Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-12-11
Greek Tnrrinr Mt Greek.

for taking the Enquirer to task for its Aboli-
ton doctine that an Abolitionist may 60
into Territory and there vote the property
of Southern emigrant out Of his hands.
But the Courier declares the right to do this
at the formation of State Constitution, and
it applauds the Presidents exposition of this
doctrine as follows
"His Interpretation of the great principle
embodied in the Cincinnati Platform, is i'm
pregnable, that not until forming Consti-
tuition PREDATORY to admission as State into
the Union, have Territories the right 'to de-
eide the question whether slavery shall or
shall not exist within their limits He
tersely and truly says: This is an act of
sovereign authority, and not of subordinate
Territorial legislation.
What difference of principle is there
whether an inhabitant of Territory votes
for representative to vote on the rights of
property of the Southern emigrant, or
votes for a delegate to Constitutional Con-
vention 10 do the same thing2
Is not Democracy ticklish thing when
to vote for a representative to DO a
thing, is Abolitionism and immediate cause
for disunion, but to vote for the same person
to DO the same thing as a delegate, is national
and conservative, or, to use a word which
comprehends all the political, moral, social
and religious virtues, it is pro-slavery.
Would it take more than the faintest spark
of common sense in these journals to show
them that the doctrine of either is nothing
but pure Abolitionism, more or less unmit-
igated according to the time at which it is to
be applied2
One proposes to the South the constitu-
tional right to take their slaves into the Ter
ritories; and then insists on the right of a
hostile majority in the Territory to abolition
ize them. The other proposes to foster and
protect this property in the Territories, and
encourage its settlement there, and then
abandon it to be abolitionized by hostile
majority in a Constitutional Convention.
Total exclusion from the Territories would
be tender mercy to the stakeholder, COM
pared with either of these traps.
That is worst which seduces the slave.
holder by the longest protection, only to de-
sert him in the end. What carnival of
folly has besotted our politics when parties
can argue that property may be constitution
ally excluded from where it has consti-
tutional right to go! Or, can talk of pop
ular sovereignty, or any other sovereignty,
taking away right of property And
from the right of the people to govern
their institutions can derive their right to
vote away rights of property How tri-
nmphantly our vaunted and exclusive ca
pacity for self-government is vindicated,
when this Is called "the great principle OF
selfgovornmentp and politician sets up
the business of craftsmanship on it, and like
the great red dragon of Revelations, draws @
third part of the political world at his tail.
What hope is there Of return to common
sense when the fearful President, anxious
to quiet the South by yielding every thing
says Of the abolition of slavery by Statc
Constitution: "This is an act of sovereign
authority, and not Of subordinate Terri
torial Legislation p as if sovereignty coulc
abolish rights of property. Do men, wher
they take their other property into the Ter
ritOries, and when they purchase their land
of the Government, hold them subject to b
impaired or destroyed by the substitution c
State sovereignty
Where is sovereignty if it is not in tn
people2 The people of Territories hav
formed them into States, without the inter
vention Of Congress. But if an inhabitan
of a Territory says 81 vote for a represents
tive who will pass law against slavery,
the Union can not be preserved. So NJ
Buchanan says. But il he says 81 vote fc
a delegate who will pass Constitution /
exclude slavery" the Union will be pre-
served; and it is national, law-abiding, col
servative, Democratic, and, as he says, a
cOrding to the Cincinnati Platform.
The Federal Government is just as 80,
efign over the Territories, as State goverl
ments are in their own Jurisdiction.
body now denies this at the South, and Il
President does not. But he says that
Congress to pass a law excluding slavel
from the Territories would be cause for Il
secession Of the South but he allows tn
it may pass law authorizing the inhabitan
of Territory TO form a Constitution bo
excluding and abolishing slavery, and Il
Union will be safe.
What hope is there of any principle
policy or light to help the present polite
panic, from party and an AdministratiC
whose political ideas are in such hopele
muddiel What an idiotic controversy is
for these journals 10 exhaust their intellec
ual resources in charging each other vii
Aboiitionism, when they only differ in Il
extent 10 which they would entice sla,
properly into the Territories and foster an
protect it before they abandoned It to Il
chances Of Abolitiopism by popular Vot'
If Abolitionism, which would exclude SLAYER
from unoccupied Territory, before it acquir
any rights Of possession, is dangerous to Il
Union, how can the Union exist under th
doctrine which adds TO Abolitionism Il
robbery Of the Southern emigrant whom
has inst eRtieed into the Territories.
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