Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1860-07-25

! fer Mr.. Breckenridge to Mr. Douglas This
[ shall do without attempting TO interfere with
| any individual Democrat or any State Demo-
cratic organization holding different opinions
! from myself. The main object of all good
| Democrats, whether belonging to the one or
! the other wing of our unfortunate division, Is
to defeat the election of the Republican can
| didates: and I shall never oppose any honest
and honorable course calculated to accomplish
| this object.
TO return to the point from which have
| disgressed, am in favor of Mr. Breckenridge
| because he sanctions and sustains the perfect
| equality of all the States within their common
| territories, and tue opinion Of the Supreme
! Court of the United States establishing this
| equality. The sovereign States Of this Union
are one vast partnership The Territories
were acquired by the common blood and com
mon treasure of them ALL Each State, and
each citizen OF each State. has the same right
in the Territories as any other State possess.
| Now what IS sought for at present is, shat
portion of these States should turn around to
, their sister States and say eve are hollier
than you are, and while we will take our prop
erty to the Territories and have it protected
there, you shall not place your property in
the same position
That Is precisely what is contended for
What the Democratic party maintain, and
what is the true principle of Democracy is,
that all shall enjoy the same rights. and that
all shall be subject to the same duties. Prop
erty-this Government was framed for the
projection of life, liberty and property. They
are the objects for the protection of which all
enlightened Governments we're established =
But 1t Is sought now to place the property of
the citizen under what is called the principle
of squatter sovereignty, in the power of the
Territorial Legislature to confscate it at their
will aud pleasure. That is the principle
sought to be established at present; and there
seems to be an entire mistake and misunder-
standing among a portion of the public upon
this subject. When was property ever sub
miItcd to the will of the majority? ("Nev-
err
If you hold the property as an individual,
you hold it independent of Congress or of the
State Legislature, or of the Territorial Legis-
lature--it is yours, aud your Constitution was
made to protect your private property against
the assaults of legislative power, (Cheers)
Well, now, any set of principles which will
deprive you of your property is against the
very essence of republican government, and
to that exteut makes you slave; for the man
who has power over Jour property to confis-
cate, it has power over your means of subsis-
tence; and yet it is contended that although
the Constitution of TIE United States confers
no such power-althOUgh no State Legislature
has any such power-Yet Territorial Legis-
isturc, In the remote extremeties of the couu-
try, can confscate your property.
(A voice They dan't DO it; they amt
going to do it y
There is but one mode, and one alone, to
abolish slavery in the Territories That mode
is pointed out in the Cincinnati platform,
which has been as much misrepresented as
anything [ have ever known. That platform
declares that majority of the actual residents
in 4 Territory, whenever their number is suf-
fcieut to eutitle them to admission as a State
possess the power ''to form constitution with
without domestic slavery, to be admitted
into the Union upon terms of perfect equality
with the other States" If there be sGuatter
sovereignty in this resolution, have never
been able to perceive it. IF there be any ref
erorce in it to Territorial Legislature it has
entirely escaped my notice. 1t presents the
clear principle that at the time the people
form thoir constitution, they shall then decide
whether they will have slavery or not.
And yet it has been stated over and over
again that, in accepting the nomination under
that platform, endorse the doctrine of squat
this repeated a thousand times
ca voice, 'sWe all knew it was lie y
Well. am glad you did.
How beautiful this PLAN principle of con
s!itutional law corresponds with the best in
teTesty of the people! Under it. emigrants
from the North and the South, from the East
and the West. proceed to tie Territories
They carry with them that property which
they suppose viii best promote their material
interests; they live together in peace and har-
moDy. The question Of slavery will be a
foregoue conclusion before they have inhabi-
tants enough to enter the Union as State.
There will then be no ''bleeding Kansas in
the Territories; they viii all live together in
peace and harmony, promoting the prosper
iry Of the Territory and their own prosperity,
until the time shall arrive when it becomes
necessary to frame Constitution.
Then the whole question will be decided to
the general satisfaction. But, upon the op-
posite principle. what will you find in the
Territories? Why, there will be strife and
contention all the time. One Territorial
Legislature may establish slavery, and another
Territorial Legislature may abolish 1T, and SO
the struggle will be continued throughout the
territorial existence. The people, instead of
devoting their energies and industry to pro-
mote their own prosperity, VIII De IN STATE
of constant strife and turmoil, just as we have
witnessed in Kansas. Therefore, there is no
possible principle that can be SO injurious to
the best interests of Territory. as what has
been called squatter sovereignty.
Now let me place the subject before you in
another point of view. The people Of the
Southern States can never abandon this great
principle of State equality in the Union with
ont do
without an acknowledgment that they are in