Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-10-05
DEMOCRATIC POPULAR SoVER-
EIGHTY.

eighty is, as he expounds it. If his late
exposition of the doctrine is somewhat OBJ
scure, a recurrence to the speeches he has
made on the subject within the last twelve
months, will aid us in its Interpretation.
In his speech at New Orleans on the 9th
day of last December, he said:
1.-The Democracy of Illinois. in the first
place, accept the decision of the Supreme
Court of the United States in the case of
Dred Scott as an authoritative Interpretation
of the Constitution. In accordance with
that decision, he holds that slaves are prop
erty, and hence on an equslity with all
other kinds of property; and the owner of
slave has the same right to move into a
Territory and carry his slave property with
him, as the owner of any other property
has to go there and carry his property"
This is precisely in harmony with the
positions taken by himself and his allies,
during the debates upon the Kansas-Ne-
braska bill. The bill gave to the people
of the Territories created b; it, the power to
regulate their own institutions, "suIject to
the Constitution of the United States"
and it was declared at the time, by Mr..
Douglas and his allies, that it was for the
judiciary to determine to what extent and
in what particulars the Constitution of
the United States" limited popular power
in the territories. The peculiar friends of
slavery claimed that the institution was
beyond the reach of the people, and Mr..
Douglas always knew that the judiciary
would 80 decide. In committing himself.
therefore, in advance, to abide by fore
known and predetermined decision, Mr..
Douglas had committed himself to all that
the shareholders really wanted, while he
was still left at liberty to indulge in un-
meaning fOurishes about popular sovereign
ty, whenever he was addressing himself to
Northen audiences.
In due order the pre-arranged judicial
decision came, in the case of bred Scott,
the case having been got up for the pur-
pose, and The decision having been timed,
just after national triumph of the Dem
Ocracy, and with pro-slavcry Administra-
ton installed in power for four years.
The Dred Scott decision blew the doc
trine of popular sovereignty, a: it had been
taught by the demagOgues of the North.
sky-high. There was nothing left of it, if
the decision was sustained, and to sustain
it, Mr.. Douglas was pledged by thousand
declarations, and he was so pledged to men
whom he dare not offend.
The Illinois election was coming of, and
his own Senatorial seat was depending up
on it. Something was to be done, and
Mr.. Douglas was ready for the emergency
with the position, prepo:terous in itself,
but which answered for the Illinois elec-
ton, that although By the Drcd Scott
decision, which must be sustained as law,
slaves should be held as such in the Ter
ritories beyond the reach of Territorial leg
islation, yet that. as matter of fact, the
Territories could keep Slavery out by re-
fusing legislation, without which it could
not exist, as even, by unfriendly legisla-
ton, as by taxation which would make
it Improbable.
Thus, then, popular sovereignty, as e1-
pounded by Mr.. Douglas, had dwindled
down to the assertion of speculative opin-
ion, that the people of the Territories might
possibly get nd of Slavery, even after con-
cediDg the right of holding slaves to be
constitutiOnally indefeasible. t
This speculative opinion, put forward
for the special purpose of an election, IS
absurd in itself. and no one sees its absurd
ity more clearly than Mr.. Douglas. Slave
ry is thing which cannot only practically
exist without legislation, but it is thing
which can exist within legislation, but il
is thing which can exist against legisla- /
ton. as it did for years in Texas, while it .
was province of Mexico. The same ju- !
dietary which holds slaves to be property,
can without further stretch of conscience,
or more fragrant violation of settled legal
principle, give all the common-law remedies
for the protection of slave property. which
the case calls for. AS for unfriendly leg
islation. it is impossible with Territorial
Legislatures held in check by the veto
power of Governors holding the commits
sions from the Pro-Slavery dynasty at
and if such legislation was
possible. it wOald be quashed BY the judi
cial tools of the same dynasty. Mr.. Doug
las knows well what the promise Of sOver-
eighty, delusively held out in the phrsseol-
ogy of the Kansas Nebraska bill. has ceas-
ed to be even specious. since the Dred Scott
decision, In accepting that. he accepts"
which the South ask. His
theory of "non-legislation." and "unfriend-
ly legislation, was a paltry fetch. for the
purpose Of State election
There is nothing practical in it, and the
South will show that they understand it
so, by cordially supporting Mr., Douglas for
the Presidency, if be is nominated at
Charleston, as he probably will be. 1t is
substance and not sound, the meat and not
he shell. which the South want, and Sc