Daily national Democrat., 1860-09-26
The Rights of the People of the Terri
tories,

= y
what they allege to be their constitutional
rights, attemptto divert public attention from
their own disunicn movements. They ale
continually asserting that their principles are
based upon the Constitution and they ask
with an air Of triumph, chow can such priu-
ciples he sectional or disunionist p No one
maintains that their platform to which they
point is necessarily dangerous to the peace Of
the country But this is not the question Their
course gives us good reasons TO believe, that
they are even new about to repudate the
main point in the following resolution em-
bodied in their platform:
"That it the duty of the Federal Government, |
in all ITS departments, topro:ect, when necessary, /
the rights OF persons and property In the Terrific /
res, and wherever else ITS constitutional auhorl-
tv extends
"To protect trhcn necessary: This language
Is plain enough But who are to judge when
such protection is necessary We answer,
that in one case, the people Of the Territories
alone have that right, and in the other eases
the Federal Government But the Seceders
arog.te to themselyc the right to Judge es-
pecially so far as the above resolution applies
to the Territories-thus denying to the peo-
Pile Of those Territories any voice in the mat
ter. Does not the continual cry of constitu-
tonal rights and state rights, come with bad
grace from a party, who would demand that
a certain law should be enforced by Congress,
when the people do not want ii! Bat they
may answer, that they will not make such a
demand unless the Territories require it, We
!. ask them, "why this uucea>ing clamor for
- such a lav!" "Why these threats of fsecesson
from the Union, in case such a law is not
passedY We said that the Seceders were
= even now about to rrpudiate a main point in
their platform. Such conduct may appear
strange, but it is not, when we reflect, that
they refused at Charleston to re-adopt, in
+ full Convention the Cincinnati platform, un-
less the could construe it to suit themselves
s Their party in Virginia refused to endorse the
I resolution favoring the construction of Pa
cidc Railroad, and their leaders repudiate
/. their own doctrine maintained few years
1 past, in reference to the rights OF the people
8 of the Territories We have heretofore asked
: when it is the Secessionists suppose the peo-
D ple of the Territories will ask fer a law from
! Congress- protecting their property. One
8 woudsuppose from the clamor they raise about
. such law, that il was even now wanted;
3 when the fact Is, that no where in the Terri
4 tories, is such a law dreamed Of 10y the peo-
= pie In some Territories slavery does not
Z exist, although the slayeholder could 20 there
y = ifhe chose and in New Mexico, the Territorial
! Legislature has already passed laws for the
protection Of that spicies of property, and this
will be the case in all the Territories where
slavery can be made profitable. In this view
of the case, what motive have the Secession
:. lists for alleging that the failure 10y Congress
to pass such law will be reason why they
9 should even now discuss the policy Of going
, out of the Union. They have asserted that
such law ought to be passed ,c'cR necessa.
5 rH Why then can they not wait until the
Territories have something to say about it.
3 All! there's the point They should have to
II wait too long Their clamor and threats are
tltuNl tdl lhtNl NNlbr VI SaSSNttAANs " I
= Will take the Marysyille Express as authority
Il in this natter which says they are really il
IL earnest OF course if they are in earnest they
% intend to make an attempt in a certain con-
81 tingency, to carry out their threats immed
= ately. Now, they are sensible enough to
rs know that the Territories are not going to
3 ask for any projection for property, for the
10 present at any rate, fever and also that, Con.
! gress will not prohibit the taking of slaves
there So if the Secessionists go out Of the
Union, the will have to go, without making
: "A demand for a slave code for the Territories,
or they will make the demand without the
j.. consent Of the Territories Which will they
Z do? In the one case they will 90 without
p any alleged overt act against the South hav-
, ing been committed and in the other, they
II will repudate a portion Of their own plat
d form, by demanding law not necessary and
, which the Territories do not want. But
IA suppose they conclude to wait for an Overt
act viii it be the repeal of the Fugtiv,
Llave Law? 1t will be as impossible t,
repeal this law, we apprehend, as it will b'
= to prohibit slavery in the Territories. TIL,
: vote in the Senate which would kill on,
measure, would kill the other, and the Sece-
ders would look in vain for an overt act, anC
would find themselves batfled on all sides
Should the Republicans get full control o
both Houses of Congress, we confess tha
under the administration of President Q
- that party-especiolly one like Lincoln o
Seward-the South would have good reason
to apprehend the repeal Of the Fugitive Slav
Law, and perhaps the passage of law pro
hititing slavery in the Territories. But tina
time is not yet, nor will it arrive shortly
Before that time arrives we trust that I'll
Territories, so far as they are concerned, vii
have settled the question Of slavery as the,
are doing now. Settle it according to tn
= law Of climate and soil, and the iudgmen
of the people themselves They ask for n
law protecting property and until they do,
Is but creating evil agitation to demand it fo
=, them The demand is unjust to them an
!, unjust to the country at large.
ne OuR PIPE-We acknowledge the receip
T. Of beautiful manznetn pipe from our ex
H. celent friend, Mortimer Fuller. While tha
IT, pipe lasts we shall smoke no "meerschaums.
r. We cannot help relating here how our tran
10 guilty was seriously disturbed all on accouu