The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-07-26
Only Forty Cents! f.; 3, .e GsS GoTH'HH
Dem ocrass, keep yorr E,rou,sse,


Conventions, we had conversations witt.
not less than twenty Democrats in this Vi
cinity. EDery last man of them said that if
aplatform should be adopted more pro. sla-
very than the Cincinnati platform they would
not vote for the candidate of the party
even if the candidate should be Stephen A.
Douglas. Said they Douglas declared in a
noted letter written to gentleman of Du.
buque, that should the Charleston Convcn.
ton adopt any other thin the Cincinnati plat
form he would never consent to become the
nominee of the party, and We will trust Mr.
Douglas all the time Are not every one of
you hurrahing for Stephen 4. Douglas, as the
candidate of Democratic party?
What, now, is the platform on which Ste
phen,A. Douglas stands? For Gods sake,
don't stop but read.
ResotGed, That we the Democracy of the
Union, IN Convention assembled, hereby de-
clare our affirmation of the resolutions
unanimously adopted and declared in a plat
form OF principles by the Democratic Con-
yention at Cincinnati, in the year 1856. =
and we recommend as our only
further resolutions the following"
Among these further rcsolutions,n we
find
Reso5oed, That during the existence of
territorial governments, the measure of re-
strIctions, whatever it may be, imposed by
the Federal Constitution on the power of the
territorial legislature over the subject of the
domestic relations, as the same has b en- or
shall hereafter be finally determined bv the
Supreme Court of the United States, should
be respected by all good citizens, and should
be enforced with promptnesS and fidelity by
every branch of the General Govern nvnt.
What this resolution means, and how it
should be construed, we will not attempt to
say. We leave this task to ADLER hands,
The Hon. John ". NOEL, now a reI resent
alive in Congress, from the Seventh District
of Missouri and who, by the way, is fierce
champion for Douglas--in communication
to the. Missouri Republican, which is Douglas
leading organ in the west, says:
1t is well known shat | am and ever have
been opposed to the doctrine Of squttcr SOW
ereignty, as it is sometimes called. have
never recognized, and never will recognize,
the right of the first body Of people that can
throw themselves into Territory, TO keep
ont or drive ont by unfrindly legis-
lation everybody who disagrees with them
in opinion. indnrsc the doctrines of the
Jefferson City platform as the true doctrine
OF the Constitution; but in supporting Judge
DOUGLAS | do not regard myself as abondon-
ing any opinion entertain on this question
find that the Baltimore Convention ador-
ted the following resolution viz the onc
above quoted.
We of the South contend that we have a
right to go to tie common territories with
our property and that the Federal Constitu-
ton restricts the Ter torial Le-isl tur, from
oil legislative discrimination AGAINST that
property, and we say the Supreme Court of
the United States has decided the principle
for US, and will so decide again if the uues-
ton comes before that court. The Baltimore
Convention adopts and affirms the Cincin-
natl platform, their constitutional restrictions
must be respected and enforced by every
branch Of the Federal Government What
those constitutional restrictions are, is refer
red to the decision Of the Supreme Court
created for the purpose ofdecidnr questions
or cases arising under the Constitution and
laws of the United States. Judge DoUcIAs,
in his letter of acceptance, indorses this reso.
luton, as well as all the others and thereby
pledges himself to carry out in good faith
the Propositions contained in it. Judge
DOUGLAS goes u step further in his letter O.
acceptance. lie used this language:
The GenernI Union must be preserved,
and the Constitution must be maintained in
riotate. IN aIitsparts Ecery right guar
Gateed By tie Constituioainust be proteetcl
by tao in nh cases aotere legiSlatioa is nee
essary to its enjoyment.
If therefore, the Supreme Court ofthe Uni
ted States have decided, or shall decide that
the people Of the South have a right under
the Constitution to go to the Territories, and
carry with them that which is proDe,ty in
their own State, and 50 hold il there as such
then il any Legislation is necessary To its
complete enjoyment, Judge DoUGLAs declares
that such legislation must be had. Whatcv-
er opinions Judge DoCGLAs may have hereto
lore expressed upon the abstract question OF
power in the Territorial Legislatures, | IN
dersiand him, in his letter of acceptancc.
considered IN connection with the Baltimore
resolutions, to take the broad and compre
hensive ground, that whenever this judicial
question shall be finally determined bv the
Federal Courts, every department of the
Federal Government must enforce and carry
out the decision in good faith; and that if
he We're then President Of the United States
he would use al! the necessary power of his
office to so enforce and carry it out. am.
therefore bound to conclude that whatever
differences Of opinion may exist between
Northern and Southern Democrats, on the
abstract question, practically their action
would be the same.