The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1859-09-23


quently the other two States came into the Union
The powers Of thc Federal Government are
dehaod in that Constitution. Your pyople
stated what powers Il should have. Nou did
not authorine popular majority 70 Pasa Law.
In the House Of Representatives this popular
Prih@aPlo ia rePreoeotsd. II y composed 81
members aocording 70 population. The Senate
ia composed Of members eaisotsd from Statea
hs corporate bodies, not nocordiag 10 numboru
=. ell. TIE little State Of FkEida hes as many
representatives IN The Unitsd States Senate as
The great Stata Of Ohio, With ioTty times the
ioFmsrs population. The President Of the
Unitsd States ls aos elected By popular ana
iority. He is ohosen By electors, eolFeaPond:
ing In num' or 70 that Of Representatives. and
ssaAtOrs in Congress. osa amaioLity Of thsso
popular Roprosen ntatives pass laWt Oertainly
not. II must bs acquieaosd In BY the Senate,
representing tha State Righta pripeiple in our
Cohfedoration, and receive the aanetion Of the
President before II goos into operation. Thus
careful were the fathers Of the republie 10 in.
tsrpose all these checks and balances
Our goyernment is based upea The sonssnt Of
the governed All consented 10 the govern
meat We formed. Are you for the Consiitutisn
OF the Unitod States or are you for oveTturninR
and rendering this republic as unstaeis thsA
Of hexioOi The mas Who advocatea popular
sovereignty as the aubstatum Of our goVern-
ment IL installer, and IL be carries out this
AVNHANNf ne ~ = NNAhNN " NNN kNAAAAANNAaA AAa
the Uhioa. (Applauue.) There ia not State
in the union that ellovs popular majority 10
make a Law, and do not believe there IL mAn
In this house who would give his consent 70 q
government whore his rights depended upon
popular majority. Away With this dogma Of
popular Bovoreignty-thia oateh.Word 70 dups
the unthinktng I do not mean BY this that Il
is not ono element in our government bat that
the foundation Of the govsrnmsnt ir q principle
broader than this aingls element. Every State
in This UniOn has Constitution adopted By the
people themselves which reatrAina the seton Of
popular majoritiea. Nov, In a Territory the
organic act which gives II existence stAnds in
the place Of a Constitution 10 the people Of the
Territory. State Constitutions call into being
Legislaturse, provide ajudioiary, and Govern
or, and all the machinery Of government n q
Territory, the Congress Of the Uaited states
provides ell this. The Legislature Of Terri
tory, called into existence BY the organic act Of
Congress-, can no more violate that organic act
than State Legislature can violate the Con-
utitution which gave II existence. A Territory
has such powers, and such only, a. the Federal
Constitution oonfsrs upon Il, iust as the Legia-
lature Of Ohio has such powers as ita State
Constitution oonfers. But perhaps you say
popular sovereignty means something else
Leat might be misunderstood, have brought
along a sort Of patented popular sovereignty,
holding up a number Of Harp~T'I Aa0dsiHs. ]
to which / Wihh TO call the attention Of this at
tshtive audience. That may not deal with Il
unfairly, hope it will not DO any infringement
Of the copyright II read some extracts from il.
The relative powers And functions Of the
Federal and State goyenmsnta have become
well understood and clearly defined by their
practical operation and harmonioua action for .
long series Of years while the disputed quos-
tion-involvihg the right Of the people Of the
Territories 10 govern themselves In respect 10
the local Affairs and internal polity-remAins =
fruitful source Of paruzah strife and sectional
controversy"
The question is not a. to the rights between
the States and the Federal Government; that iS
harmonious. But the question iI a. to the
rights Of the people Of the Territories, Now
see what the author next says:
"The political organization which was formed
in 1854, and has assumed the name Of the Re-
publ icAn party, is based on the theory that A.
roan slavery, a. it exists in this country, iS an
evil" &c.
Now what was this inserted hOro The wri.
ter first said tho dispute in rs8asA - ths rish
VI the people Of Territory 10 govern themael'
yes and now he says the Ropublicah party Il
based uPOn the idea that Afriaas slsysEy In this
70 miSlead anybody Then be quotea from the
platform Of principles adopted AZ PhilAdslphla
by the Republican National Convention in
1856:
"That the OOnstitution coniora upOE Goa.
gress sovereign power over the Territories ol
The United States for their government, and
that in the exercise Of this power il Il both
right and the duty Of Congress 70 prohibit ia
the Territories those twin relics Of barbarian
POlygamy and SlAVOTyr
Do you see anything about ma
king war upon slavery where It exist
in that resolution The writer say
the harmonious Democracy have disputes II
regard 10 the power Of the people Of the Terri
tories, and these different Opinions arise frou
different interpretations Of the Constitution.
want you 10 notice the language Of the sxtTae
from this manifesto which l read TO you:
"Thoss who believe that the Constitution o
the United States neither establibhOa nor pro
hibits slavsry in the Territories beyond III
power Of the people legally 70 control IT," d.
you see that word legally put in theTef
"There are those in The Unitsd States" say
the writer, "Who believe the Constitution
neither establishes nor prohibits slavery in th
Territories beyond the power Of the people 10
RAlly TO control IT," Do you believe anybOd,
thinks thAti II they control II iSgally, 4 vii
be according 10 the Constitution, will II not
the people legally 10 control L." Can you coz
troll thing you have not pOssessioR Oft Tn
. doctrine Ia, there arc those who believe th
, Constitution neither 0stablishes nor prohibit
slavery beyond the power Of the people legal
! L to control IL. Senator Brown, Of Mississippi
= believes this. He says the people Of the Ter
!. ritorios can control slavery but oannOt eKelud
il, bscAuss Il goes there uhdsF The Constitution
This magazine manifesto. you will notice,
silent upOh the power 70 sssiHds slavery from q
Territories.
What Is the diaputsf "A 70 The pHEtiOull
. .tintsrprstation af ths Constellation Of ths Unita
statesf How ia Il 70 be interpreted To illI
. trate will 90 70 my friend And hak yhat n
. right 10 horse 10 which is in dispute botWss
y q haiRhbOr And mySSlL claim thal the bon
y is mihO. He says, Sir, you are iTOo 70 tal
- u1as s-..l ~ - FAslllSy 80
4 10 the legal rights Of your noighboT." Wh
I, right have got The same right that The
popular sOyoroigaty mon give, leaving the Pc
pie Of the Territories perfectly trao 70 form q
regulate their domestic institutions N thslE Os
way, subject only 70 the Constitution Of U
United States. Popular sovereignty in uot I
I. In oppOaition 20 fundamental law and IN n
n shAps Il Il 70 be- secuted q destructive OF col
:. stitntionAl liberty. Az IL Is here written,
u means Just nothing At all.
D. But this doctrine is nOt Only, aa l said, 50
a yersiVe Of ROv0Fnment, and absurd, but Il ia Z
NJ k.rI,, fr,v,ra aetieabia II do not raV thoaa vi