The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-07-18
Lincoln an Interventionist.

Abraham Lincoln IS an lnterventlonlst.-
He believes that congress should intervene fol-
the prohibitation of Slavery in the Territories
This is the creed of the Republican party al
well as of its nominee for president. 1t forms
in fact the only distinctive feature in the Re
publican organization. At their first Presi
dental Convention at Philadelphia, in 1856
the Republicans made Congressional exclusion
of slavery from the Territories an essential part
of their platform. In the Chicago ConYen-
ton which nominated Lincoln for President,
they incorporated the same doctrine into their
platform.
TIE Republican party, then, is pledged to
support the doctrine of Congressional exclu-
sion of slavery from the Territories. So is its
candidate for President. In the debate at
Freeport, Illinois, between Lincoln and Judge
Douglas, on the 9th of August, 1858, the
Judge put the following question to Mr. Lin
coin: ri desire to know whether he stands
pledged to prohibit slavery in all the Terri
tories of the United States, North as well as
South of the Missouri Compromise line T-
Lincoln's answer was this: 81 am, implicitly,
if not expressly, pledged to a belief in the
right and duty of Congress to prohibit slavery
in all the United States Territories"
Such is Lincoln's present position. He is
an Interventionist for the prohibitation of sla-
very. The secessionists, with Yaney at their
head, and Breckenridge as their candidate for
the Presidency, are Interventionists for the
protection of slavery. The stand pledged to
the doctrine that it is the right and duty of
Congress to protect slavery in the Territories.
Both the Republicans and the Secessionists
are Interventionists. They stand upon COM
mon ground. Hence, the harmony between
hem, and the mutual desire for each others
uccess. Both maintain and vindicate the
doctrine of Congressional Intervention in the
domestic affairs of Territories. 1t makes no
difference that one is for the prohibition, and
the other for the protection of slavery. If
Congress- has jurisdiction at all over the SUBJ
ject of slavery in the Territories, it has, in the
of any constitutional provision defn-
ing its power and duty, that jurisd ction for
all purposes, whether of prohibition or protec-
ton. If it has the power to prohibit, it has
ri hit to protect. The Republicans, in as
serting that Congress can intervene for the
prohibitation of slavery, concede that it can
for the purpose of protection. The
of Lincoln and Breckenridge is, there
fore, identical. -
This doctrine of Congressional Intervention
is the principal source of agitation on the sla-
very question. AS long as it is recognized, it
be the ground of a perpetual warfare be-
two contending factions-the one de-
handing that Congress should intervene for
the prohibitation, and the other for the pro-
lection of slavery. 1t will be, as it is to a
great extent now, a sectional controversy
contest will increase in bitterness and
malignity, till one of the sections, failing to
obtain what it has insisted on, and incensed
at the triumph of the other in Congress, viii
take steps which will lead to revolution, civil
and the severance of the Union.
4. The only way to escape these evils and en-
sure peace and safety to the country, is for the
people to repudiate both the sectional and In
tervention candidates, Lincoln and Breckin-
and support the Non-fntervention and
Union candidate of the National Democracy,
A. Douglas. Let the position be ia
ken by the people, as we are confident it will
be that Congress has no business to interfere
with the subject of slavery in the Territories,
because the people in each Territory are fully
to settle the question of prohibition
or protection fef-thamselxes-let this become
as it will be, by the election of Douglas to the
Presidency, the settled policy of the country,
and agitation on the "negre" question will
cease to be a disturbing element in our poll
or to endanger the Union. Congress will
then find time to attend to matters strictly
within its jurisdiction, and of pressing nation
ii importance.-0 Ohio Statesman.