The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1859-10-19

W AAl HEM tAk kl-N AiE4Ak 70 II AllEA
lnAy legislate, and are bound not toconeF pow
cr beyond that which exists in Congress. II
We give them power to legiSlate beyond that
sc commit frand or usurpation, as it may be
done openly, covertly OF Indirectly"
To NH h Sir. Clay replied:
New, Sir, only repeat What l have had
occasion to say before, that while an wiling
10 stand rs &c AMI make no legislative enact
nCnt one way CT the o,heT-to lay OF the Ter.
ritoTics without the " jlmot proviSo. on the one
hand, " It'll which | understand we are threat
,rcd. or without an attempt 10 introduce a
glnu,o !or the introduction Of slavery into he
Territories. While / nm for rejecting both The
one and the other | am content that the law rs
II exists shall prevail; and irtheIc he nny diver
.jty O! opinion rs 10 what II means, ! am will
ug hat 1t shall be settled Ly The highest Judi
e.al authority Of the country. While am cen
tent thus 10 abide the result, | must say that
cannot vo'e or any express provision recogni-
LiHS the night to carry slaves there"
10 which Alr. Davis rejointd, that
les said ur Revolution grew cut Ola Pre-
nn.blc; snd hope we have someth ng Of the
same character Of the hardy men uf the ReyC-
lntiou who fist commenced the war with the
mother country--ScmetEiHg Of the spirit Of that
bold Yankee who said he had right to 90 to
Concord, and that go lie would; ard Who, in
the maintaranCe Of that right met lls death
at the hands OF a British sentinel Now. Sir,
if our right to carry slaves into Il ese Terrific
ries he constitutional right, it is our first duty
10 maintain it"
Pending the discussion which ensucd Mr.
Davis, at the suggestion Of hiends, modified his
amendment from time to time, until it assumed
the following shape:
Nor to introduce or exclude 4 Alrjcan slavery
Provided that nothing herein coutancd shall be
ccnstTued so as TO prevent said Territorial Leg
islatulc from passing such laws as may be ne
cesEary for the protection of the rights o prop.
erty OF every kind which may have hecn, OF
may lie hereafter, cOntormabe TO the Cunstitu-
ton Of the United States, held in or introduced
into said Territory"
To which on the same day Mr.. Chase, o
Ohio, offered the following amendment:
crowded turthe., that nothing herein con
taincd shall be construed as authorizing or per.
mitting the introduction efslavery or the hold
ng.of persons as property within SAID Terrific
ry."
Upon these amendments--tho ono affirming
the pro slavery and the other the anti-savery
position, in opposition to the right ol the peo.
pie Of the Territories to decide the slavery Ques
ton for themselyes-Mr. Douglas said
The position that have ever taken has beer
that this and all other questions relating to The
domestic affairs and domestic policy of the Ter
ntories, ought to be left to the decision of the
people themselves; and that we ought to be con
tent with whatever way they may decide the
question, because they have much deeper in.
terest in these matter than we have and know
much better what institutions suit thcm than
We, " no have never been there, can decide ior
them. l would therefore have much preferred
that that portion OF the bill should have remain.
ed as 1t was reported from the committee on
Territories, with no provision on the subject o
slavery, the one way or the other. And dc
hope yet that that clause Will be stricken out
am satisfied, Sir, that 1t gives no strength tc
the bill. am Satl>hed, even 1t IT did give
strength to It. that 1t ought not to be there Je-
cause ii Is q Utolat'on Of Princ,pe--a violation 0
that principle upon which we have all rested
our defense OF the course we have taken on
tins question. l do not see how those OF us
who have taken the position we have TAKEN
that oi non 7nterrenhon---and have argued in "a
yor OF the right OF the people to legiSate foI
themselves on this question, can support such
position without abandoning all the arguments
which we used IN the Presidential campaign in
the year lo46, and the principles set forth ly
the honorable Senator rom Michigan (Mr
Cass) in that letter which IS known as the "Ni-
cholSon Letter" We are required to abandor
that platform; we are required to abandon thos,
principles and TO stulii'y ousselvcs, and to a
dopt the opposite doctflne--and lor what? j
order to say, that the pepLs Cf the 7@9@foTc
shall not hHre such t3StItHtto"S rs they @aH deeO
adnp2ed to tier condlHal end Heir agants. ] dC
not see, Sir, how such provision can be acCep
tble either TO the people OF the North or The
5 IN.
Upon the question, how many inhabitants {
Territory should contain before it should he
formed into political community with tht
rights ofself-goTernment, Mr. Douglas said;
"The Senator lromMis,issippi puts the question
10 me as to what numher CT people there mus
be in Territory before this right TO goye,r
themselves acciuos. Without determining the
precise number, | will assume that the r;gh
ought to accrue TO the people the moment tie,
have enough to constitute government; and
Sir, the bill assumes that there are peopl,
enough there to require government anC
enough to authorize me people to govern Them
selves. Your bill Comedies that rerle
sentative government is ueeeSsary-a govern
men' founded upon me PiihclpieS oi popular
sovereignty and the iiEnt OF peoplo 10 enac
heir own laws; and Tor THIS reason you giV'
them Legislature composed OF two branches
Ike me Legislature o. tho dl1ierent states arc
Territories OF the CnIon' on confer upor
them the r'ght to eglslate on all rlgh'tul sub
Jec'' a s,Sla'ion, EA'gP' II Ies'Ges ny OK
oep, @,I,S5 Wv 'n,l@o'. pi''S al'
Soh!P@'1"'' ;" r"'N'" ''It''ei''" Nl"h an otiiel