Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1860-07-21

persons and property which have of late
been much discussed find iii these reso-
lutions a constitutional solution. Our
Union is a confcderacy of equal sovcr.
eign States, for the purposes enumerated
in the Federal Constitution. w hatever
the common Government holds in trust
for all the States must be enjoyed equal
ly by each. 1t controls the Territories
in trust for all the States. Nothing less
than sovereignty can destroy or impair
the rights of persons or property. The
Territorial Governments are subordinate
and temporary, and not sovereign; hence
they cannot destroy or impair the rights
of persons or property. While they
continue to be Territories they are under
the control of Congress, but the Constr
tuition nowhere confers on any branch OF
the Federal Government the power to
discriminate against the rights OF the
States or the property of their citizens
in the Territories. 1t follows that the
citizens of all the States may enter the
Territories of the Union with their pro-
perty, of whatever kind, and enjoy 1T
during the territorial condition, without
let or hinderance, either by Congress
or by the subordinate Territorial Gov
ernments.
These principles flow directly from
the absence of sovereignty in the Terri
torial Governments, and from the equal
ity of the States. Indeed, they are es-
sential to that equality, which is and
ever has been the vital principle of our
constitutional Union. They have been
settled legislatjvely, settled judicially,
and are sustained by right and reason.
They rest on the rock of the Constitu-
ton. They will preserve the Constltu-
tion-they will preserve the Union.
1t is idle to attemp to smother these
great issues, or to misrepresent them by
the use of partisan phrases, which are
misleading and delusive. The people
viii! look beneath such expressions as
intervention" Congressional Slave
Code," and the like, and will penetrate
to the real questions involved. The
friends Constitutional equality do not
and never did demand a Congressional
Slave Code," nor any other code in re-
gard to property in the Territories.
They hold the doctrine of non-interven-
tion by Congress, or by Territorial
Legislature, either to establish Aor pro-
hibit slavery; but they assert Fortified
by the highest judicial tribunal in the
Union) the plain duty of the Federal
Government, in all its departments, to
secure, when necessary, to the citizens
of all the States, the enjoyment OF their
property in the common Territories.
The only logicalsanswer to this would
seem to be to claim sovereign power for
the Territories, or to deny that the Con-
stitution recognizes property in the ser
vices of negro slaves, or to deny that
such property can exist.
Incxorable logic, which works its
steady way through clouds and passion,
compels the country to meet the issue.
There is no evasive middle ground. Al
ready the signs multiply Of fanatical
and growing party, which denies that
under the Constitution, Or by any other
law, slave property can exist; and ultl-
mately the struggle must come between
this party and the National Democracy,
sustained by all the other conservative
elements in the Union.
think it will be impossible for can
did mind to discover hostility to the
Union or a taint of sectionalism in the
resolutions adopted by the Convention.
The Constitution and the Union repose
on the equality of the States, which
lies like a broad fountain underneath
our whole political structure. As con-
strue them, the resolutions simply as
sert this equality. They demand nothing
fer any State or .sectionsthat is not
cheerfully conceded to all the rest. 1t
is well to remember that the chief dis
orders which have afflicted urcountry
have grown out of the violation Of State
equality; and that as long as this great
principle has. been respected, we have
been blessed with harmony and pence.
Nor will it be easy to persuade the
country that resolutions are sectional
which command the support of a major
ity of the States, and are approved by
the bone and body of the old Democracy,
and by a vast mass of conservative
opinion everywhere, without regard to
party.
1t has been necessary more than once
in our history to pause and solemnly as
sert the true character Of this Govern
ment. A memorable instance occurred
in the strugglewhich ended in the civil
revolution of 1s00 The Republicans
of that day, like the Democracy of this,
were stigmatized as disunionists, but
they nobly conducted the contest under
the constitution, and saved our political
system. BY like Constitutional strug-
gle, it is intended now to assert and es,
tablish the equality of the States as tho
only basis of Union and peace. When