Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1859-10-29

5 PIE legally to control it. This is sailin:
TO PoInt-No-Point again Of course
subject which is legally controlled Cal
not be beyond the power that controls
It. But the question is, what CONSTITUTES
legal control, and when the people of
State or Territory are in a condition t,
= exercise it.
he Constitution of the United State!
=. leaves the people perfectly free
y and subject only to the Constitu
, ton OF the United States. This carrie:
us round full circle, and drops Us pre-
c1sel at the place Of beginning. THAI
+ the Constitution leaves everybody sub
! .Iect to the Constitution is most true
we are tar from denying it. We neve,
heard It doubted, and expect we never
Will. But the statement of it proves
nothing, defines nothing, and explains
nothing. 1t merely darkens the subject
as words without meaning always do.
But notwithstanding all this circuit1
OF expression and consequent opaque
ness OF meaning in the magazine article
OF Mr. Douglas, we think we can guess
what his opinions are or will be when
he comes to reconsider the subject. Ue
will admit lat least he will not under
take to deny that the status of negro
whether Of servitude or freedom. accom-,
panles him wherever he goes, and adj
heres to him in every part of the Union
until he meets some local law which
changes it.
| 1t will also be agreed that the people
Of a State, through their Legislature,
and the people off Territory, in the Con-
st'tntlon which they may frame prepara-
tory to their admission as a State can
regulate and control the condition of the
subject black race within their respec
tive Jurisdictions, so as to make them
| bond or free
But we here come to the point at which
opinions diverge. Some insist that no
citizen can be deprived of his property
IN slaves, or in anything else, except by
the provisions of a State constitution or
oy the act OF State Legislature while
others contend that an unlimited CON
troll over private rights may be exer-
cised by Territorial Legislature as
soon as the earliest settlements are
made
80 strong are the sentiments of Mr.
Douglas in favor of the latter doctrine
that if it be not established he threatens
us with Mr.. Stewards irrepressible
conflict" which shall end only with the
universal abolition or the universal do
mlnion Of slavery. On the other hand !
the President, the Judges of the Supreme
Court, near y all the Democratic mem
bers of Congress, the whole of the par
ty South, and a very large majority
North, are penetrated with conviction
that no such power is vested in a terri
torlal Legislature, and that those who de-
sire to confiscate private property of
any kind must wait until they get a
convention or the machin-
cry OF State government into their
hands. We venture to give the follow
ing reasons for believing that Mir.
Douglas is in error:
The Supreme Court has decided that ;
a Territorial Legislature has not the pow +,
er which he claims for it. That alone
ought to be sufficient. There can be no
aw, order, or security for any mans
tights unless the Judicial authority of
;hc country be upheld Mr.. Douglas
nay do what he pIeases with political
conventions and party platforms, but we
rust he will give to the Supreme Court .
It least that decent respect which none ,
'nt the most ultra Republicans have yet !
;
The right of property is sacred, and I
ne first object of all human government I
5 to make it secure. Life is always un- d
afe where property is not fully protec- S
ed. This is the experience of every /
eople on earth, ancient and modern. t
o secure private property was q prin- I
ipal object of Magaa CAorto. Charles
afterwards attempted to violate it, t
ut the people rose upon him, dragged a
i'm to the block, and severed his head o
ON his body. At a still later period Y
mother monarch for kindred offence o
as driven out of the country, and died t.
fugitive and outcast. Our own reyo- F
Ition was provoked by that slight in h
asion upon the right Of property which Il
insisted in the exaction of a triiinp s.
x. There is no government in the tt
orld, however absolute, which would Il
1t be disgraced and endangered by "
antonly sacrificing private property v
zen to small extent For centuries N
ast such outrages have ceased to be II
IN times of peace among civil
sed nations. d,
Slaves are regarded as property in fr
G southern States. The people of that e,
ction buy and sell, and carry on all a,
cir business, provide for their families, Ell
I'd make their wills and divide their ri
heritances on that assumption It is dl
anifest to all who knaK them that no te