Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1860-08-04


L exclude slave property from the Terri
e tory-thus virtually investing a Terri
: torial Legislature with power to annu
T. this provision of the Constitution as con
Y strued by the highest tribunal known t.
: the law
, These are the articles of creed, pro.
posed by Mr.. Douglas, to which the South
object. In the celebrated campaign de.
l bate with Mr.. lincoln, previons to the
) bred Scott decision, in answer to Ger.
| tain questions proposed by Mr.. Lincoln,
Mr.. Douglas answered as follows:
"The next question propounded to me
by Mr.. Lincoln is, can the people of a
Territory, in any lawful way, against
the wishes of the United States, exclude
slavery from their limits prior to the
formation Of a State Constitution? I
answer emphatically, as Mr.. Lincoln has
heard me answer a hundred times, from
every stump in Illinois, that, in my opn-
ion, the people of a Territory can, by
lawful means, exclude slavery from their
limits prior TO the formation of State
Constitution. Mr.. Lincoln knew that |
had answered that question over and
over again. He heard me argue the
Nebraska bill on that principle all over
the State, in 1854, in 1855 and in 1856,
and he has no excuse for pretending to
be In doubt as to my position on that
Hquestion."
After the Dred Scott decision had been
pronounced and published, Mr.. Douglas
states his position thus:
ut matters not what way the Supreme
Court may hereafter decide as to the alb
stract question whether slavery may or
may not go into a Territory under the
Constitution, the people have the lawful
means to introduce it OF exclude it as
they please, for slavery cannot exist u
day Or an hour anywhere unless it is
supported by local police regulations.
Those police regulations can only be es-
tablished by the local Legislature; and
if the people are opposed to slavery,
they will elect representatives to that
body who will, by unfriendly legislation,
prevent the introduction of
it into their midst. If, on the contrary,
they are for it, their Legislation will fa-
ror it's extension. Hence, noe matter
what the decision Of the Supreme Court
nay be on that abstract question. stiu
and complete unuer ttrc sdsRa pHI.
hope Mr.. Lincoln deems my answer
on that point"
If it be true that the Territorial Legis-
ature can, by an act, exclude the citizen
Of Southern State, with his slave pro-
perty, from all enjoyment of and partlc'
ipation in, the common territorial pro-
perty Of all the States, as is asserted by
Mr.. Douglas, the Constitution and the
decisions of the Supreme Court, and the
rights Of persons and property there are
the playthings of Territorial Legista-
ture, to be put up and down-to be given
or taken away at pleasure.
For these doctrines the Southern States
refused to accept Mr. Douglas as a can.
and who, had he been with and
of them, would have done otherwise.
But whether the Southern States were
reasonable or capricious in their refusal
to accept and support Mr.. Douglas, they
had taken their stand deliberately, after
mature consideration-their avowal was
before the country and was we'll under
stood; and, unless lie had some pre-
emptive right to the nomination, which
is not conceded, they had a right to set
him aside as mere matter OF choice,
without any reason whatever. These
States held one hundred and twenty
electoral votes, sure for the Democracy
with an acceptable candidate, while
every other State, except those on the
Pacific, were counted against us, or
doubtful, and yet managers of the mr.
nority and doubtful States, by artifice
and combinations, soughts through the
strangely protracted sessions OF the
Conventions held at Charleston and Bal.
timore, to force this one candidate upon
the Southern States, and in this persist
ent and insane effort first dismembered
and then adjourned the Convention at
Charleston, and finally divided and broke
it up at Baltimore. 1t was of all others
an occasion when all mere Individual
preferences should have been forgotten
and surrendered for the public good; but
it was Douglas or nothing, and hence
the result. The Convention broken up
the party dividcd-and all for can
didate who cannot get a single electoral
vote. ......-.
The Democratic party, under such a
rule, is like the serpent in the fable,
which gave up the lead for time to the
tail instead of the head, to prevent its
clamor, and in attempting to go tail fore
most it stuck fast, and thus remained
the tail refusing to give up the right to
go ahead. And thus will the Democratic
party remain until it sheds its tapering
extremity, which insists on being hon
ored with command.