The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-09-28

The JOINT Discussion at st. Anthony
between Messrs. Gilman and Win.
dom.
We heartily wish every voter in the State
could have been present at the joint discus
sion, at St. Anthony, on Thursday evening,
between JOHN M. GILMAN, the Democratic
candidate for Congress, and WILLIAM VIM
DOM, the Republican nominee. Mr.. GILMAN
opened the discussion in speech of one
hour. He was followed by Mr.. WINDOW
for one hour and half, and Mr.. GILMAN
closed in half hour speech, during which
he was interrupted several times by VIM
DOM, (who WINGED terribly and even Col.
ALDR1cH, after GILMAN concluded, had to
take the floor to get his friend WINDOW
out of the dilemma in which he was placed.
We presume three-fourths of the audience
were Republicans two companies of Wide
Awakes we're in the Hall, and all manner of
enthusiastic demonstrations to aid WINDOW
were arranged, but Notwithstanding all this,
GILMAN, long before he had concluded,
turned the tide of enthusiasm, and extorted
even from Republicans, hearty applause, as
he INDICATED Democratic principles, and set
forth the the just claims of STEPHEN A.
DOUGLAS to the sufrages of the American
people.
Mr.. GILMAN, in commencing, entered into
very clear exposition Of the principles of
the Democratic, Republican and Admins
tration parties he showed that the Repub>
licans proposed to interfere to exclude sla-
very from the territories, where the people
wanted it that the Administration party
proposed to establish and protect slavery
where the people did not want it; but that
the Democratic party was pledged to the
doctrine of non-intervention, or the right of
the people of the territories to control the
subject in their own way. The question to
be decided was, not whether slavery is NOR
ally right or wrong-but where does the
power reside to control it? He contended
the people of the territories possessed the
inherent right of self government they got
it from God Almighty, not from Congress !
The slavery question had been, and always
would be, decided in the new territories, by
the laws of climate and production, and
Congress was not equal to the task of fore
ing either slave or free institutions upon an
unwilling people. He then showed that
under the bred Scott decision, Congress had
not the power to prohibit slavery in the
territories. That decision was binding /;
and if the Republicans expect to control
the government to prohibit slavery, they
must first get that decision reversed. He
next exposed the fallacy of the Administra-
ton party, and demonstrated that the su-
preme Court had not decided, in the bred
Scott case, the extent of the political power
of the people of the territories. The speak
er, after referring at some length, to the ef-
feet of climate upon the decision of the sla-
very question, instituted a forcible compar-
ison between the claim of George III that
Parliament was supreme over the colonies,
and the dogma of the Republicans. that
Congress is supreme over the territories.
He quoted the ordinance of 1887, to show
that it recognized the right of selfgoverr.
ment in its fullest extent. Would not Re-
publicans feel insulted if they were told that
the moment they crossed the boundary line
from Minnesota into Dakota, they became
unfit to enjoy the right Of selfgovernment
Yet the Republican platform virtually told
them 80.
Mr., GILMAN next contended that an ad-