The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-01
Mr.. DOUGLASS POSITION AND ARGU-
MENT.

|
Mr.. Douglas follows up his statement of the
issues between the Democratic and Republican
parties. and between the different wings of tn,
Democracy, which we have presented in anothe;,
column, by an elaborate argument which We
propose to review. But before doing so, we
wish to mark more distinctly the issue he
makes with the Republicans. We allow him
to state the case in his own language. He
says:
"The political organization which was form
/ ed in 1854, and has assumed the name of the
| Republican party, is based on the theory tha,
| African Slavery, as it exists in this country,
an evil of such magnitude-social, moral, anG
politicians to Justify and require the exertioe
of the entire power and influence of the Fedora
| Government to the full extent that the Censtlr
tuition, according to their Interpretation, Wli-.
permit for its ultimate extinction. In the plat
/ form of principles adopted at Philadelphia BY
/ the Republican National Convention in 1856, L
/ is affirmed
That the Constitution confers upon Con
gress sovereign power over the Territories o
the United States for their government, and
that in the exercise of this power 1t is both the
right and the duty of Congress to prohibit II
| the Territories those twin relics of barbarismy
Polygamy, and Slavery
| The most careless reader cannot fail to see
that the statement of the Republican position
made by Mr. Douglas is not sustained by this
quotation from the platform of the party. The
statement is, that the party is pledged to WELD
all the powers conferred by the Constitution for
the ultimate extinction of Slavery. The proof
adduced only goes to show that the party is
pledged to prohibit Slavery in the Territories
two things which, if not foreign, or inconsistent
with each other, are by no means identical.
But Mr.. Douglas undertakes to make out his
case by quoting from Mr.. Stewards Rochester
speech the passage in which he says that the
conflict between Freedom and Slavery " is ire
pressible" and that the result d Il viii be, "tha
the United States must and will, sooner or later,
become either entirely slaveholding nation or
entirely free-labor nation" Mr.. Douglas as
sumes without scruple, that this passage in a
stump speech Of Republican Senator is a,
principal feature in the Republican platform :
and he quotes a similar thought from stump
speech made during the Illinois campaign by.
his opponent, Mr.. Lincoln, in confederation OF.
the assertion. Such statement of the issue is
utterly unworthy the candor and moderation
which Mr. Douglas affects Throughout the arti-
Gle. We assent entirely to the truth of the pas
sages quoted from Messrs. Seward and Lincoln.
They are not declarations of what the Republi-
can party viii do nor of what those gentlemen
would do, if invested with the Presidential Of
fee; but they are philosophical statements of
a necessary and irrepressible antagonism be-
tween opposite social systems. I" 1t is an ire.
pressible conflict" says Mr.. Seward. ain mys
opinion, the Slavery agitation will not cease
until" &c. says Mr.. Lincoln These initial :
phrases of themselves lay bare the unfairness
of Mr.. Douglass tatement even as it regards
the position of the two gentlemen but that the
whole Republican party shall be held response
bic for what any leading member of it may ut
ter, is proposition too absurd to deserve criti-
cism.
Doubtless, large portion of the Republican {
party would not object to the position assigned ,
to it by Mr. Douglas. We do not. We think ,
that the Federal Government should encourage
a spirit of emancipation in the States, by
means not in violation of State rights, at the 1
same time that it prohibits the extension of
Slavery. If Mr.. Douglas had stated the posi- |
ton actually assumed by the party, and then I
proceeded to argue that this result would follow
we sh0ald have found no fault with his present..
alton of the issue. But he begins with the |
declaration that the creed of the party is what
some of the foremost men in its ranks would |
have it.
If the Democratic party were held to such |
standards of criticism, Mr. Douglas would in
vain undertake its vindcation. He would be |
compelled by his own rule to admit that the /
duty of repeating the laws which prohibit the |
slave trade, and of establishing a slave code for
the Territories, are among the fundamental |
principles of the Democratic party, because |
leading men of the party-men whose positions
are not inferior to his own-are the unhinching /
advocates of them. His Northern friends would, |
in like manner, have to subscribe to the decla-
ration which he laid down in his New Orleans +
speech, viz that the Almighty has established |
a line of demarkation, on the south side of |
which Negro Slavery must be perpetual. In |
deed, there would be no end to the contradictory
creeds of the Democratic party, if the individ- +
nal opinions Of distinguished leaders are to be |
set down as the settled policy of the organiza-
ton.
The whole argument of Mr.. Douglas is d. |
rected against the creed of the Republican |
party, and he attempts to show, without reserva-
ton, that the right of the people of Territory
to form their own institutions is absolute. He |
therefore denies the right Of Congress to prohibit
Potygdmy as lceH as Sldrery. He leaves no
flaw in his statement of his position, through
which he can escape from this consequence. |
De stands pledged before the country to admit |
Utah into the Union as State, with the institu |
ton of Polygamy firmly riveted upon it
Should Mr.. Douglas be elected President. he
will be bound by his solemn and oft-repeated
pledges to throw no obstacle in the way of the
Poygamous MormOns. His policy of strict
nonintervention will forbid that he should even
attempt by the exercise of Federal patronage,
to discourage the pestilent and vicious system
but, on the contrary, he is bound to welcome
Brigham Young and Heber Kimball with omen
arms to-Washington, as Omitted States Senators.
with an escort of dozen wives each. We draw
no fancy sketch. We have strained notb;no
but have fairly stated the position of Mr..
Douglas Americans Christian women and
men, can political theory be true which over
throws Christian civilization, and establishes
the most corrupt and debasing customs of hea-
then lands on its ruins Forbid it, Heaven