The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1859-09-23

quotes the Presidents message, and begins IN
the middle OF a sentence. He processes to give
the very words, and makes Mr.. Buchanan say :;
"That slavery exists in Kansas by virtue OF the
Constitution of the United States" What Mr..
Buchanan did say was a different thing. 1t
was this, s'It has been solemnly adlndged by
the highest iudicialtr tribunal known TO our laws,
that slavery exists in Kansas by virtue OF the
Constitution OF the United States" Everybody
knows lbat.by treating the Bible in that way,
YOU can prove the non-existence of God.
The argumenfum al hominem is not fair, an
we do not mean 10 use it. Mr.. Douglas has
right to change hls opinions whenever he peases.
But we quote him as we would any other au-
thority equally high in favor Of truth. We
can prove by himself :hat every proposition he
lays down in Harpers' Magazine is founded IN
error. Never before has any public man in A
merica so completely revoutIonlzed hls polItI-
cal opinions in the course OF eighteen months.
We do not deny that the change Is heartfelt and
conscientious. We only insist that he formerly
stated his propositions much more clearly, and
sustained them with far greater ability and bet
ter reason, than he does now.
When he took tour TO the South, at the be-
ginning of last winter, he made speech at
New Orleans, IN which he announced TO the
people there that he and his friends in Illinois
accepted the Dred Scott decision, regarded
slaUes as property and fully admitted the right
of Southern man to 60 into any Federal ter
ritory with his slave, and to hold him there as
other property Is held.
In 1S49 he voted in the Senate for what was
called Walkers amendment, by which it was
proposed TO put all the internal affairs Of Cal
ifornia and New Mexico under the domination
of the President, giving him almost unlimited
power, legislative, judicial, and executive, over
the internal affairs of those Territories. tSee
Goth Cong, p. y Undoubtedly this was
strange way of treating sovereignties. II Mr..
Douglas is right now, he was guilty then OF
most atrocious usurpation.
Utah is as much a sovereign State as any
other Territory, and as perfectly entitled to en-
Joy the right of self-government. On the 18th
of June, 1857, Mr.. Douglas made speech about
Utah, at Springfield, Illinois, in which he ex-
pressed hIs opinion strongly IN favor OF the ab-
solute and unconditional repeal OF the organic
act, blotting the Territorial government out OF
existence, and putting the people under the
sole and exclusive Jurisdiction the United
States, like fort, arsenal, dock-yaTd, or maga-
zine. He does not seem to have had the least
idea then that he was proposing to extinguls b
sovereignty, or to tramPle upon the sacred
rights Of an independent people.
The report which be made to the Senate, IN
1856, on the Topeka constitution, enunciates a
very different doctrine from that Of the mag
azIne article. 1t is true that the language is a
little cloudy, but no one can understand the
following sentences to signify that the Terrlto-
rial governments have sovereign power to take
away the property of the inhabitants:
fsThe sovereignty OF Territory remains in a5ey- |
ancs, suspended in the United States in trust for the
people until they shall be admitted into the Union
as a State. In the mean time they admitted to |
enjoy and exercise all the rights and privileges of
sef-government, in subordnation TO the Constitu-
ton OF the United States, and in THE
ms f1S Law passed BY c0ngr@sss @ y &s
ytosivea cU'.s---':~n, through the act OF
lection TO alf the Limitations and restrictions winch
that Constitution imposes"
The letter he addressed to a. Philadelphia |
meeting, in February, 1888, is more explicit, |
and, barring some anomalous ideas concerning
the abeyaRCe Of the power and the SUSPENSION |
of it an trust, it is clear enough:
etUnder our Territorial system, it requires sover-
eiqn mower to ordain and establish constitutions |
and governments. While Territory may and |
should enjoy all the rights of self-government IN |
obedience TO its organic law, It Is not sovereign
power. The sovereignty of Territory remains in !
allowance, suspended in the United States, in trust
for the people when they become State, and cannot
be withdrawn IRON the hands of the trustee and
vested in the people Of Territory without the con-
sent of Congress" /
The report which he made in the same month
from the Senate Committee on Territories, Is |
equally distinct, and rather more emphatic a
gainSt his new doctrine
ssThfs committee IN their reports have always
held that Territory is not sovereign power; that
the sovereignty of Territory is in abeyance, sus-
pended in The United States, IN trust for the people
when they become a State that the United States,
as trustees cannot be dvested of the sovereignty,
nor the Territory be invested with the right TO as
sumo and exercise it, without the consent OF Con-
gress. If the proposition be true that sovereign pow
er alone institute governments, and that the
sovereignty of Territory is in allegiance, suspen-
ded in the United States, in trust for the people
when they become State, and that the sovereignty
cannot be divested from the hands OF the trustee
without the assent of Congress, it follows, an
inevitable consequence, that The Kansas Legislature
did not and could not confer upon the Lecompton
convention the sovereign power OF or dainlng
constitution for the people Kansas, IN place of the
organic act passed by Congress-"
The days are past and gone when Mr.. Douglas
led the fiery assaults OF the opposition in the
Lecompton controversy. Then it was his OBJ
ject to prove that Territorial Legislature, so
far from being omnipotent, was powerIeSs even
to authorize an election Of delegates TO consid-
er about their own affairs. II was asserted that
a convention chosen under Territorial law
could make and ordain no constitution which
would be legally binding. Then Territorial
government was TO be despsed and spit upon,
even when it invited the people to come forward
and vote on question of the most vital lmpor
tance to their own interests. But now all things
have become new The Lecompton dispute
has ''gone glmmerng down the dream otthings
that were," and Mr.. Douglas produces another