Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-10-10
The Standard.
For the Standard.

The National Democrat and several of its cores
pondents charge Mr. Branch with inconsistency in
supporting Mr.. Breckenridge in preference to Mr..
Douglas. Referring to these things the Register
of the 26th says:
mr. Branch's position, as we have more than
once proved, is the most grossly inconsistent one
occupied by any one person, save that Of Citizen
Holden and Senator Clingman."
It is not pretended that Mr.. Branch ever prefer
red Mr. Douglas for the Presidency, or directly, or
Indirectly favored his nomination. On the contrary
it il known from his repeatedly recorded opinions
extending from 1S48 down to the present time, that
he has always held in adherence Mr. Douglass fav-
orte theory of squatter, or popular, or territorial
sovereignty He is in favor of total absolute nom
Intervention by Congress or the Territorial legsla,
lures leaving the question of slavery to be settled
bv the people, when they frame constitutions pre-
paratory to their admission into the Union MIR.
Douglas on the other hand, whilst denying to Con-
gress the right to intervene claims for the first set
tiers the privilege of saying who shall come upon
the public land and who shall not. If his doctrine
is constitutional and few Northern men, by making
haste to get into new Territory, may exclude from
it. BY law all Southern men, why may not others
90 into another territory and make law that no
person shall come into it, and acquire land, except
members of their own family? If a handful OF
such adventures as generally constitute the first
settlers of Territory can annul rights of property
ACQUIRED under the constitutions and laws of the
States, what is to prevent them from assaing other
fundamental rights and relations established by the
same constitutions and laws? Why may not a col
ony of Massachusetts, Puritans make law bastard
ling every North. Carolinian who may go upon that
mart of the public domain which they themselves
coyet unless he can prove that his parents were
married according to the usages and laws OF New
Englandp If Mr.. Douglas doctrine is constitution
ho Iopo Rnf nnnrIQC'
doctrine is not constitutional. The fundamental
relations of society and rights Of property are fixed
and established by sovereign power, and cannot.
when once acquired under the constitution and
laws of State, be destroyed or taken away by the
Temporary and inchoate government OF a Territory
In view of this wide difference between them it is
absurd to saw that Mr. Branch is obliged by consid
erations of consistency to support Mr.: Douglas
It would be easy to show that Mr.. Breckenridge
entertans precisely the opinions on non-nterven-
ton which Mr.. Branch expressed in the circular
letter to which the National Democrat and the leg
lister have so often referred of late and that re-
gard for consistency in the absence of any higher
motive would compel Mr.. Branch to support him.
But these questions of individual consistency are
of little interest to the public, and my object in ia
king up nv pen was not to defend Mr.. Branch, but
to show that the editor of the Register ought to be
the last person to reproach him before the public
for not supporting Mr. Douglas. | charge that no
longer ago than last summer, when Mr.. Branch, in
reply to an inquiry addressed to him on the stump,
said that he intended to support the nominee of the
Democratic party even if Mr. Douglas should be the
nominee the Register assailed him Sc bitterly for it.
and denounced Mr.. Douglas and his doctrines in
such unmeasured terms that any prudent man
might be pardoned for hesatng to do the overt act
the mere contemplation of which brought upon him
such vituperation from the Register. So violent
was the hostility of that paper towards Mr.. Douglas
that q willingness to vote for him under any cir
cumstances, to save the Democratic party from
disruption, to save the Union which 1t loves so
much, or to prevent the election of black Repub-
lican, was most heinous offence the perpetrators
being no better than, if so good as, black Republic
cans Week after week Mr.. Branch" unfortunate
Mr.. Branch was belaboured most numerically
in its columns because he was willing to vote for
Mr. Douglas if he should be fairly nominated by
the Democratic party. The same paper, edited by
the same gentleman, now arraigns Mr.. Branch for
not supporting him when he has not been nomina-
ted Oh, hypocrisy! where is thy blush!
Let the friends of Judge Douglas, who have wit
messed the profound sympathy for them and their
cause, manifested by the Register and other opposi
tionsts of late, read and ponder we'll the following
editorial articles published in the Raleigh Register
last summer:
l. The leading editorial in the Register of August
8, 1859, is in the following words. l give the en-
tire article, without emitting or changing a word.
Some lines are italicised by me:
"BLAcK REPUBLIcANIsM IN THE SOUTH &c.-There
is earthly doubt that no inconsiderable portion
of the Democratic press, and leading politicians of
the South, is fast becoming Black Repubcanzed
We say this deliberately, and will prove the truth
of men of sense pass for little or nothing. Men of
look to practical ends and results, and would
as soon see the institution of slavery wounded de-
stroyed, by men calling themselves Black Republi-
cans, as by men calling themselves pro-savery DEM
ocrats Nor will men of sense stop to choose be-
tween the different means which are proposed re-
spectivey Of woundng destroying the institution
Of slavery, by the calling themselves Black Re-
pubcans, and the men calling themselves pro-slave-
~ Democrats. What matters 1t to men of sense,
whether slavery is kept out Of or abolished in the
Territories-the common property of the United
States-by Congressional Intervention legislation
against it, by "unfriendly legislation of the
Territorial Legislatures? In either case the result
is precisely the In either slavery is kept
out of the Territories or banished from them. In
either the doctrine is asserted that slaves are
not property doctrine which strikes at the root
of slavery in the States no less than in the Terrific
ries These premises we assert to be true and chal
lenge for them denial having even shadow of rea-
son to sustain it.
What then Is the conclusions This and only
this-that euery Southern man, aceU as erery
Northern man, aoho gires his support to Stephen A.
Douglas sanctions the doctrine that the Territorial
Legislatures may, "untriendly legislation" pre-
cent slauery from being introduced into the Terri.
tories or Danish savery from the Territories. The
Raleigh Standard, Messrs. Branch, Scales and 9TH
ers in North Carolina-James G. Jones and others
in Tennessee, Ex-senator Foote and others in Mis-
sissippi, and many more besides, are all ready to
support Stephen A. Douglas, and are therefore
ready practically to assert that there is right of
property in slaces land If this-mo matter sohat 1t
may be called popular socersignty" or what not
-is not Black Repubhcanism, then things equal to
the same thing are unequal to one another-then
there is no such thing automatic truth,-then
maxims are humbugs, and common sense delu-
sion. And yet Holden, Branch, Scales, &C., are
southern rights democrats especial and an
nointed champions of the Peculiar Institution =!
VIII somebody do us the favor to fan us, and hold
osnaigrette to our nose? The impotence of some
people Is ooerpooering."
Who Of you, gentlemen, friends of Judge Doug
las, will be kind enough to hold "the vinaigrette"
tn the editorial of fbo