The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-09-18
INSTRUMENTATION.

satisfied Is being used as catchword by Douglas
men for the purpose Of securing the support of
those who have not fully studied the subject If
the non-intervention which Mr. Douglas now ad-
vocates is the only principle which is to secure to
the South her rights, then indeed are we in a
deplorable condition. We are opposed to inter-
vention by Congress or by Territorial Legisla-
ture, only in 90 far Congress is bound to nuify
unconstitutional acts of such Legislature.
What is non-intervention? Mr. Douglas now
says it is nonnterference by Congress with slavery
in the Territories. How? Why, when the Ter
ritoral Legislature, at the instance Of squatters
and wanderers, shall legslate unfrendly to slavery
pass laws excluding Southern men with their
property-attempt to enforce enactments in direct
conflict with the Constitution of the United States,
Court to the contrary-hat Congress shall not
interfere This is Douglas non-interyention, but
it is not the non-intervention of the Democratic
party-it is not the non-intervention contained in
the Compromise measures of 1850, Gas Mr. Douglas
now falsely clalms,) nor was it that contained in
the Kansas Nebraska act of 1854, nor in the Gin
cinnati Platform of 1856.
Democratic non-intervention is this Congress
has no power under the Constitution to abolish,
establish by organic law, or prohibit in any way,
slavery in the Territories the Territorial Legisla-
ture is the creature of Congress; Congress cannot
confer power which it does not possess; hence, the
Territorial Legislature has not the power to legs
late unfrendlv to slavery. But if the Territorial
Legislature does thus legslate unconstitutonally,
what is the remedy? The COMPROMISE measures
of 1850 contained the following clause in 10th
section:
"And all laws passed by the Legislative Assembly
and Governor shall be submitted to the Congress of
the United States, and if disapproved, shall be null
and of no effect"
OF course these unconstitutional enactments
must be imperative, and the inference is clear that
if an attempt is made to enforce them, Congress is
in duty bound to prevent such enforcement.
The doctrine which the democratic party holds
with regard to non-interference by Congress, is,
that when a Territory comes to form Constitu-
ton preparatory to admttance into the Union as
State, she may submit the question of slavery to
vote of her bona file citizens, and if that Consti
tuition is presented either admitting excluding
slavery, that Congress shall not interfere This
was the principle contained in the Compromise
of 1851 Mark it we'll:
" And prorided further, That when admitted as a
State the said Territory or any portion of the same
shall be received into the Union with without sav-
cry their Constitution may prescribe at the time of
their admission"
And yet Mr. Douglas has the face to say that
his doctrine the living principle of the Com
promise measures of 1850! But it is equally
clear that his present doctrine not in the Kan
sas act of 1854 That bill declared the right Of
the people of Territory to regulate their in
ternal affairs, subject only to the Constitution of
the United States. There difference of
opinion among the friends of the measure as to
the extent of the limits which the Constitution
imposed upon the Territorial Legislature and they
agreed to disagree, because the South obtain
ing the repeal of the odous Missouri restriction
and the question was to be left for the Courts to
decide. Mr. Douglas then agreed that whenever
the question should be decided by the Courts that
decision was to be the law. But the Supreme
Court has decided, and Mr. Douglas shamefully
combats that decision ; Hear what he said in his
contest with Lincoln in Illinois:
Those police reguIations,"'--[by which he SAYS
slavery can alone be maintained lean only be estab
lshed by the local legislature, and if the people
opposed to slavery they will elect representatives to
that body who will by unfrendly legislation efectua
on the contrary they for it, their legislation will
favor its extension Hence matter what the decision
of the Supreme Court may be on that abstract ques-
ton, STILL the right of the people to make slave Ter
ritory free Territory perfect and complete under
the Nebraska bill"
VThe right of the people to make slare Terri
tory is 'perfect and complete" under the Consti
tuition but Mr. Douglas strives to engraft upon
this fundamental principle of Democracy his miser-
able squatter sovereignty doctrine that the right
of the people, while in territorial condition, to
make a free Territory remains "perfect and COM
pete' under the Nebraska BILL Thus placing
his construction Of that bill above the Constitution,
and boldly declares, sit matters not what the de-
cison of the supreme Court may beg
Lastly: His present doctrine is not in the Gin
,innati Platform, only it becomes so by his own
forced construction of that platform. Mr. Haet,
who drew up the resolutions of the Cincinnati Con-
vention, declares that, in framing the platform,
MS object was to set forth the principle clearly
hat the people of Territory only had the right
20 exclude slavery when they came to form Con-
,titution prior to admission into the Union as a
State But one of the resolutions speaks sufi-
GENTLY clear. Here it is:
"Resolved That recognize the right of the people
If all the Territories including Kansas and Nebraska,
ctng through the legally and fairly expressed will of
majority of actual residents, aud whenever the
of their inhabitants jusfes it, to form constitu
ion with without slavery, and be admitted into
he Union upon terms of perfect equality with the