The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1860-09-13

Government--the other party, as was
natural, took the name OF Federalists,
or afterwards Wings. Well, from those
times even to this good day, Democra.
cy has been maligned and slanderod
with this cry, Now, without sense or
meaning, as we hope to show before
we are done, we state the above from
History, only to show when and where
the "pack opened"
Upon the most important question OF
this day, slavery, the position OF the
Democratic party, is simply this
Property in slaves is both recognized
and guaranteed by the Constitution and
the Government as guardian ofthe peo-
pic and their rights, is obligated to af.
ford II legal remedy whenever those
rights are violated therefore, it ought
to enact q penal law, declaring tho
stealing of slaves, or otherwise render
ing property in the same valueloss, to
be IA crime, to which a certain punish
ment shall be attached upon conviction.
The reason for demanding such a stat.
ute from Congress Is this without such
Il law, making the assisting a slave to
make his escape whom already in afree
State, or stealing II when in q terri
tory, Il crime no court Of ldw can havo
criminal ~jurisdition on, even if it had
by common law, considering slaves as
property, still it could not give judg.
ment us to the kind or amount Of pun
ishment-for crimes are to be tried in
the county or State where committed,
according to the laws thereof, and if
there is no law against such wrongs in
the free State or common Territory,
then there is nothing upon which to
found an indictment. Therefore it is
recognized by this party that Congress
should enact such law, which is not
legislating Slavery into or outof u ter
ritory or free State, but simply prolec'
ting the right ~hich already ertsts. But
it may be said that Congress has AREA
dy complied with this requirement BY
the enactment Of the "Fugitive Slave
Law" Yet owing to the tanaticism Of
anti-slavery devotecs-that MU atone
does not meet the exigencies ofthe case,
and why? simply because the criminal
law in that clause is nulitied by enact
ments in the Northern Slates--putting
the same penaly upon one who enforces
tho law that Congress has prescribed
for one who does not. Thus the citizen
is placed between. the Scylla and Cha
rybdis of State and Federal power, and
the National law is traudulently viola
ted. This is an evil to be %uprootod.
Congress must, and ought to afford the
remedy and then it becomes the
bounden duty ofthe Executive to ell
force its execution both in States and
Territories by tho strong arm Of Federal
p0mer, otherwise we have " shadow
without substance" This is what is
meant by proteotion--witbout it the
law is vaIueless. That this duty is dedu-
chile from the Constitution, and both
just and right, every N will admit
and if it is just, and our right, then Should
ne not hare 1t 0bSerped? Before that
question is answered, lot us examine
the consequences of it's surrender and
its loss. Ifthe stealing Of slaves in n
territory is not expressly Il crime, and
such crime is not certainly punished, no
Southern capitalist will " venture
upon the common territory with slaves;
andif this be true, no more slave States
| will enter this Union, because tho insti-
tuition of slavery can never have al
opportunity to display its workings,
or to demonstrate the practicability of
its introduction or, in other words, it
will be forever excluded without a
trial. Now, what will be the further
consequence of such u state Of things?
Each new free State adds two new an.
ti.slavory Senators to Republican pow
er, and increases their influence in the
House, over which they now have al
most absolute control. Further, by
such proceedings, in time, II sufficient
anti slavery power will be created to
change the Constitution according 10
tho process therein required. Then
our Constitution, so valuable, IS GONE !!
Quo quidem dempto, quis tam esset amens,
gui semperm hboribus ct periculis %riueret.
Then, fellow citizens, what would
Southern civilization be worth? Slavery
would be abolished, and the cotton
States become u desolate waste. Are
you prepared Tor such closing scone!
get such wdN be the inevitable consequence
of ~hSregarding "abStractions."
Now lct us see whether this party
pursues II polite course in asserting
this right of these States in the manner
it does; whether its bold and firm posi-
ton be not too ~prognostic Of civil trou-
bic. The proper objects which any
party should now desire are, justice to
the South, and national tranquility
Any course which will secure these de-