Daily national Democrat., 1859-04-01

ed upon to enforce that same odiOus doctrine on
the people ofa Territory, against their consent
| say, no. Organize a Territorial Government
for them; give them Legislature, to be elected
by their own people give them all the powers o.
! legislation on all questions of local and dOmes
tic character subject only to the Constitution
and ifthey make good laws, let them enjoy their
blessi gs and if they make bad laws, let them
suffer under them until they repeal them. If the
laws are unconstitutional, let those aggrieved ap
neal TO the court-the tribunal created by the
constitution to ascertain that fact. That is the
principle on which we stood in 1854. 1t was on
| that principle and that understanding we fought
the great political battle and gained the great vic
tory of $50. How many votes do you think Mr.
Buchanan would have obtained in PENNSYLVANIA
| if he had then said that the Constitution of the
United States plants slavery in all the Territories
and makes it the duty of the Federal Govern
ment to keep it there, and maintain itat the point
Of the bayonet and by Federal laws, in opposition
! to the will olthc people? How many votes would
1 he have received in Ohio or any other free State
on such platform? Mr.. Buchanan did not then
understand the doctrines Of popular sovereignty
and sei-government in that way.
Mr.. BIGLER. Mr.. President
Mr.. DoUGLAs. will hear the Senator.
Mr.. BIGLER. / shall not attempt to answer the
honorable Senator's question; but he will pardon
me for asking another; which | think quite as
significant and quite as appropriate, and il is
| this Suppose that in the campaign of 1856. in.
stead Of saying, as that honorable Senator said
and as those who acted with him said, anl as
said everywhere to the people of the States, who
were about to emigrate to the Territories, "when
you 90 there you carry with you all the rights
YOU enjoy in sovereign State, SAYING as he SAID
and as said " it is but the extension of the great
principle Of self government to the Territories -
suppose we had said to those proud people "when
there and II the matter Of changing your govern.
! u,np a Tprrt tn n fnt el,,ti
the high privilege Of exercising the right to pet-
ton Congress for redress of grievances ?" thev
would have asked that Senator and me whom i
was, and where it was, that the American citizen
had not a right to petition foa redress of griev
ances, whether white or black.
Mr.. DOUGLAS. Mr.. President | shall not o,s
wer that part ofthe Senator's inquiry as to whetb
er American citizens, white or black, have NOT
the right to petition for redress of grievances be.
cause do not recognize any black American citi
zens. have no colored brethren of that desct.in-
ton. Laughter and applause in the galleries
know ofno American citizens in this Republic
except the white people, and trust in God shall
never know any other kind Applause in the
galleries.
Mr.. BIGLER. | know that as well as the Sena-
tor; and | ought to have said inhabitants.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Nr. IvERsoN in the
chair) If there is any more interruption in the
galleries, the Chair will order the galleries to be
cleared.
Mr.. MASON. If there is any more disturbance
in the galleries, shall certainly move and insist
that the galleries be cleared.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair will order
the galleries to be cleared at once if there is any
further interruption.
Mr.. DoUGLAs. assert that in 1856, during the
whole Of that campaign, took the same position
do now, and none other; and | will show that
Mr. Buchanan pledged himself to the same doc
trne when he accepted the nomination of the
Cincinnati Convention. In his letter of accept
ance he says, referring to the Kansas-Nebraska
act:
"The recent legislation of Congress, respecting
domestic slavery, derived, as it has been, from
the original and pure fountain of legitimate poit-
ical power, the will ofthe majority. promises ere
long tn allay the dangerous excitement. This
legislation is founded upon principles as ancient
as free government itself and, In accordance with
them, has simply declared that the people Of a
Territory, like those Of State, shall decide for
themselves whether slavery shall or shall not ex-
list within their limits"
This extrect from Mr. Buchanan's letter shows
that he then understood that the people of a Ttr-
r{tOry, like those ofd Sdte, should decide for
themselves whether slavery should or should not
exist within their limits undertake to say that
wherever | went that year, his cause was advoca-
ted on that principle, as laid down in his letter of
acceptance. The people Of the North, at least
certainly understood him to hold the doctrine of
seIgovernment in Territories as we'll as in States,
and as applicable to slave property as well as to
all other species Of property. | undertake to say
that he would not have carried one-half the DEM
ocratc vote in any free State, if he had not been
thus understood and hope nv friend frcm
Mississippi had no alusion to this letter when he
said that in the next contest he did not desire ''to
cheal, nor be cheated" | am glad that the Sena-
tor from Mississippi means to have a clear, un-
equlvoca specific statement of our principles, 50
that there shall be no cheating ON either side.
intend to use language which can be repeated in
Chicago well as in n. Orleans in Charleston the
same as in Boston. We live under common
Constitution. No political creed is sound or safe
which cannot be proclaimed in the same sense
wherever the American flag waves over American
soil. lfthC North and the South cannot come tO
common ground on the slavery question, the
sooner We know it the better. The Democracy of
the North hold, at least that the people of Ter
rltory have the same right to legslate in respect
to slavery, as to all other property; and that,
practically, it results in this if they want slave
ry, they will have it; and if they do not want it,
it shall not be forced upon them by an act of Con-
CREST The Senator from Mississippi saws that
doctrine is right, unless we pass an act of Con-
gress compelling the people of a Territory to have
slavery whether they want itor not. The point
he wishes to arrive at, is whether we are for or
against Congressional intervention. Ifvou repu-
date the doctrine Of non-interventon, and form a
slave code by act Of Congress, when the people of
Territory refuse it, You must step off the Demo
cratic platform. We will let you depart in peace,
as You no longer belong to us; YOU are no longer
of us when you adopt the principle of Congress
iJnal intervention, in violation of the Democratic
creed. | stand here defending the great principle
of fnon-interventlon by Congress, and selfgovern-
ment by the people of the Territories. That is
the Democratic creed. The Northern Democracy
have so understood 1t. No Democratic State in
the North ever would have voted for Mr. Buch-
anan but for the fact that he was understood to
occupy that position. tell YOU, gentlemen of the
South, in all candor, do not believe Democratic
clnddnte can ever carry any one Democratic
State Of the Norh on ths platform that 1t is the
duty Of the Federal Government to force the
people Of Territory to have slavery when they
do not want it. But, if the true principles of State
rights and popular sovereignty be maintained and
carried out IN good faith, set set forth in the
Nebraska bill, and understood by the people IN
1886, glorious future awaits the Democracy.
five cannot stand together upon that principle
there Is no use Oft any angry excitement no use of
any violent controversy no necessity for crimina-
ton or rccrimination. The Senator from Misss-
sippi has stated his position clearly and in spirit
OF kindness. l trust that have met him with
equal kindness and frankness. am sorry to have
been under the necessity of occupying the time Of
the Senate IN the discussion of this question at
this late period of the session but am sure the
Senate Will do me the justice to say that could
not have been silent after the speech of my friend
from Mississippi, without defending the position
which was 50 severely and so ably assaed by
him. ! trust that shall not be under the neces-
slty OF trespassing longer upon the time Of the
Senate upon these collateral questions