The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-10-24
40IititaI.
Judge DouglasaReply
To the Question Propounded by the cincin-
natl Commercial

The editor of the Cincinnati Commercial
determined that he must be as ungentlemar-
ly as other Republicans had been, and hence
proposed question, through his paper, for
Judee- -Donalas to ansEer---T The. auestlon was
answered at Hamilton on "Wednesday last, as
follows: @
aIf were to undertake to answer all the
questions propourded to me, il would take
more time and voice than have at command.
hold that as gentlemen they have no right to
nut the question 10 me without hrst requiring
answers to them from their own candidate
EChccrsl If they are improper questions
not suitable to be propounded to a Preslden-
tial candidate, they do not act like gentleo en-
in recurring answers to them from me "Thats
so,' and applause.] They can take either
horn of the dilema.
Yet I am in no wise annoyed by these ques
tions. and I now Intend to answer one which
I 6nd nublished in the Commercial OF to. day,
accompanied with very earnest appeal to an
swer il. r.,
Hon. Lewis Campbell here called out, 81
advise YOU not to notice the Consn'erctdf. =, I
MIR. Douglas-Mo matter, will answer 1t,
Immense appluse, and first permit me to read
the question 1t is as follows: ~
"What is the remedy of the people OF the
Territories, providing the Supreme Court I'm
alIy determines that the measure of restriction
imposed by the Constitution on Territorial
Governments is such that these Governments
cannot abolish slavery within, or In any way
! legally exclude it from, their limits
How yery anxious they must be on hat
subiect! IGreat Laughter.] They want to
know what the remedy is if the court shall de-
eide that the Territoty cannot exclude slavery.
In the first place will not do the Supreme
| Court of the United States the injustice to be-
| lieye that they are going to stutify them
| .elves much less violate the Constitution.
1 have too much respect for the highest Judicial
| tribunal on earth to even suppose that they
can be guilty of such an act. Three cheers
for Douglas.) I will not make the suppose
tion until they shall have perpetrated the act
iI assume that no such decision evsr can ot
made By amy such court. - -
In the second place. the Supreme Court OF
the United States haze, IN fact. decided thai
pezy question an favor of my opinion. Nc"
! for the facts IF you will read the Constltu
tion of the United States, You will hnd that II
defines who are slaves, by what autnorty per
1 sons are held as slaves, and in what cases they
shall be rendered up when they escape. a
| slave, within the meaning Of the Constitution
is. N ouote,) GA person held to service or 10
i bor in one State, under the laws thereof,
hence slave is a person held to service or 10
bor in The State, under the laics therecf-no
under the federal authority, not under an ac
of Congress, not under the Constitution OF th'
j United States, but held in the State, "unde
/ the laws thereof" Can anything be plaine
/ fban the words of the Constitution on the sub
Eiect? 30 much for the question, 30 far as !
! relates to the States. r. taaa go -
4 Now let us inquire how IL stands with ref
/ ernee TO the Territories. The first Fugitiy'
i Slave Law, which was passed in 1898 and ap
i proved by George Washington, provides tha
a person held to service or labor IN any OF th
/ States. or in either. of the organized terrific
i ries, under the laws thereof, escaping there
from, shall be delivered up. Thus i appear
that slaves are to be delivered up to the State
and Territories where they are held under tn
laws thereof. The Fugitive Slave Act in il
Eself declares that slave are held in the Terrific
j ~ under, the law of the Territory. Now
j bear in mind that that old Fugitive Slave Lay
Il still in force. and that the act of 1850 is on
Iy an amendment to it, providing that slaves
4 When arrested, shall be taken before a commits
sioner of the United States, instead of befor
I a Justice of the Peace. This is the chief, tn
principal alteration, and the law still stands a
t was passed in 1898. declaring that wherev
er slayes erist IN a Territory they are hels an
der the lqps thereof. If that act OF Congress