The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-12-15

! ty, and this sublugation Of them to tho
will and control of the President Nol
y the purpose hard TO guess. The Pres
idcnt was the servant of the slave power
and his will and control was the will and
control of the ollgarchy.
Just one thing further in this coupec
ton, Does this organic act enable the
people to exclude slavery? Mr.. Doug
las tells us that he regards slaves as prop
erty, recognized as such by the federal
constitution; that slaves taken into the
territories remain property; and that nei-
ther territorial nor state legislature has
a right to deprive an owner of his prop
erty without his consent, except for pub
tic use, upon due con pensatIon. Still,
he says, territorial legislature, by uu-
friendly Legislation or non-action, may
control slavery SO as to make slaye-hold
ing inlpracticable, or what is the same
thing, inconrenlent and unproftable But
this Is not what we want. Such legis!a-
i've action, if we admit that slaves taken
into territory remain property, and that
this property in man is recognized by the
constitution, can hardly be vindcated as
honest or constitutional What we want
for the people Of tcrritory-what they
want for themSelres-is a substantive.
sufficient and efficient power, plainly re-
coguized in the organic act, to exclude
slayery-to prevent its introdpction-to
keep it out. Have they got this power
under Mr.. Douglass organic act He
will not say so. He may say that the
people may exclude slavery BY making it
convenient and Improbable to hold slaves
and may thus force slavery out after it has
come in. But lie will not say that thev
can exclude slavery by keeping it out
by preventing its Introduction. He can
not say so and be consistent with himself.
Now all this throws light upon It some
what remarkable passage in the history of
the Kansas Nebraska bill. You will re-
member that proposed to amend it by
declaring distinctly and in so many words,
that under the Constitution the people
may, through their legal representatives.,
.lf they see tit, exclude slavery" You
will remember that this amendment was
voted down by Mr.. Douglas and his fol-
low repealers. charged then, and have
frequently charged since, that it was new
er intended that the people should be al
lowed, under the bill-tbe orgaulc act
to exclude slavery. You now see how
well founded that charge ~as. The Dred
Scott dccisioE-the universal construction
Of the olIgarchy-Mr Douglas own state
ments. all demonstrate that it was right.
Here, then, We have popular sovereign
ty according to "nly doctrine" as set
forth in "my Kansas Nebraska bill" a
people with subjugated legislature; with
Governor appointed by the President,
in whose election they have no voice
with judges also appointed by the Presi-
dent; ; without power to protect themselves
against the introduction Of the great NOR
al, social and political evil of slavery.
What cruel mockcry it is What q mon-
strous absurdity is the attempt to vindi-
cate such Legislation in the uame Of pop
ular sovereignty! How palpable it is that
the cry of popular sovereignty is cheat
and a fraud, and all belief in the sham a
miserable delusion
We have to thank Mr. Douglas for the
discussion (for his coming provoked it !
which has exposed this pretension and
deprived it Of all power to do further
mischief. The verdict of Ohio this fall
is against this wrctched counterfeit of q
great and vital truth. 1t will no longer
pass current among her people. All at
tcmpts 10 give it circulation will only dis
credit those who make them For this
| repeat, we may thank Mr.. Douglas.
cheerfully admit that he has more than
paid the debt he owed me.
Another lesson has been deeply i'm
pressed on the minds of the people of
Ohio by the discussion of this fall Itis
this That the democracy of 1859 is nQi-
ther in faith nor practice the democracy
of l849. The party name Is preserved,
but neither the men nor the principles
Of the party remain the same. The So
called democratic party Of to-day renounc-
es Its old doctrines Of equalrights and ex-
act justice to all, guarded and secured by
equal laws ard just administration, and
substitutes for them the dogmas Of the
propagandists and perpetualists of slave
ry, wretchedly disguised under the hol-
low pretences of popular sovereignty
This change OF principles announces a
change IN men. Of those who most bold
ly and zealously maintained the demo
cratic faith in l849, vast numbers have
been compelled, by simple fidelity to that
faith, to join the Republican ranks Ard
who have taken their place in the mis-
called democracy of to-day? Look around !
and see. You know the men. They are
pro slavery wigs, who either from mis-
taken views of fOblioatiOn or from, ro,str,,s,