The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-12-02
Personal and Political.
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM UPON THE CUES
TION OF SLAVERY IN THE TERRITORIES.

THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM UPON THE CUES
TION OF SLAVERY IN THE TERRITORIES.
The people of Territory, like those of a
State, shall decide for themselve whether
slavery shall or shall not exist within their
limits JAMES BUCHANAN.
The majarity of the people, by the action
of the Territorial Legislature, will decide the
question and all must abide the decision
when made. HOWELL COBB.
The great and leading feature of the Kan
sas- Nebraska bill was to transfer the slavery
question and all other subjects to the Ter
ritorial Legislatures.
JAMES L. ORR, of S. G.
l am willing that the Territorial Legis-
lature may act upon the subject when and
how they may think proper.
ALEX. III. STEPHENS, of Ga.
l am connected with no party that has
for its object the extension of slavery, nor
with any to prevent the people of State
Or Territory from deciding the question of
its existence or nOn-existence with them for
themselves.
JOHN G. BRECKENRIDGE.
The principle of self-government in the
Territories enables us to Danish from the
halls of Congress another fertile source of
discomfort and excitement.
p. BENJAMIN, of La.
Under the Kansas act, citizens from the
slaveholding States may 60 into the Terri
tory with their slave property; citizens
from the free States may 60 there holding
no such property and when they get there,
and meet in common council, as a legisla-
tive body, the may determine whether the
institution shall prevail:
J. M. MASON, of Va.
If the people of the Territories choose to
exclude slavery, so far from considering it
as wrong done to me or my constituents,
| shall not complain of tit is their bust
ness.
GEO. E. BADGER, of N. G.
We intend that the actual settlers in the
Territories shall be protected in the full ex
ercise of all rights as freemen, and shall legis-
late for themselves while they have Terri
torial Government.
R. TooMBs, of Ga.
1t is the right of the people to govern
themselves, and they, and they alone, shall
exercise it, as we'll as while in Territorial
condition as in the position of State.
GEO. w. JONES, of Tenn.
The people of the Territories are ex-
pressly authorized to legislate upon all sub
jects whatsoever, slavery included. They
may either establish or abolish it, at their
pleasure.
j. PETIT, of Ind.
believe that under the provisions of this
(Kansas) bill, and of the Utah and New
Mexico bills, there will be a perfect carte
blanche given to the Territorial Legisla-
lures to legislate as they may think proper.
A. P. BUTLER, of s. G..
The bill kansas and Nebraska) pro,
vides that the Legislatures of these Terri
tories shall have power to legislate over all
rightful subjects of legislation.
R. M. T. HUNTER, of Va.
The citizen of Virginia is as much en-
titled, in the common territory, to the pro-
lection of his property as the citizen Of
Illinois; but both are dependent upon the
legislation of the Territorial Government
for laws to protect their property, of what
ever kind it may be.
VIM. RICHARDSON, of iii.
would leave the people of the Terrific
ries, who are 10 be affected by the institu-
ton of slavery to determine the question
for themselves, in their own way.
S. A. SMITH, of Tenn.
am sincere believer in the doctrine OF
"squatter sovereignty in the fullest,
broadcast, deepest sense, and l support this
(Kansas) bill, because it is return to the