The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-08-08
Douglas Speaking for Himself.


pliments of the people, have gradually
heightened into halfhour speeches. We
are glad of it. This Democratic country.
We like to see candidates for office who do
not have to be dry.nursed in order to keep
them from running themselves. The more
Douglas speaks, the greater the enthusiasm
is for him. The following are extracts from
the Senator'S speech at Saratoga Springs,
on the occasion Of o great ovation:
believe in the equality of the States
and in the equal rights Of the citizens of all
| the States in the Territories Of the United
States. Whatever rights the citizens oil
any State may enjoy in the Territories, per.
tain alike to the citizens of ell the States,
/ and on whatever terms the citizen of any
| State may move into the Territories with bis
property, the citizen of every other State
may 60 and carry his property, and enjoy
the same under the protection of the law
But it must be borne in mind that all prop
erty In the Territories is subject to, and de-
pendent on, the local law for protection -
Congress never yet passed a law for the
protection o! property Of any kind in any
| organized Territory. Congress never pas
sed criminal code for the Terrilories.--
Persons and property of every description
are dependent upon the local law for pro-
! lection. No exception to this general rule
exists, either in regard to persons or prop
erty. Black or white, free or slave, oil per-
sons are under the protection of the local
law, and not the acts OF Congress for pro-
sa a.
different kinds Of property. The Northern
man with his horses, his cattle and his mer.
chandise, and the Southern man with his
slaves, 60 into the Territories on terms of
perfect equality, and in like manner de-
pend upon the local law for protection
Hence, the pretences of which we hear so
much in these modern days, that it is the
duty of the federal government in all its
depar tments TO protect property of every
description in the Territories, is founded In
ignorance Of the principles and practice Of
our political system. Any political creed
must be necessarily wrong which cannot Re
proclaimed in the same terms in the North
and the South, wherever the American flag
floats over American soil. So long as we
live under Constitution which is common
to all States and Territories, political parties
should m aintain the same doctrines in every
portion of the confederacy. Ihold no poIt.
ical opinions which cannot be defended by
the same arguments and expressed in the
same language in every State in the Union.
! The federal government is limited in its
powers, and must be confined within the mar.
row limits prescribed in the Constitution
1t has nothing but delegated powers, which
are specified and enumerated in the Consti-
tuition. These delegated powers are all
federal--not locul--in their charOcter.-
They all pertain to the general welfare of
the Republic, without interfering with the
domestic relations Of the people in the
States or Territories.
The right 10 control the domestic relations
has never been delegated to Congress, and
l trust, will never be usurFped by the federal
government. The relstions OF husband and
wife, parent and child. eu1rdan and ward,
ond master and servant, are all domestic,
and not federal, and hence are dependent
upon the local law, and not upon the action
Of the federal government. The great prin.
ciple OF local self government underies
our entire political system. 1t was in de-
fence OF this principle that the battles of the
Revolution were fought. Our fathers did
not deny the right OF the British Parliament
to make all laws which were imperial and
not colonial in their character. They con-
ceded the right OF Parliament 10 do every
thing which affected the general welfare of
the empire, without interfering with the in
ternai policy and domestic concerns of the
people OF the colonies. Our fs theirs claim
ed the inherent and inalienabe right to
make their own local laws, and regu late
their domestic affoirs through their pruvin-
cial Legislatures, without the Interference
of the British Parliament. 1t was upon this
single point, and in defence OF this great
principle Of Iocu self.government that the
colonies separated from the British crown.
The King and Parliament of England
claimed at that day that the people OF the
colonies possed no rights except those deri
we'd from the Royal Charter, just as it is
claimed at this dOy that the people of the
Territories have no right except what they
derive from Congress. But it must be re-
membered that our fathers denied that they
derived their rights from the King, just as
we deny now that the people of the Terri
tories get theirs {. ON Congress. Our fathers
claimed thut the right OF self government
was inherent in the people-derived from
the Almighty, and inaIenubIe by Parlia.-
ment. The Declaration of Independence
was formal assertion Of this inherent right
was asserted not only for sovereign States,
but for dependent colonies, provinces and
Territories. The right of self government
was conceded by the Tories of the RevoIu-
tion in sovereign States, but denied in the
provinces. Hence the principle established
by the Revolution was the right of self gov
ernment in the provinces and Territories,
as well as in the sovereign States. | re-
peat, this principle of local self-government
underlies our entire political system. 1t is
recognized in the Constitution as the basis
of our complex system Of government. All
powers not delegated to the federal govern.
nent, are reserved to the States or the peo-
| H.. =
The rights 10 control the domestic rea-
tions not being delegated, is necessarily
reserved. II this principle of local sell
government be maintained, there can be no
sectional strife between the North and South
between the free aud the slave States -
The perls which now threaten the existen.
ce OF the Union are all traceable to the eff
forts on the part of the federal government
to interfere with the domestic affairs of the
people in the Territories. The Republican
party demands the possession of the federal
government for the purpose of welding
its whole power for the prohibition Of slave.
ry where the people desire to maintain the
institution. The Secessionists on the other
hand. demand the possession of the federal
government for the purpose of maintaining
and protecting slavery where the people do
not want it. Neither proposes to interfere
| uhero the nennla will dacida In their favor.