, 1860-01-20

Why all this pomp and circumstance Of elo-
rious war? Wncnce ttcse fierce battles be-
tween the Montcchi and Cupuletti Of the Demo-
cratic camp: Are ye not brothers9
But Mr.. Douglas is a statesman. {so they are
all. all statesmen.) and pretends that the Con:
stitution does not establish slavery ia the terri
tories, beyond the portr If Tie people to control
"it BY kaw." What does that mean? It
means that people Of territory shall have the
power, not to exclude slavery by lay, Tor Sir.
barrass the STAKEHOLDER in the enjoyment Of his
right By unfsiendlJ legislation" The rightto
hold s!nscs, says he, in mother place, "is q
worthless right, unless protected By appro.
"|priate police regulations. If the people Of a
"terrltory do not wnnt slavery, they have but
"ieeislation.' Indeed, u most ingenious expe-
dent!
but alas! Here is one Of those cases where
the abstract admission Of Il right is Of decisive
importance: Supposing, for arguments sake,
slave might escape from his owner in terri
tory, without being IN actual danger Of recap
ture; would that iu any way effect the constir,-
tloual right Of the Shareholder to the possession
aud enjoyment Of Ills property? "If," says be.
slavery exists in the territories by virtue of
"the Constitution" ftllat is, If sL1rtAolder has
70 riyht to Introduce his "staee property" sohtre
th:rf .'"o otA.rht1 du. tie constitatio") "tAta
~: becomes tie imp,ratiee duty Of Congress, to
"tae Pt.fornad"ee cf srhich erfry msm6tr is shound
" A1s oatA and eoh1cieaef, and from fchich no
consideration Of policy or ttpedifncy can rele7tt
him, to proride BY k1ao such adequate aaL cam
ptste protection az is e*senti1t to The enjoyment
"cf M1t import1at right"
and Dir. Douglas. after having emphatical'y
admitted the right Of property III slave, where
that right can spring from other Law but tue
CONSTITUTION, then dures to speak Of unfriendly
leeisfations Where is his conscience? Where
IS his oatbl? Where is his shonor: IApplausc- ]
But Nr. Douglas says more: 1.-THE ceustitu-
"tion beng the supreme lar Of the land in the
Estates as we'll Us in the Territories, then
"slayery exists in Pennsylvania just US vel as
t'ln kansas and in South Carolina, and the IT.
"reHresstbie conflict is there" Aye, the ire
pressibe contl'ct il there, not only between the
TWO antagonis:ic systems Of labor, but between
Ar; Doug;as' own theories; not only in thcStates
Laughter and cl.eers.] Whatever ambisut us
expressions Nr. Douglas may invent, the d.
letiaa stares him in the face, land here I put
myself on his own grouna): either slayery is
excluded from tue territories SO long as it is not
admitted By special net OF territorial lecisla-
ton,-or il Shareholder has the risl't to intro
auce his slave property there before such leais.
lation is had, he possess ta. right l,y virtue
Of no Other but the only law existing. there. the
Constitution ofthc T1ited States. Either slave.
~ has no rights in tie territories except those
sprloginS from positive la:s Of local or munich
pal Character, Ut. according 10 Judge Douglas
o"n adullsson, the Southern construction o.
the Constitution and Of the principle Of poru-
lar sovereignty il the only legitimate ono; that
the Constitution by its own force carries slavery
wherever it is tile supreme law OF the land: that
Congress is obliged 10 enact s!aye code for its
protection, aud tfsut popular sovereignty means
the power Ut the people to vote TOR slavery but
~ NO means agains. it.. There is no escape
from this dilemma.
Which side will Mr.. Douglas take? Wilt he
oe bold enough 10 say that slavery, bc;n. tile
creature Of local Law only, is cxc!uied from the
territories in tue absence OF positive law cstab,
liating 1t; or will he be honest enou"1l to con.
csde that, accordinSto his own proposition III
nus Sc" orleans speech, slavery exists in the
lie will neither tc bold ruouah TO 60 tic first
nor honest enough III DO the second; he will be
cowardly enough to do neither. Applause.
lie IS 'n the position Of that Democratic candi.
date fur Congress III til West, who. when
asked: "Are YOU buchanan Or Douglas
man:" answered, II am" Great laughter ard
cs,rcrs.l II you ask Mr.. Douglas, ..Do vou
hold that avery is the creature Of local law,
or that Il Shareholder hns tic right to intro.
duce bis slave property where there is no 10,
cal law:" he will answer, II d." IContinued
Iaushter and app1anse.]
Such is Mr. Douglas doctrine of popular soy-
eere1snty; But AFTER having given ron sr.
