Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1860-03-08


this later Compromise. when we find
It il re-enaeied in this very bill
Ia 1852. in an evil hogr for the
honor AMI glory Of this country. the
Democratic patty met at Baltimore.
anil nominated one Mr. Piefce--Gen-
esal Pierce. a man equally distinguish
el as civilian AMI as a soldier The
convention resolved they would dis
courage all agitation upon the subject
ofslavery in or out Of Congress. The
Wing party then met-ani. gentle
men. permit me here to say one thing;
| was proud of thar old party. l am
not here to resurrect II. but. if neces-
sary. to she'd tears over It. 1t was
the purest Organization since the day
Of the Revolution. [Applanse.l The
Wing party. in their convention at
Baltimore. resolved upon the same
thing-that they would discounten-
ance the agitation of the subject Of
slavery.
Two years rollei round. and Ste
phen A. Douglas introduced into
Congress the measure that began the
agitation. by doing that which no
man of the South or North had asked
for-by doing that which Ire had said
but few short months before he
hoped no ruthless hand would ever
do. He brought in measure to re
peal the Missouri Compromise. For
what purpose was this? To inangn-
rate new system. he told us, by
which the people in the Territories
could form and regulate their own
institutions in their own way.
For few moments, let us see
what that stump speech, injected into
the body OF that bill, means. What
are the positions Of the three parties
now upon the subject Of slavery in the
Territories? The opposition believes
that Congress has the power TO gov
tern the Territories; we believe tha,
Congress has that power which was
excrtcd under the administration o.
Washington anl every Subsequent
President, as have shown yon-a
power which has the sanction of sev-
eniy years uninterrupted experience.
rha. is what we believe Why? Not
simply because the Government has
acquiesrel in this practice for seventy
years, hu, on the ground that there i
an express grant In the Constitution,
TO Congress-. of this authority.
The Constitution provides that
the Congress shall have power To
dispose of and make all needful rules
and regulations re, pecting the Terri
tory or Other property belonging TO
the Unifel States"
Under that authority it was the
Iopinion ofClay and Webster, and the
great constitutional lawyers Of the
past age that the power to govern the
Territories nccc>s sarily resulted The
power to govern the Territories results
Inevitably from, anuther provision -
Congress representing the sovereignty
of the country, the nationality of the
Republic is only known through the
action of Congress. the supreme power
The right to acquire Territory is no.
where else. ami If they have the right
to acquire Territory. it is perfectly ab
surl to say that they may not act soi
It's government. @ 4
The opinion of the Democratic party
as represented by James Buchanan Is
that the Constitution o. The L. s. ear
rics Slavery into all the Territories o.
the u. S. without loca! law, AMI he
says in his late message that neither
the Congress. Of the u. s.. nor the
! Supreme jourt. nor a Territorial leg.
iSlature. nor any human power car
exclude Slavery from a Territory
There is the opinion OF James Ddeh.
anan. . -
The position OF Douglas. as we un-
iers,and it. is that q majority of the
people cannot exclurie il. but the,
can make the place so hot by unfriend
" legislation. that Slavery can no
stay there. rn .f.aI
Now how does il happen that pop
ular sovereignty does or can attach Il
the people of Territory when tn
| people can not organize a Tenitoria
Legislature withou. an act Of Con
/ gress? We are told tina; California
did. Not so East gentlemen: Califor
MA never went ihforgn the process, O
Territorial organization. so she ca
not quoted in favor " popular SOW
sreignty.
Let us compare the opinions OF n
two fragments of the Democratic par
ty on this subject. B'sehsnan say
that Slavery is already in the Terrific