The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-03-22
Niger sovereignty VS.. squatter SOW
cRo1gnty.

SsO3Ny
In order to give our readers clear view
Of the present position of the Democracy Of
the nation upon the much mooted question Of
popular sovereignty, We clip copious extracts
from the discussion which came Of in the
Senate Of the United States q month ago.
Senator Brown, of Mississippi, said:
What he claimed, and what Southern
statesmen claimed, was adequate protection
for their slave property in the Territories
protection suited to the species of property to
be protected. The constitution never gave
them rights and then denied them means to
protect and defend those rights. The deci-
sion OF the Supreme Court was therefore vir-
tually that they had a right to call upon some
body for the protection Of their slaves in the
Territories. Upon whom should they call ?
Under the doctrine Of non-intervention they
must FIRST call upon the Territorial Legisla-
ture, and il that refused adequate protection
they must come to Congress. The Terrific
rial Legislature was the creature Of Con-
gress, and he would say to Congress that it's
creature had denied him rights that the Con.
stitution guaranteed him; he therefore ap-
piled to the master for that protection which
the creature denied. He wished to know, in
view of the coming contest, what the response
of Congress was going to be. Suppose the
commercial marine of the North was not pro-
tected by law, would not Northern statesmen
appeal to the Constitution and its guaran-
tees? Yet If the South came here with q bill
asking for protection for slave property in the
Territories, the party Of the North would take
the opposite ground, and seek to abolish
slavery in the Territories He would not be
content to take less protection for slave prop.
erty, than was accorded to the commercial
marine Of the North. The threat that il they
asked FOR protection for slave property, the
North would seek to pass abolition laws
passed him as the idle wind. 1t was an ap.
peal to the fears Of the South. lie gave ths
Senate warning, that if the Legislature oil
Kansas undertook to abolish slavery, the
people OF his State, and large portion oil
The South, would come to Congress demand.
ing protection. They demanded in.tice ert
equal rights. This, he repeated, was an d 0
meut which must enter into the next presi
Dental contest, and it was right that the,
should know where they stood. He dissent
ed from the position OF the Senator from Iii
nois, (Mr. Douglas), that the Territories hav
the right to exclude slavery. That was car
rying the doctrine of non-interventioa to
far. The constitution, unaided by legisla
ton, gave them only the right TO protection
but it did not give them protection itself
that must be accorded by Congress.
The remedy Of the South against unfayor
able legislation on the part OF Territor
was by an appeal to Congress. He under
stood the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Doug
las) that when they made that appeal, az the
certainly would, he would not respond to Il
He wanted to know whether other Senator
would tAks the same ground. They woul
demand positive action from Congress. Ii
understood the doctrine Of Intervention to b
that Congress Was not TO intervene again.
them. but he never understood that Congress
could not intervene IN their favor. lie wa