, 1859-08-30
prcaa l. Grihu,tt.
SIGN OF THE TIMES.

i SIGN 0F THE 1Ka4A&~
V-c stated u our drs, notice Of Dosaglaa' es'
sav> tbat the portions Of it which would most
excite the enthusiasm Of his adhereuts IN the
free S.4,es, were thosc that Appropriated near
est in sentiment to Repuulicanlsm- An illus.
xratlou q! the remark may he found in hta com
neuss upon tue construction given By tbe De-
xnosratic party to the Dred Scott decision, by
which: The Obligation .! Congress to adopt a
Slave code ior The protection Of Slave property
in the Territories, is deauccd- He meets this
doctri:sc hy The declaration, that the Constitu-
ton d,ps not guarantee slavery in the Terrific
ries aud tha, Us thu right is not given to take
sl4ves ullo hcnlt the supposed decision Of the
Supreme Cour, l,y which the existence Of such
right is rrcogu;zed, must mean something
else. Notwithstanding the whole country has
so understood it: notwithstanding it has been
asserted thousands u times in Congress and
Out Of Cougrcss-!a tic Messages O! the Prcsl~
dent Of the Eui1ed States-lu almost every va
riery @. official docunent-in Democratic plat
forms-iu the entire newspaper press Of the
county ;ad il books which have been written
c1prcss1y 1:,ru that construction OF the decs-
ion-by Judge Douglas himself III lis speeches
in the Senate and on the stump, lie having an
nouuc.d III advance that il was subject which
thu, tribunal nlote could determine, and subsc-
uuen1ly having oppressed his acquiesceoce and
approval u? i,-slill be NOW holds that
the cou1, could not have 80 decided, aud for
the reason that the Constitution would not var
rant it. Thousands Of times Nr. Douglas has
been asked whether or hot the people Of Kan
sas, through their legislature, had tue power
under the Constitution to exclude slavery dur
ing their Territorial condition; and in every
instance his reply vas. THAI is a judicial
question 7rAicA tie Supreme Court alone can
decide. Well. tie Supreme Court LAS decided
it, aud now he saya II was not question for
i, 10 decde-that the ConEtitution clearly and
Enthusiastically recognizes slavery only where it
exists hy virtue local law
Here IS Il complete shifting Of ground-an
abandonment, Of modern Democratic platforms
publican doctrine il its stead; and We venture
to say, that uo part of DuaSlas' essay will be
more heartily endorsed and eulogiscd By his
adhctcuts than this.
Again, j, will be remembered that through
out ,!.- CANVASS between Lincoln and Douglas,
the former constantly argued that if the Con
etitutiun guarantees slavery in the Territories,
it also guarantees it in tie States; mud that
Congress, willie passing slave code for its
protection in the Territories, would also be
compelled 10 pass q slave code for its protcc-
ton i'll the free Suites. Douglas invariably
met ,u:s urcumeut with q sncer, eyading any
direct argument in reply: but in his essay he
follows precisely the sa:uc line Of argument
that Ar. Lincoln did M tic stump in 1858. In
this rcspcc; le not only takes Republican
grounds, bu, Ec shows himself to be an out and
out L,na4a suun; and We arc also sure that
this change Of position, on the part Of Douglas,
il hailed with ur3ninglvd delight by his I'D
hercuts,
In the Joucsboro debate. Lincoln showed
that Is Douglas Lad accepted the Dred Scott
decision as u correct and authoritative expo
eition uf the federal Constitution, he must
either vote II. SLAVE c5lc or prove false to
llis cath toruW'olt tie Constitution. Douglas
reply WIS, That TIC decision bound Lincoln
quite rs much as Il l.oand hlmsclf-that tue
fact that Lincoln 1.pu.liated it and tlat he
DouyEssl iudo!setl it n.adc no difference as to
its binding character upon them in any vote
they might l-c called uIcn TO give under it in
Congress. Now however, Douglas, Like Lin.
oon. rcpu'l;ates tile decision. or rather lie
claims that no surl' decision could possibly
have been nlaIt and 20 he 1cels himself free ia
vote, Just a. Lu4culn wna.u were hc in the Sen
ate, aeait,st slave eide Gor the Territories
Here Douglas is u Republican ground again
an oa& mud on, Li1tou man: aud Lis adhe
rrnts are enthusiastic ovrr the change iu lii
position. When even Douglas is driven By
the pressure Il plplit op;:l!on to adopt cardi
nal Republican principles, what should ne no
bs prepared to expect? If he continues Il
progress as lie has done >incc lis tanyass will
Liucoln, wucE nc1t lie stumps the state NJ
shall expect Lin 10 use Lrcoln's speeches in
slca1 0: repeating his owo.