1pHs9tAS thA uEHHlttutal LII HIS OWL NOruSx / see
ron puzzled allt!se more, and you ask me again
"Wlnt IL" will tell you what judgn,en.
will By passed upon it by future historians, who
may lind it worth whiic 10 describe this 1upo
tent attempt to daily and trife witt, the iosic o!
things. They will say: "1 II was the doJ.e OF a
man who was we:! aware that, in or.er to he
Gle ted President uf the United States, the vote
Of u few Northern STATES must be added 10 tue
united votc Of the Soc.l'. Knowing hy expert.
ence that the Democratic road to the White
House leads through 'he slarehotliug States, hc
broke down the lust geographical barrier to tue
extension Of slavery. so lie meant to secure the
South. But in conceding undisputed sway to
the slarehol!ing interests, be saw that lie was
losing his fuothold III :tlc Northern States ne
his election lie ava'letl himself of The
,rre*is,ible pressure ct The free State movement
in Kansas, aud oppuscd the Lccomptnn t,ousti.
tuition. So lie sayed his Scnatorship in Illinois,
rs the champion Of Tree labor. but the South
irowned, aud Immediately after lis victory he
went into thu slare:loldin. States, und admitted
in his speeches, %4at slavery may 60 into the
Territories without special act Of Territorial
legislation. believing the South satisfied, and
seeing his cllancGx in The North endangered. he
wrote Lis Naeptf.-Ndya=iae essay, assu,ain.
that slavery Can exist only by virtue Of local
law The South frunning again, lie endeaYore.l
| to nuke his peace with the Shareholders by de-
clariug that lie would submit to the Charleston
Convention, and 1nstiucsipg lis nearest fricuds
i'll tue House 10 vote for The Administration can
/ dldate for the Speakers!:ip So he eudearorcd
to catch both sections Of the rnicn s:iye!y
| in the tr:p ct a oub!e.I faced spphis,ry. lie
| tried to please them both in trying to cheat
| them bath. But hr placed himself between tue
logic OF liberty on one au the logic Of slavery on
the o'l.cr side. l!v put the sxurd Of logic into
the bands Of his opponents, .na tried to defend
himself with tile empty scabbard Of" unfricndly
leeg'slation," tApniause.] unfriend'y ltEis!.,,
t'ou, Which IN unc ease would hare been unnc-
ccssary, in tile other uacoastltutional-the i'll
vention Of mind without logic and of Il heart
without sympa'hiss recognized On all sides; as
Il mere substitute, behind hicil the moral COW.
ardicc VI 4 Presidential candidate entrcnched it.
SELF" [Ch:crs.]
Such will be the verdict Of future historians
Thug. will Indulge i'll curious s2ecuEations about
the times when such doctrines could be passed
niI us sound craftsmanship Ia s,atesn,aush n
indeed, the prototype of which may he found,
Eot in II Plutarch. but in Aris,opbunss, but the,
viii bc slow to believe that there uere peopl.
Gull enough to be deceived br it. [Appiause
Leaving aside the stern Reputation which Mr..
Douglass popular sovereignty has Eccelved at
the bands If llc prnrtc ut the last State cleo.
lions aI over the Union, it Is = characteristic
sign Of the times, that even one OF his political
friends, an auti'Lecompton Democrat, recently
went so lar as to tlt clare Oh the iour Of Con.
grcss that he would no. vo;e for aEr. Douglas,
| It nominated by the Charleston Convention.
unless i c'ear and nneIuvocai construction
were affixed to the re affirmation Of the Cincin.
| natl platform. Il wise rrecauticn indeed hut
| whatever construction might bc given to the
Cincinnati platform, what will that gentleman
10 with the double faced platform, which Mr..
Douglas has laid Gown for himself: What will
The abstract pledge Of Il convention lie worth to
hin, il Nr. Douglass own pledges are worth
nothing: What will lie 10 with a man, who
when pressed 1o take MI uncqnivocal position,
is ALWAYS ready TO sneak behind u su cr or au-
thority. declaring that "thcse arc questions to
be settled by tue courts:' Laughter and ap-
plause.1
Mr. Douglass situation is certainly ysry per.
picking one. On one side he is ostracised by
the administration democracy inr his illogical
anil unconstitutional doctrine, that the |e:,is;a,
ture Of territory las control oyt slavery; aud
on the Other baud, onc Of his nearest friends,
Mr. Morris Of Illinois, in his recent speech m
the Presidents Nesssg ,''enouaces the doctrine
that slave property u.aJ be carried into tue
territories, just like other property, cs an afro.
cious "abuminalioa." Was Mr.. Norris not
lware that this - 'abon,inatien" il the identical
| Orleans speech! Let Mr. Morris examine the
record Of Judge Doug as, aud hc will find out,
| thnt whatever abou2:uatlons Mr.. Buchanan
brings forward in his message, lie ndTocats~
none that is not a direct logical consequence OF
| Mr. Douglass own admissions.
| | see the time coming. when these who ral-
| ricd around Douglass colors because they be-
1ieved in his principles, will, foua his most de-
voted friends, becomes his most indignant accu-
| sers. They are already uuwittingly dcnou1c-
iny his doctrines when tbev intend to defend