Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-10-03

4 Common Prayer, but that is no argument agalnss
equal rights of conscience in religion
Now, then, the logic follows infexiby that II the
States are to have equal rights in the Territories
they must have equal rights to carry there every
species of lawful property Hence if labor IN col
ored man is lawful property in State, it follows he
can be carried as properly into Territory
Now take the next step in the argument-and II
the equal rights of the States require having an
eoua right in slave States to go with slave property
which free States have to go with their property IN
to the common Territory does it not follow that all
must have the right not only to emigrate with tneir
property but also the right not to be robbed OF It as
soon as thew get there |? Why shall the Northern
emgrant be protected from robbery of his property
any more than the Southern emigrant? Is that
equality? =,
The only way to jump this logic clean over the
Constitution is to 60 with the extreme black repuo-
licans, who deny the existence of property in man
everywhere have studied this question earnestly,
and I can see no middle ground between the two
propositions. Either the anti-savery doctrine OF no
property in slave labor is right our doctrine is
right that the emigrant into Territories shall be
protected from robbery of his property of that de-
scrpton, the all others protected against
robbery Of their property. And that is all that is
meant by protection in the Territories, and if we
mean to be fair and constitutional and national we
must all admit that it is no legal just or right
to rob Southern man in the Territories of his slave
property than to rob Northern man of his horses
and oxen.
Equality of the States" means no such thing as
slave code by Congress to protect slave property
any than it means cattle code to protect prop
erty in cattle but it does that there shall be
no such slave code in the Territories or in Congress
will drive The stakeholder out of the Territory or
rob him of his property when he gets there. That
is the slave code which opponents 60 for, and
against such unjust code comes with sound logl-
cal force the resolution of the National Democratic
Convention at Baltimore, which afirms that it is
the duty of the Federal Government in all its de-
partmens to protect when necessary, the rights OF
persons and property in the Territories and wher-
ever else its constitutional authority extends"
That is every word in the Baltimore platform ex-
planatory of the Cincinnati platform which alludes
to protection of property in the Territories
And here let me add that it only affirms the same
proposition in the Cincinnati PLATFORM for that plat
form declares in so many words, THAT every cit-
and every section of the country has right to
demand and insist upon an equality of rights and
PRIVILEGES, and to complete and ample protection of
persons and property"
Tn provision covers the precise equality of the
State" which Mr.. Breckenridge and the platform
which he is nominated affirms And really
should be glad to be informed how any man Of COM
mon sense and constitutional honesty can deny the
manifest duty Of the General Government to exer-
else all its constitutional authority wherever it
tends to protect. when necessary the rights of per-
and property under the Constitution.
The whole question is, does the Constitution give
this protection? If it does not there is an end Of
the question. fit docs then it is the duty of the
Government to enforce it. And hence l say, be-
cause logic says so, that there is middle ground
between the denial that the Constitution recognises
and guarantees slave labor as property, and the ad
mission of the power of protection under the Con-
stitution the is extended to all other prop
erty. And so has the Supreme Court authoritative
ly interpreted the Constitution and that puts
end tn all controversy this mint with who
regard law and respect magiStracy.
Again. the issue is not that that Southern party
or any party desires to the General Government
to force slavery upon people who do want it, but
it is that the equal rights of the States in the Terri
tories under the Constitution demand that terrific
rial legislature shall not ROB citizens who go into the
Territories to settle with Their property.
Now as understand it, there are three PROPOSE
tons maintained touching the equal rights of the
States in the Territories:
/. The republicans contend that Congress shall
prohibit the South soing into any Territory with
slave labor and shall expel them or conscate their
property if they do go there. This is plump de-
NAL of all right.
.. The squatter-sovereignty dogma, which is
directly opposed to popular sovereignty, afirms that
the South may go into the Territories with their
property, but they shall have security from rob-
berry and confscation by the legislature when they
get there.
8. The national democrats, North and South, who
mean to hold this Union together under the Const-
tuition, maintain that the right existing to go there
with slave labor as property neither Congress shall
prohibit the territorial legislature destroy the
rights of property.
And this affrms Just what the Cincinnati platform
declares viz: the right of the people Of the Terri
tories mot the legisature) whenever the humber of
their inhabitants justiies it, to form constitution
with or without domestic slavery and be admitted
into the Union upon terms of perfect equality with
the other States"
And here affirm, as have done on their occa-
sions that having had the honor to draught that
PLATFORM and having some right to understand it,
there is no such idea squatter sovereignty in it
Squeeze it. and put it under the impressbe conflict
and you can't get particle of squatter sovereignty
out Of it Applause. Nowhere does it recognise
any power in mere territorial legislature to pro-
hihit slavery to abolish slavery. The popular
sovereignty which it afrms is that great paramount
popular sovereignty of a people which exists only
when they begin to frame constitution of Govern
ment and that is the right of selfgovernment which
belongs to the people of Territory as it belonged
to every State in the Union when it first had the
power to frame constitution and never before.
Popular sovereignty exist nowhere but in
sovereign State of the Union and the right of SOW
eregnty begins only when the people have right
to frame constitutional of selfgovernment and are
admitted into the Union All other attempts to ex-
ercse popular sovereignty is either rebellion rev.
olution. And this leaves the people Of Territory
perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic
institutions in their way, subject only to the
Constitution of the United States"
Now, then, we national democrats, believing in
the Constitution, and its Interpretation by the Su-
preme Court stand upon our political faith in the
equality of the States. We say leave the common
territory open to settlers with their property from
all the States. They will carry such property own
ed at home as they please, and the people of the
Territory will be left free, without robbery without
theft, without civil war, and without revolution, to
grow up to the point where they are fit to make
constitution, forming their domestic institutions by
the laws of profit and loss, supply and demand,
adaptation or unfitness of climate and soil, until
they are large enough to frame constitution, and
then popular sovereignty can put in it what the