The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1860-08-22


Constitution of the United States confers no
such power-although no State Legislature
has any such power, yet Territorial Lesis-
lature, in the remote extremities of the
country, can con6scate your property
"a voice. "They can't do it; they amt
going 10 do it."]
There is but one mode, and one alone, 10
abolish slavery in the Territories. That
mode is pointed out in the Cincinnati plat
form, which has been as much misrepre-
sented as anything have ever known
/ That platform declares that majority OF the
actual residents in Territory, whenever
their number is sufficient TO eniitle them 10
admission as State, possess the power ''to
form Constitution with or without domes-
tic slavery, to be admitted into the Union
upon terms of perfect equality with the
other States" If there be squatter sover.
eighty in this resolution | have never been
able to perceive it. If there be any refer
ence in it to Territorial Legislature it has
entirely escaped my notice. 1t presents the
( clear principle that at the time the people
from their Constitution, they shall then de-
eide whether they will have slavery or not.
And yet it has been stated over and over
again that, in accepting the nomination un-
der that platform, endorsed the doctrine of
squatter sovereignty. suppose you have
all heard this repeated thousand times.
A voice. s'We all knew it was lie I'1
Well, am glad you did.
How beautifully this plain principle of
Constitutional law corresponds with the best
interests of the people! Underit, emigrants
from the North and the South, from the
East and the West, proceed 10 the Terrific
res. They carry with them that property
which they suppose will best promote their
material interests; they live together in
peace and harmony. The question of sla.
| very will become a foregone conclusion
before they have inhabitants enough to
enter the Union as State. There will then
be no bleeding Kansas" in the Territories;
they will all live together in peace and har-
mony, promoting the prosperity of the Ter
ritory and their own prosperity, until the
time shall arrive when it becomes necessary
TO frame Constitution. Then the whole
question will be decided 10 the general sat-
isfaction. But, upon the opposite principle,
what will you find in the Territories Why,
time. One Territorial Legislature may
establish slavery and another Territorial
Legislature may abolish it, and so the strug-
gle will be continued throughout the Terri
toral existence. The people, instead OF
devoting their energies and industry to pro-
mote their own prosperity, will be in a
state of constant strife and turmoil, just as
we have witnessed in Kansas. Therefore
there is no possible principle that can be SO
injurious to the best interests of Territory
as what has been called squatter sover-
eighty.
Now let me place the subject before you
IN another point of view. The people oi
the Southern States can never abandon this
great principle of State equality in the
Union without seli-degradation. [''Neverr']
Never without an acknowledgment thai
they are inferior in this respect 20 their sis
ter States. Whilst it is vital to them TO pre-.
serve their equality, the Northern State;
surrender nothing by admitting this princi
pie. In doing this they only yield obedience
to the Constitution of their country as ex
pounded by the Supreme Court OF the
United States. While Tor the North it is
comparatively mere abstraction, with the
, South ii is question of co-equal State SOW
ereignty in the Union.
If the DEGREES of the high tribunal estab.
lished by the Constitution for the very pur.
pose are TO be set al naught and disregardec
it will tend 10 render all property of every
description insecure. What, then, have the
North to do I? Merely TO say that, as gooc
citizens, they will yield obedience 10 the
decision of the Supreme Court, and admi
, the right of "a Southern man to take his prop
+ erty into the Territories, and hold it there
Just as Northern man may do and it i:
to me the most extraordinary thing in the
| world that this country should now be dis
, tracted and divided, because certain person.
at the North will not agree that their breth
T ern at the South shall have The same right:
in the Territories which they enjoy Wha
} would |, as Pennsylvania, say or do
, supposing anybody was to contend that the
Legislature of any Territory could outlaw
iron and coal within the Territory Laugh
, ter and caeers.l The principle is precisely
the same. The Supreme Court OF the
/ United States have decded-what wa:
known to us all to have been the existing
slale of affairs for fifty years--that slaves
are property. Admit that fact, and you ad
NIT everything. Then that property in the
t Territories must be protected precisely ir
, the same manner with any other property
: Ii it be not SO protected in The Territories