Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1860-08-15

VINO MAS CHANGED GROUND
hb alleged that Nv urrn,SAs and
tho Southern Democracy have changed
ground on the slavorr question since his
election 10 the Presidency, let us see
how This s. ON the lth Of March, 1851
previous to taking the oatl, of Office, In
his inaugural address he said, speaking
of the right Of the people olo Territory
TO regulate their domestic ailn,rs IN their
own way-"A different opinion has arisen
in regard TO the point Of time wbm the
people of Territory shall decide the
question lol slavery for themselves. -
This is happily amaucr oibut little proctt
cal importance besides IL is q jud,cmlWc7.
fni, which egitima.cly belongs to the
Supreme Court of the United States, be-
fore whom il is now pending and will, il
is understood be apcedlly and finally set.
tied. This was done a few days theroaf.
ter in the bred Scott decision. To their
decision in common with all good citizens,
| shall cheerlully submit, whatever that
may bc, though it has ever been my indi,
yidual opinion that, under the Kansas
Nebraska act, the appropriate period will
be lchcn the ,uUaLcr ofurhtai residents IN the
Territory ShaH justify the formation Qt q C0aSh-
hlk0a, Nth a vicg to It's admission as q State H.
10 the Liioa."
This was the doctrine held and promul-
gated 10y Mr. Buchanan when he assumed
The duties Of the presidency, and his ln>
augural address gave universal satistac-
tion, not Only to the Democrats, but to
the conse' vative portion of the American
people outside Of the Democratic organi-
zaIion. The same doctrine was shortly
after enunciated by the Supreme Court
in their decision of tho bred Scott case
Everybody, except few rampant Abolit
ionists, was satisfied with the position ta-
kon bv the Executive and Judiciary and not
a dissenting voice was heard in the Demo
cratic party for nine months thereafter,
and until the Annual Message was trans
mitted to Congress in December following
Then it was, and not till then, that the
first symptom Of dissent to the doctrine OF
the President and Of the Supreme Court as
sumed the form of open rebellion in the
Senate Of the United States, and from
that day to this the country has been
torn and distracted by a question which
the President very justly observed was a
matter ofbut little practical importance.
The Presidents OPINION urles we great
ly misconceive his position, is precisely
the same as it was on the day Of his in
ugutation-nothing more-nothing less.
He was then in favor Of the people of a
Territory, when they come to form a
Constitution preparatory TO asking Cor adj
mission as a State-and net Jetorc-to de
eide whether they will or will not have sla
very, He is in favor of the same thing
now, and Nothing more. The Supreme
Court have decided the question in the
same way, and have farther decided that
the people of Territory, so long as it re-
mains in that condition, are entitled to
the protection of the general Government
in their persons and property, whether
hailing from the North or South.
From the above, then it is evident that
Mr.. BUCHANAN and the Southern Democ-
racy have not changcd their ground, whatever
Others may have done, since his admins.
tration commenced. They StOnd now as
they did then, on the broad platform o
the Constitution as eXpounded by the Su
premo Court, and time will show tha
their position is impregnahle, and no sue
cessful effort can be made to drive then
from ID.