Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-08-09

solution. Our Union is con!edel
aoy of equal sovereign States. 70
the purposes enumerated in the Fed
eral Constitution. Whatever th
common government holds in trus
for all the States must be epjoye'
equally by each. 1t controls the Ter
ritories intrust for all the States
Nothing less than sovereignty Cal
destroy or impair the rights Of person'
or property. While they continue
to be Territories, they are under the
control OF Congress, but the consii.
tuition nowhere confers on any branch
of the Federal Government the pow
er to discriminate against the rights
of the States or the property of their
citizens in the territories. it fol-
lows that The citizens OF all the
States may enter the Territories Of
the Union with their property, of
whatever kind, and enjoy it during
the Territorial condition without let
or liuGrance, either by Congress OF
by the subordinate territorial gov.
ernments.
These principles flow directly
from the absence Of sovereignty in
the territorial governments and from
the equality of the States. Indeed
they are essential to that equality
which is, and ever has been. the
vital principle of our constitutional
Union. They have been settled leg
isla!ively-se settled judicially-.and
are sustained by right reason. They !
rest on rock of the constitution
Thsy will preserve the Constitution
they will preserve the Union.
1t is idle to attempt to smother
these great issues, or to misrepre-
sent them by the use Of partisan
phrases, which are misleading and
ielusive. The people will look be-
1eath such expresoins as "Interven.
ion,' Congressional Slave Code
md the like, and penetrate to the
'eal questions involved. The friends
If Constitutional equality do not and
lever did demand Congressional
lave code," lor any other code in J
egard to property in the Territories.
hey held the doctrine of non-iuter- '
ention by Congress or by Terri. t
Orial Legislature either to establish d
prohibit slavery; but they assert, c
'rtifed by the highest judicial tri. !
unal in the Union, the plain duty b
the Federal Government, in all $
S departments, to secure, when t
eoessary, to the citizens of all the II
tates, the enjoyment Of their prop a
rty in the common Territories Il
he only logical answer to this would
sem 20 be to claim sovereign power
! the Territories, or to deny that
le Constitution recognizes property ,
the services Of negro slaves, or 70
Bny that such property can exist. +,
1nexorable logic, which works its :,
eady way through clouds and pas. :,
ons, compels the country to meet v
Ie issue. There is no evasive, mid. I
10 ground. Already the signs null u
ply Of fanatical and growing i
irty, which denies that under the ;,
onstitution, or by any other law, n
avs property can exist; and ulti- =,
a:ely the struggle must come be- =
rem this party and the National b
emocracy, sustained by all the 9th. f
. conservative elements of the Un- q,
g. Ii
think it will be impossible for a Il
lndid mind to discover hostility to u
le Union or a faint of sectionalism a
the resolutions adopted by the ii
onvention. The Constitution and a,
le Union repose on the equality Of b
le States, which lies like a broad Il
undation underneath our whole po- al
tlcal structure. As ( construe them o.
10 resolutions simply assert this el
quality. They demand nothing for ii
Dy State or section that is not eI
leerlully conceded to all the rest. o.
is welt to remember that the b
hief disorders which have afflicted 7
1r country have grown out of the II
iolation of State equality, and that p
J long as this great principle has ii
zen respected, we have been blessed Ia
ith harmony and peace. Nor will [
be easy to persuade the country u
lat resolutions are sectional which D
ommand the supportofa majority Of t.
ls States and are approved by the n
,ne and body Of the old Democracy, ci
Id nv a yast mass Of conservative u