Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-07-09

power 70 enlarge OF abridge che Con-
st,tutiousl vixhtsgof thepeopls. por have
Territorial heeislstueps, nor the Presi-
dentcf the u niiel otaies; sod when
over & 10 aode aqnestion - 10 what are
the Con .titutionl rights ofthe people,
It can only be determined by decision
If the Supreme Cont. A. 10 the doc
trine Of Intervention by Congress for the
protection IT slavery in the Territories.
It Is scarcely necessary to sllude TO It,
farther than to say, lest l might be mis-
spprehended, that / believe Congress
has not the Constitutional right OF iistet-
yept'On.
Believing as do that political con-
ventions ia enunciating their dogmas
should confne themselves to questions
Of political economy and Government
policy which are conceded TO be sub.
jects within Legislative and Executive
ju,isd ction, ] cannot perceive What OBJ
jsct tn. re can be m enunciating an opin-
ION one way or another upon purely
Judicial question which will spl,t the
Democratic party asuoder if it be mad :.
q test of Democratic orthodoxy. Why
cannot the advocate Of Popular Sow
eighty who believes 10 the p,wer of the
people Of Territory to leg slate on the
exclusion or abolition of slavery, toler
ate The opinion Of his brother Democrat
VINO cannot perceive the existence OF
such power in the people until they be-
come an acknowledged sovereignty as .
State. individuals may entertain certain
opinions uuon the question till then, but
surely one individual ha- ~ much right
to his opinion, founded upon his convic-
tiobs as another.
1t may be alleged that majority Of
the delegates 10 the late National Con-
vention favored the construction given
to the Cincinnati Chat Of Democratic
doctrine, by those who claim for the
Territories the power of legislative SUI
premacy on the question Of slavery, and
therefore it is not only legitimate but
imperative to assume this construction
of the question at issue, as the true and
consequently the only opinion that CAD
be entertained in the party on the sub
ject, and that it is hereticaI in any Deu-
ocrat TO entertain and express any other.
Before this conclusion can be arrived
at, admitting the assumption that ma
jorty Of the delegates, or even major
ity Of the party entertain the construc-
ton referred to, it must be shown thu,
the question at issue is one which comes
within the Legitimate sphere OF patty
convention to decide, or that its decision
can be carried Into effect either by
legal enactment or by executive inter
position.
If an act Of Congress can confer the
power upon the people Of Territory To
lcgislate upon the question of slavery 10
all its aspects and relations, or if the
President Of the Uuited States can 50
,nterposc bv his authority as to confer
this power or aid in its execution or,t
60 still farther, il the Supreme Court can
be invested with authority bv the other
co ordinate branches of the Government
to int-rpose one way or the other in
carrying into effect the doctrine of Pop
uIar Sovereignty, then grant that II
would have been perfectly legitimate tn
make the question at issue one of party
policy.
But no one will claim that any one of
these hypothesis can be entertained
hence, it is fair to conclude that the
question put 10 issue, which divides the
party, is not one Of party politics, and
consequently not question on which
the party should be divided but on the
contrary, it is a question on which every
member OF the party may entertain his
own opinion for the time being, not only
with federation but with out reprp ach.
1t anything We're wanted to cor'obor
ate the Legitimacy Of the views it IL
furnished in resolution adopted by that
branch of the National Convention which
nomin ted Mr.. Douglas for the Presi-
dency. 1t is as follows:
Resolved, That it is 10 accordance with the
Cincinnati platform. that during The ext .tsnc~
Of Territorial governments tie measure Of re.
strictioo. whatever it may be, imposed ~ thu
Federal Consultation on the power Of the Ter
ritorial Legislature over the subj-ct Of the do.
mestic relations. - the came has been or shall
hereafte. be finally Determine by the Supr. me
Court ofthe United States, should be resuected
by oil good citizens. and enforced with prompt
oess and fids ity BY every branch Of the Cen
ersl Governments.
In that resolution, adopted unani-
mously as the proceedings say, the Con-
vention recognizes the Supreme Court
as the arbiter OF the question at issue,
and therefore it cannot, nor it ought not
10, be claimed that one construction is
more Democrat'caIlv orthodox than the
other, until it shall thereafter be finally
determined by the Supreme Court
The position of antsgonism in which
Democrats find themselves arrayed
against each other, is ow,Jg to the undue
inf 'ence 10 the National Convention. OF
politicians of extreme views who make
Democratic organizations subservient to
their own ambitious separations for place
and power. The conservative elements
of the party seems to have been power.
less against these extremists.
Shall the spirit of dscord and disor.
ganlzAtion sown By such men be cult,va.
ted and allowed TO ripen INTO angry dis
cuss'on, personal enmities, distinct and
a"tagonistic organizations calling them.
selves Democratic, in every slate, coun.
ty and township of the Union, with all
the consequen, evils which can better G
imagined than described; or will the
| Democratic naptv = ishou% d;.%;...:..