The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-01-25
HON: JOS EPH L AN E,
Of Oregon, IN the Senate Of the United
States, December 10, 1859.

Twas unfortunate, Mr. President, in not
hearing the point which was submitted by, the
Senator from Ohio in the courselof his speech
to the northern Democratic Senator's / mo-
ticed that the Senator from Minnesota rose
and responded, but did not hear what was
the question submitted. tt..'>E
Mr. PudH The question which I propos-
ed, referring to the statement contained in the
speech of the Senator from California, at Grass
Valley, was, whether the other Democratic
Senators from the non-slaveholding States held
the position that any man who entertains
Judge DOUGLASS opinions or mine, for they
essentially differ in some things, as to the pow
er of a territorial Legislature. was unfit to sit
at the head of the Committee on Territories,
or to be received into the ranks of the Demo-
cratic party-whether it was cause of exclu-
sion .s--... -.-..,-
Mr. LANE. Mr.. President, I desire to say
to the Senator that i; is not my purpose to pre-
scribe rules or a platform of principles ior the
Democratic party. L had nothing to do with
Edisplacing Judge DoUGLAs from his position
as chairman of the Committee on Territories
but L will say to my friend from Ohio that
l have very great respect for him, and that l
have no doubt there are many good Democrats
IN the northern States who do not agree with
me upon the territorial question:. I would not
say that any one of them who disagrees with
me, and holds different principles on that point,
is not good Democrat; nor do / pretend to
say that the fact, that judge DOUGLAS holds
the views or opinions he does on this point,
would have been good reason with me for
opposing his election to the craftsmanship of
the COMMITTEES ON Territories. He had been
displaced before bacame a member of this
body; it was done by Democratic Senators,
whose devotion to the Constitution, the Union,
and the rights of the States, no man will un-
dertake to gainsay - ~ T. ,y'ie & 80 '.',5 .'.'i
a While am up, Mr.. President, will say
that have my views in relation 10 the terri
torial question, and / am sorry to find that
they differ very materially from those of my
friend from Ohio but / am sure he is good
Democrat. There is no doubt about that; and
know I am good Democrat. Then, sir,
how can 4 undertake to say that gentlemen,
differing in opinion on the territorial question,
shall not act together Democrats, when the
salvation of our country depends, upon the,
success of the Democratic party? l think
that the principles of the Democratic party
are the true principles OF this Goyerhfh en- {,
and they must be maintained, they cannot be
compromised Seeing and feeling, as I do;
the importance of union on the part of Demo-
Gratis, on all great questions, would not rule
out any member of that party because he did
not feel as do in relation to territorial mat
ters. [ have great respect for Judge DoUG-
LAS; believe him to be Democrat but
have a right to differ even from him, and l do
differ in opinion from Judge DOUGLAS, and
also from my friend from Ohio, in re ard to
the power of the, people in the Territories.
hold that the Territory of the country isrthe
common property of the whole country, that
the people of every State of this UBion have
equal rights in the Territories, and that while
they remain in a. territorial condition, the in
habitants cannot, by unfriendlyr legislation, or
by system of Unequal taxation, debar the
people of any State from admission there; or
in other words, that they cannot, by legislation,
infringe on the rights of the people of any
State. Bus. let me give an illustration I hope
the Senate will allow me to make a case.
Application has been made to Congress, du-
ring the last two or three years, for the organ
izstion of territorial government in Arizona.
Arizona is i'll the southern portion of our coun-
try The climate is warm; the soil is adapted
to the production of cotton fit is rich in mineral
resources I have no doubt that slave labor
could be used to advantage in Arizona. 1 be-
lieye it could be proftably used there for the
production Of cotton I saw the cotton fields
on the Gila in the winter Of l848; picked
the1cottons out of boels, examined its quality
and texture, and found it to be fine: Cotton
can be grown and produced! there in abun-
be used pfoftably in the mines of that region,
and in agricultural pursuits. That being the
case, representing, as do, northern State,
elected by, the Democracy of northern State,
II could not for one moment consent that the
people of the South should rush out there as
soon as territorial government was organized,
get possession of the Legislature, and, by a
system of unfriez.dly Legislation sor unequal
ia xation, IN dertake to keep the people of the
North out of that Territory. We would not
Submit to it at all; we would say at once they
have no right to pass such laws and believe
any honest court, such one as would be sent
to that Territory, would decide such enact
ments invalid as violating that principle of
equality of States upon which this Govern
ment must rest. The principle of equality of
States must be maintained. Their equal right
in the Territories is So clear tony mind, that
L cannot in aginei how any gentleman can
gainsayI it. 81 The fefritsry is the: common
property of all the States, and am sure that
the northern people would not submit to any
such system of taxation, or any such legisla-
tion, in Territory, as would exclu e them;
The northern Democracy just; and while
they would not submit to that course of policy
on the part of the South, they would not at
tempt to exclude the South by a system to-
which they would not submit themselves. r.
: Mr. PUGH. l desire to correct the Senator
from Oregon. I am certainly surprised, after
the great pains I undertook to express my opin-
ions,- to hear the Senator reiterate the asser-
ton of the Senator from California, that l had
declared my opinion that it was proper, or just,
or right or even competent, for territorial
Legislature by a mere indirect fraud, or un+i
equal taxation, or restrictions on the right,of
suffrage, or anything of that sort, to prevent
emigration, or to give the people who emigrate
from one section of the country advantage
over those who emigrate from anot ,er.a ex-
planned what thought on that point. While
my friend from Oregon probably did not hear
me, Ithipk it extraordinary, after i corrected
the Senator from California twice or thrice,
that it should be reiterated. g. do not believe
in any Of these doctrines of unfriendly legis-
lation; as youiexpound it / Inever did. : If the
people of the Southern States are entitled,
1hdef the sGohstitutiob, or otherwise, to this
SHES -fnsaaI:t11 =