The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-08-06
The Right Of the People to LegislaIe upon the
Subject Of Slavery.

sessed the power to legislate for the Terri.
tories. All parties, we believe, held to thi.
doctrine--that Congress had the right tc
prohibit the intr oduction of Slavery into it,
Territories. At least in 1889, we find Hon
CHAs. Mason, then Chief Justice Of the Ter.
ri,ory Of Iowa-aow Democratic candidate
for Supreme Judge of the State Of Iowa
adheriag firmly to this doctrine. His asso-
c;a,e, Judge r. S. Wilson, also no,c Dem
ocrasic candidate candidate for the Supreme
Bench, We find concusring in this statement.
They were then as now National Demo
Gratis. This is the doctrine now held BY the
Republicans, while the Democrats have
wandered Off in search Of other and strange
Gods, as We propose to show.
IN 1854, "new light" burst upon the
hosts of Democracy, superinduced by the
e!amors of the Southern Slave holders, who,
for moro than sixty years, have ruled, as
with an iron rod, these confederated States
1t was then discovered that Congress had
no right to legislate for the Territories
or, in other words, that Congress could
not exclude Slavery therefrom. 1t was
then discovered, promulgated and con-
tended by the Democracy, that sovereign
power rested with tho people Of the terri
.ories-nnd that they should be left free to
form and regulate their own domestic insti-
tutions in their own way. Having made
and promulgated this discovery, the Democ-
racy, now willing co-laborers in the inter-
est Of the Slave holders, conceived it to be
necessary for the more complete success of
their schemes for the spread of Slavery, to
attack and beat down one of the guarantees
of freedom in our unoccupied tcrritories.-
In defiance of the circumstances and pro-
tests Of all political parties, the Kansas.
Nebraska bill passed-thc Missouri Com
promise was vepealed-and all that terrific
~ north of the line of $50 30' which had
been dedicated to freedom, was thus ruth
lessly thrown open to the blighting incur
slons of Slavery. The Democratic party
through its orators and organs-said that
repeal was necessary in order to c!othe the
people with the power to prohibi. Slavery,
If they wished to do SO. That pretease was
empty, false and deceptive to a shameful
degree, for no such power was ever give to
the people, nor was it intended that they
should have such power. In proof of this,
we may cite the reader to the fact, that
pending the consideration of the Kansas
Bill in the Senate, and when it had received
its final shape, through the adoption of the
famous stump speech clause, purpurting
to" leave the people thereof perfectly free
70 form and regulate their domestic institu-
tons ia their own way" Mr.. CHASE, Of
Ohio, moved March %, 1884, to add -
Under uhich the PEOPLE OF \ TER
HToRi, through their appropriate repre-
sentat'res MAY, ifthey see fit, PROHIBIT
SLAVERY therein" This was voted dorm,
though it is beyond cayil, the only true in-
depreciation Of the dogma of popular Soy
erIGnt". Drigadicr General AuGUsrus C.E-
sAR DODGE, voted against according to the
people of a territory the right to prohibit
Slavery. This same Brisaditr General is
now the candidate Of the Iowa Democracy,
for The Governorshp. The Democracy of
Iowa, through tho same Convention which
nominated this DoDGE for Governor, ex-
pressly declared that "NO POWER can
rrereat (hLe territories) from passing such
lrms upon the subject Of Slarery, as to them
may seem pr0per.' The Democracy of Iowa
affirm, and their standard bearer denies, the
right of the territories to prohibit Slavery !,
Such is the spectacle to-day presented by
the Dodge 4 BabLitt democracy Of Iowa
true no principles-wcddcd to no truth
faithful to no obliGation-g ,orving in its
bold and shameless treachery to its profess
sions- striving with might and main to de-
seive the people into their support, the
while they murmur to themselves the syren
song" to the victors belong the spoils.'
Popular Sovereignty, under the ruling Of
the bred Scott decision, is an illusion. a
fraud and a cheat. 1t was so intended by
its osseusible progenitors, and the declara-
ton Of the Iowa State Democratic Conyen-
s:on, that no power can prevent the terrific
rles from passing such laws on the subject
CT Slavery as to them may seem fit, is n
-
Ct tho unwarv, and is in perfect keeping
with the well defined instincts of that Sham
Democracy, whose course, for years past,
has been characterized in the main, by du-
plicity, tergiversation and treachery.
There is no lodging the fact, that the De-
mocracy Of Iowa are in the interest of the
Slave-holders, and, Notwithstanding their
declarations to the contrary, opposed even
to allowing tho territories the right to ex-
cludc Slavery thcrcfrom- The Republican
party, on the other hand, have actively and
persistent!y wnged war against every en-
sroachment Of the Slave power. Have as
serted and sseadfastly maintained, that Con-
gress had the right, and that it was it's du-
ty, to prohibit. the introduction of Slavery
into free territory. And, at the late State
Convention, proclaimed no interference
with liberty by the President, by Congress,
or By the Federal Court" We believe i, is
the duty Of all men who love liberty and
free institutions better than Slavery and
Slave institutions, to rally around this
standard, in spite of party drill to the con-
trary, aud help bring back the policy of this
Government to the wise foundation prepar-
ed BY its founders in the Constitution,
which the slave party are, and have bean,
violating to extend Slavery. Who cannot
labor for such a glorious result !? Party
names amount to nothing; party men rs
little, only as they are instruments to carry
out principles. There is, however, but one
party Of freedom, and one party of Slavery !;
to one or the other We must belong, if we
take part in the great moral and political
struggle now,going on between Freedom and
and Slavery. Voters, no matter what you