Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-01-14

ulation, laid down in the Cincinnati
Platform, and, let me add, in the Fill
more Platform too.
1t is well known to you that l voted
tfor that bill. 1t is scarcely necessary to
add that approved it. l defended it,
population clause and all, in my late can
vass, and | intend to stand by it.
have seen it charged in Southern
newspapers, and in the speeches of some
Southern men, who ought to have known
better, that the Northern Democratic
Representatives bad deserted the English
bill. 1t may be true as to some; it is
not true as to all 1t is VIGOROUSLY I'M
true as to myself. 1t is just as far from
being true, as the letters of certain dis
tinguished Southern Democrats upon
Illinois politics, recently published, are
far from being either wise or well timed
l am very free 10 declare my opinion
that those letters were in very bad taste.
Now, what ground shall we, as q party
III Indiana, occupy on the slavery ques-
ton in future? Shall we go forward or
60 back We will soon be called on to
unfurl our flag for the great battle of
1860, | say, let us stand by the bred
Scott decision-let us stand by the En-
glish bill.
| have witnessed, with regret, indica-
tons of purpose to keep enough of the
slavery question open and in doubt to
serve as pretext for agitation and make
an issue for electioneerng purposes
The prolific brain of Mr.. Douglas has
brought forth new species of squatter
sovereignty, called 'unfriendly legisla-
ton" the purport of which is, that al
though the Constitution of the United
States protects slave property in the
Territories, it needs the aid of territorial
legislation to give it effect! Quite dis
covery, truly The combined effect of
this patent squatter sovereignty and the
bred Scott decision would lead us back
to the very point in this slavery contro-
versy from which we set out.
The same views have been attributed to
Senator Davis, of Mississippi. | have
no doubt he has been misrepresented -
He never uttered any such opinions If
any Southern man comes to us with such
doctrines, let us call him a Southern
dough-face, and tell him to 60 home.
Away with this continual shutting and
paltering upon this question of slavery
Let us meet our responsibilities like men
The Democratic people Of the North are
misunderstood indeed, when any such
sickly and spurious philanthropy is i'm
puted to them, as to require diluted doses
of abolitionism to give tone to their stom-
achs.
say to you here tonight that if the
Constitution of the United States gives
the stakeholder right to his property in
the Territories, as / believe it does, that
right is perfect under the Constitution,
and needs no territorial legislation to
make it so.
believe that utter the sentiment of
every sound Democrat in Indiana when
| say am for the Constitution of my
country in its letter and spirit, and in all
its consequences, immediate and remote
and if that Constitution imposes mana
cles upon every negro in the Union, |
am for it still because it is the Consti-
tuition Of my country. And | take the
decision Of the Supreme Court as a bind
ing exposition of its terms. If the bred
Scott decision is adhered to in its plain
meaning, there must be an end of slavery
agitation, except with those who war up
on the Government itself; we will have
no more political issues on slavery; but
if it is misinterpreted, evaded, or FILTERED
away, we will again be divided, distracted
and cursed with slavery agitation.
A few words now upon another topic
the course of Mr.. Douglas, of Illinois,
ard some of his friends in this State, and
the policy to be pursued towards them
hereafter.
Our last State Convention passed a
resolution cordially endorsing the Admin
istration of Mr.. Buchanan, and believe
that the Democrats of Indiana this day
love him as well as they did in 1866
Mr.. Douglas was pleased to make war on
Mr. Buchanan and his administration
the Lecompton question being the cause,
real or pretended.
The name of Mr.. Douglas was the
watchward Of mischief in this State in
the late elections. The result is, that
while we have carried the State and
elected our State officers and Judges Of
the Supreme Court, we have Republi-
can Legislature and Republican delega-
ton in Congress. In three Of the dis
tricts of this State men calling themselves
por erceticnce Douglas men, were candi-
dates against the regular nominees of our
party. Two Of those districts we have
lost, and another has been lost to us by
the same influences. Tho Republican
Legislature is now comforting Offices on
some Of these men, as the reward Of
their treachery. The open, shameless
prohigacy of this coalition assigns to each
Judas his thirty pieces of silver, and
their bargain is contaminated before the
world, without a blush This faction,
which has done us so much mischief,
whose consolidation with the Republican
party is now no longer concealed, has
held a meeting to rejoice over the success
of Mr.. Douglas, at which the staple Of
the speeches was invective against the
President and many Democrats in this
State. The Democratic members in our
last Legislature, by their unanimous act,
chose two United States Senator'S. The
Democratic State Convention Of the 9Th
Of January last, unanimously ratified
/ that act: the Senate Of the Irnitod gfatcs