in the event the Ter.
ritorial Legislature fails to enact the requ-
site laws for its protection, it becomes the !!
imperative duty of Congress to iDterpose
its authority and furnish such protection"
"Third-Those who, while protesting to
believe that the Constitution establishes sa. /
very in the Territories beyond the power of
Congress or the Territorial Congress to con.
troll it, nt the same time protest against the
duty OF Congress to interfere for its protec.
tion /; but insist that it is the duty of the Ja-
dietary to protect and ma antain slavery in the
Territories without any law upon the sub
ject."
Mr.. Douglas, as is we'll known, adheres
to and advocated the first of these opinions.
He remarks
"It is difficult to conceive how any person
who believes that the Constitution confers
the right OF protection in the enjoyment of
slave property in the Territories, regard less
OF the wishes OF the people and of the action
Of the Territorial Legislature, can satisfy bis
conscience and bis oath OF fidelity to the Con.
stitution in Withholding such Congressional
legislation as may be essential to the enjoy.
ment of such right under the Constitution.
Under this view OF the subject it is mpossi.
BILE to resist the conclusion that, if the Con.
does establish slavery in the Terri,
tories beyond the power of the people to con.
troll it by law, it 10 the imperative duty of
Congress to supply all the legislation neces.
sary to it's protection and if this protection
is not true, it necessarily results that the
Constitution neither establishes nor prohib.
its slavery anywhere, but leaves the people
Of each State and Territory entirely free to
form and regulate their domestic affairs to
suit themselves, without the intervention of
Congress or any other power whatsoever"
In closely reasoned, elaborate and mi.
mute history of our Federal Government in
relation to its State and Territorial organic
tione, Mr.. Douglas demonstrates his own po-
sition, and surrounds it with an array of most
facts. He displays q most ad.
mirable knowledge Of the political history OF
his country, reasons most powerfully, and
1raws his conclusions most satisfactorily
The essay is keen and vigorous defence Of
he great Democratic doctrine of popular
sovereignty, and results in a main conclusion
hat "every distinct political community,
oyal to the Constitution and the Union, is
entitled to all the rights, privileges and i'm.
of self.government in respect TO
heir local concerns and internal policy, sub
ect only to the Constitution of the United
States."