The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1860-06-09
NO. 49,.


There appears 10 be some misappso-
hension, in the Sou,h, concerning ths
nature Of the resolutions offered st
Charleston by Mr. Howard Of 1ennc~~c
From 'his misapprehehson Of the terms
and effect Of that resolution arises the
erroneous impression that tho South
could hnnorabiy and consistently accspt
il IS a platform.
The resolution reads AS follow1 l.
Pessf,e@. Tha, I'll citizens OF the CnfeA
States have m equal RICH, to settle with their
property in the Territories and that Under the
decisions Of the supTprnA Court which Ne n
c0cnize Us m exposition of the Constitution,
neither their rights Of person nor Of property
can he destroyed or impaired By Congressional
or Territorial legislation.
Now this resolution in liable to precise
ly the same objections 80 'orcihly urerd
by the Southern delegations against the
platform adopted by the majority Of tho
Charleston Convention. ltdoes not meet
the Issue pending between the Democrn-
cy and the supporters of Squatter Sow
ereign,y. ltexplains nothing--it se,tles
nothing. Like the Cincinnati platform
i, il susceptible OF a double intcrpsets-
ton-one for the North and an opposite
one for the South From the terms Of
this resolution as well as from the terms
Of the Cincinnati platform, the State.
Rights Democracy. both North and South,
could deduce the right aud the duty OF
governmental protection for slave prop
eriy "a well as for all other kinds "
property. But this deduction Is based
upon the formula that slaves are proper
IS everywhere, as well in the Territories
as in the slave holding Slaves. The
Douglas ~quattcr Sovereignty doctrine,
on the other hand. is that slavery exlsts
only hy force Of local law. and that the
right u property IN slaves ceases when
the slave j. taken into community IN
which his condition AS property " nos
recognized By positive statute.
This doctrine is involved IN the follow
ing paragraph in Mr.. Douglass Harpet's
Magazine essay:
That ,lave. within the meaning Of the Con-
siitutiun, is person held to labor VI one stats
under the law. thereof no, under the tonstltu-
ton Of the United States nor by the laws 'hsn-
Of nor b7 virtue OF ans Federal authority What
state where such service or labor may be due.
20 tina, slave fodhj beyond State where
such service or labor may be due, aud non fu-
gi,yc, is not a slave, ald Consequent. n"s
property.
Therefore when. under The defnsion
that the Howard resolution II II Be
adopted embraces the doctrine .. proiee-
'iou 10 slave property, the South should
demand such protection AT the hands o'
the Democratic party, she would De AL
swcred that the Democratic party had
never yet conceded slaves 10 be property
IL tact the resolution s,udiously avoids
recognizing the righ. Of protection 10
slave property. II simply repudinses
the right 81 the Federal Government 10
impair the rights OF person or property IA
the Terri oties, thus leaving open the
great question in fact the only
uuestiuu- whether slaYes are pr"pe, 'y.
and as such entitled 10 the same proies.
ton that j. extended To all other kinda
of property Even Black Republican
could stand on sneh y platform as that
. and logically dcdncc from il the power
even to prohibit slavery IA The Terrific
rics. lie would maintain, with ent'ro
consistency. that in this he would not
violate the doctrine II the resolution. be-
cause Ia prohibiting slavery, he would,
on his theory, neither destroy nor i'm
pair any of the rights either OF person VI
OF property
The adoption of the Howard resolution,
So far from being triumph ot the state
Rights Democratic doctrine Of protection
10 slave property IN the Tcrri,'<'-s.
would be o degrading surrender ii tho
very principle in behalf Of which the
southern delegations seeded from tho
Convention
1t would kave the question as far
from settlement as ever, and instead oF
harmeni7lng the party would involve il
~ dilliculiies and conflicts from which
there could b, no escape, except by y
final disruption II the organization, OF
an unconditional yurfratler, on the part
Of tbs South to tiss preienSlons OF the
Sqnalici Sovereignty pnnSlasies. Sue
ccss'nu smell, a platform world be dis
honor. If we cannot have the aid Of
the Northern Democracy Hi,hou, deceiv-
/ ing them. OF teing ourselves dec-is~d,
we should a thoasaud times prefer de-
T feat THE time has past for ambiguous
/ resolutions AMI fraudulent rtatforms
, They are
iusgiiHs asnls.
Wheh rali.f wifh - Ia doatse ssnse,