The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-06-18
Democratic Progress.

However uupolalablc Il may be 20 some Of
duT E6TtuJf0 dfmoculs II n a ruth which
will ultimately force itself upon their altcn-
ton. that the anuihrrH- democracy ave tuiill-
ing with great unanimity upon that pai,icu-
lar southern Interpretation Of tho decision In
the bred Scott case, 10 clearly Swallowed
forth 10 the great debate In the Senate, o.
we heretofore explained Ia leader la refer.
cucc 10 the schism among the democracy.
II is due 10 truth also TO say that the in.
depreciation alluded 10 Is by mo- means con
fined TO the southern Democracy Tho OPP.
position, then, under whatever name, vhig,
Amcric u, or independent, are infected to O
considerable extent with 4ho same hcrcsyi
so that It is not entirely party ,est but
pro.slaycry one,
Tho doctrine ia simply this that, ns Judge
fancy decides that slaves when held by thc
local laws OF any OF the states, To be property
within those states, are still property in the
somc scusc, 10y form Of the constitution cf
the United states whom carried hy their
owners into territory. and no pawer cAiats
within the territory, or IN Congress. 90 NULL.
N or destroy such property, As necessary
consequence Of this theory, slavery may bc
introduced into aEy Of our territories, aud
pcrpctu1tod there, in opposition to the wish.
rE Of uiuCtyniuC hundrcdlhs OF the inhabi.
nots, with no power on earth to prevent Il.
When We say papctuated, We mean, Of course,
10 speak of the territory as territory
When Il emergcs from that condition into n
state, it is admitted that the people may, by
their organic Law, exclude slavery altogether
If they think proper.
Rat..in thh neaatinie, hos a. tas s4rRsr Of
other mems souls and bodies TO enjoy the
same absolute unmitgated dcspotism over
his human ohattcls he has been accustomed
to enjoy in Virginia or the Caroinasp Can
he drive them, male and female, through his
swamps and fields, in a state Of haltnudty,
under the crack Of the ovcrscers lash, from
early morn till night, with no better food
than corn meal bread, or rice and engross to
himself to pampcr his luxury, the hard earn
irgs Of these poor dark.skinncd men and wo-
men, without compensation II no in a ft
OF rage or lust should outrage the persons Of
either sex, IN he to shroud himself from de-
served punishment, on the plea that neither
slaves nor free Africans can testify against
him Can he sell the labor Of his slaves TO
his noighbors, and enforce the contract re-
pudiating any payment made to the slave
II a slave runs away can he organize party
of men and dogs--with guns ard pistols
raise hue and ery-track him through the
wilderness, and shoot him down If he refuses
20 surrender, and all without being called to
any nrcouut7 Can he forbid any communi-
cation with his negroes, any instruction, re-
igious or EDUCATIONAL, on the part Of bcnevo.
lent white indy ,duals, either males or fe-
males Should n neighbor, not a slave own
ner, happen to speak di,.paragingly of such
a condition of thngs,--nnd above all, should
he advise and aid the unhappy Gondsman to
recover that liberty with which Coz made
him free, is such intermeddling neighbor to
be arraigned and condemned to pay a heavy
fine, and then compelled TO work on the high
ways for years with ball and chain attached
10 himP These are some Of the consequences
which follow state Of seryitude every whore,
and the slave driving Democracy are not so
blind as not to ste that thoy cannot exist,
without positive enactment In territory
whose inhabitants are opposed TO slavery and
all its ills, they Of course expect no such local
legislation. What then is the remedy p
How is the bred Scott doctrine to be made
available? How can the slave owners vaunt-
ed property be possessed and enjoyed in full
dominion, not as barren abstraction, but as
a living, practicable rightP The answer is
obvious, II can be done only by positive
legislation on the part Of Congress, and this
say southern senators and the southern press,
it is the bounden duty Of Congress to supply.
No matter IL this does interfere with the
principles put forth by the Cincinnati plat.
foru, to tho effect that Congress has no pow
Of 10 intervene in any way on the subject Of !