Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-09-26
The StaQoato.
From the Cincinnati Gazette, Sept la.]
SpEECH OF GEN. 10 LANE AT CONVICTION,
KENTUCKY 49,

SPEECH OF GEN. 10 LANE AT CONVICTION,
- KENTUCKY.
Last evening the candidate for the cePresidency
on the Breckenridge ticket Gen. 10. Lane, OF ore-
gon, addressed large outdoor audience, from the
door of Drover's Inn, Covngton. COL Harris OIL
ficiated as chairman, and introduced the General 70
the meeting. -.
Gen. Lane said he had not come to make Speech
but to state his views upon the great issues now
aritatinp the country He had not yet made up his
mind to enter the canvass as stump speaker but
he was glad of an opportunity to meet some OF the
ueople Of Kentucky-for the gallant old State was
the home of his boyhood. He knew her chivary
and the patriotism of her sons and therefore he was
proud to be able to visit the Stateagain CHEERS just
now the political horizon was overhung with dark
and threatening clouds. 1t was not very certain in
the present distracted condition of parties who
would succeed to the Presidential Chair But there
was no doubt who it ought to be-John U. breck,
inridce J"That SOL In his hands the interests OF
every class would be safe, and equal justice would
be dealt out under the Constitution, to every por-
ton of their beloved country. But there was
sectional candidate for the Presidency, man who,
if elected, would be elevated to office by the votes
of one section of the country only. The party who
nominated him hold that the common territory of
their country should be appropriated to the North
ern people exclusively or, in other words, that the
people Of Kentucky should have no interest in COM
mon with the Northerners in the common property
of the Territories. He trusted that the people OF
Kentucky would not favor the election of such
candidate On the other hand, the Breckenridge
ticket represented principle that must be maintain
ed-a principle lying at the foundation OF the Gov
eminent, and upon which the Constitution and the
Union reposed He knew that there were individ-
uals in that State who wished to divide the party
and prevent the success of Mr.. Breckinrldge-one
of the most gallant chivalrous, just, heightened,
talented men in the Union. Why should it be so?
1t ought not to be So Kentucky ought to be united
in defence of the principles upon which her interest
and future happiness, and the interest of the whole
country, depended APPLAUSE
The issue was whether or not all the people
should have equal rights in the common Territories;
whether Kentucky, Tennessee South Carolina, and
every other Southern State should enjoy equal rights
in the Territories with the people of the North
The Territories were the prize Of the blood and
treasure of every portion of the country; and,
therefore, any man, from any State, had the right
to enter Territory with whatever was property in
the State from which he came. If the Constitution
was maintained no power on earth could disturb
such man in the enjoyment Of his property in the
Territory. ["Thats the doct rine. When the peo-
pie of the Territory came to make State Govern
ment on their admission into the Union on an equal
footing with all other States it was their privilege
and duty to establish such Government, consist
emily with the Constitution as they desired to live
under, to constitute free or slave State; and it
was the duty of Congress to admit them in what
ever form they presented themselves. Cheers. +
With any other course there would not be equality
in this country.
"Squatter Sovereignty" was the sheerest nonsense
ever uttered by moral man. Laughter. 1t was
q heresy-a fundamental error; and those who
preached it either did not understand it. or did not
wish to do equal justice to every portion of the
country. The difference between State and Ter
ritory was manifest to every one who had particle
of common sense. In the State, the people were
ruled by the organized law furnished by their own
Legislature The organic law of the Territories, on
the other hand, was the law of Congress. Congress
had not the power to establish or prohibit Slavery
ut amt in the book" When their forefathers
made the Constitution, they conferred upon Con-
gress all powers necessary for the promotion of the
common good. They then took care to say: "All
powers hereby not conferred on the General Gov
eminent are reserved to the States respectively and
the people thereof" In the Constitution, which was
made by the purest men on the face of the earth,
there was not one word that could be construed as
authorizing Congress to legisate on the question of
Slavery. Would any man, then, who had one spoon
full of brains say that Territorial Legislature could
under an organic law, do that which Congress itself
could not do? If any would, he might with equal
propriety contend that man was greater than the
power that created him. Applause
The Government could not live that was con-
structed on the Squatter Sovereignty principle
That heresy was only more direct route to the
accomplishment of the Internal purposes of the In
coin party, namely, the exclusion of the people of
Kentucky from an equality with the Northern
States in the common territory Of their common
country. That's right He knew that the
IL kox Co. fo~< tox, 81
in the Senate together and had visited at each others
houses and had never had any personal difficulty
he knew that Douglas had been travelling over the
country in search Of his mother, his friend in the
crowd reminded him. and teaching the Squatter Sovc
reignty doctrine.
Recently Mr.. Douglas had taken higher stand
and defed the Supreme Court; for he had said that
the Court might decide as often as it pleased
that the Southern people had right to 20 where
they pleased with their slaves, yet the people of
Territory had the right to prohibit Slavery, and
were responsible alone to posterity and to God
Thus Mr. Douglas preached in the Northern States,
with the view Of dstracting and dividing the Demo-
cratic party, in ORDER as he (Gen. Lance honestly
believed, that Lincoln might be elected President of
the United States. ["God Forbid" Laughter
However, he would not say anything Of Douglas.
He had only wished to expose his heresies and de-
nounce his doctrine. He Gen. Lane) was for pre-
serving the Union, and God knew there was not a
man who would lay down his life quicker than he
would to assure its preservation. Applause. They
could preserve the Union forever by maintaining
the Constitution; and they must do the latter by
flsing to allow the Government to infringe upon
any Of the peoples rights. If the Government at
tempted to force an indignity upon Ohio would not
the Kentuckians rush to maintain her constitution
al right? And could they not do the for South
Carolina?, Even if any State o. people should be
willing to submit to an insult or to surrender a
right he would stand alone, if necessary to protest
against it. Applause The blood of his ancestors
shed in many = battle to defend constitutional
rights, ought to haunt the man who would relin-
quish one Of them, and the bones, rising from the
battlefield ought to shake in his face and call him
coward?
II it should be established that the people could
60 into Territory and there establish or prohibit
Slavery, what rush of opposing parties there
would be and soon there would be collision and
bloodshed between the citizens from the North and
those from the South.
Suppose Territory should be organized, the Leg
iaatnre Of which prohibited every Northern man
l~s.. al