Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-10-31
IAe STANDARD.
spEEaH oF HON. JOSEPH LANE.

The Hon. JOSEPH Lane, having been honored by
his political arid personal friends with serenade on
the occasion Of ais recent visit to Indianapolis, the
capital of Indiana delivered speech in reply to an
address Of fHHeductioh and congratuation from Mr..
Senator Bright We extract from Mr.. Lanes speech
the principal portion, as follows:
"PGrdon the if l refer to political matters. 1ou
are aware that have been selected as canuluate
for the Vice Presidency on the ticket with the GAL
liant Breckenridge, and so many charges have oeen
made against US that trust may De Parooheu LOT
introducing this subject
ait has been charged that the party with which l
have the honor to act design to employ the Federal
Government for the propagation of slavery. This
deny deny that the National Democratic party
desire to propagate slavery in the Territories. 10
concede this would be to concede that belonged 70
a sectional party-as sectional as Kepuollcanlsm:
declare that the party with which act is nellner
an anti.slavery party nor proslavery party
It is simply and purely constitutional party. do
not believe that the Federal Government is gov
eminent of parties, but one established to protect
the rights of all people, those at the North and at
the South, and to the decision of that Government
as exhibited through the Supreme Court ], in COM
mon with all good citizens, submissively bow. The
Democratic party has adopted platform OF prlncl-
pies emnently national and necessary for the perpe-
tuity and preservation of the Government.
at has been charged by wandering orators that
we are a disunion party Gentlemen, look at me.
You have known me long; some of you from boy
hood up Do you believe there is drop OF dis
union blood coursing round this heart or through
these veins? [Cries of mo, mol No. you cannot
believe it What, l a disunionist? As soon might
YOU expect the decever of souls to act the part of
Saviour. what John c. Breckenridge disunon-
ist? The man who conceived such an idea, who
could entertain such a thought isso low that did
know his name | would not contaminate my lips
with it scora all such charges, and spurn them
as do those who make them.
"Ibelieve this Union can and will be preserved
by adherence to the great fundamental principles
of the Constitution. By these fundamental princi-
pies am determined to stand fall. have fought
for the honor of this Union. 1 would fight for it
again against dsunionists, against any foe, either
within or without / never could so far forget my
duty to my country or to my God as to do aught to
aid in the severance of the States of this glorious
Union. There no men alive with greater love
for the Union than Breckenridge and Lane. It is
not true, then that We disunionists but it is
true that for equal and exact justice to all
the States of this Confedracy.
ITO the charge that we favor slave code, let me
say few words. If they who make this charge
will read Mr.. Breckinridges letter of acceptance,
and my letter of acceptance they will there clear
ly defined the doctrine of non-interventon with the
subject of slavery on the part of Congress. We be-
leve that there has been already too much legisla
Our platform is, that the Territories having been
acquired by the common blood and treasure of all
the States belong to the people of those States and
Congress holds them in trust for these people, but
the subject of slavery it cannot must not legis
late to the prejudice of the people of any section
The people of a Territory, when they come to form
State Government preparatory to their admission
into the Union, alone can say whether slavery shall
shall not exist in the limits of the proposed State
No other party can say. Congress cannot speak in
regard to this subject; the Constitution has given
that body no power to NEEDLE with it This being
the case, what shall we say for the men who declare
that Territorial Legislature exercise this pow
er-the power to exclude slavery? What make
the creature greater than the creator! Give Ter
ritorial Legislature power you deny to Congress-
The man who would pursue such course Of reason
ing as this must be perfect muddlehead. Laugh
ter The Territories must be left free for the occu
pancy of all the people of all the States that they
may go there with whatever is recognised as pro-
perty in the States from whence they come and as
have already said, when these people come to form
State Government, then, and not till then, can
they legislate on this subject.
81 am for all the rights of all the States, and
will do all in my power to preserve those rights
have battled and always will battle against any in
reference on the part of Congress with the subject
of slavery. 1t is subject with which Congress has
nothing to do. Leave the Territories open to the
Southern man as we'll as the Northern man let
each take his property with him and enjoy while
the Territorial condition remains This is equal
and exact justice. The men of the South fought as
hard and as bravely to acquire the territory or rn-
lShed as much treasure to purchase it. as those of
the North. How, then, can you discriminate
keep our Southern brother out of his inheritance?
Let us, then, my friends contend for these constitu-
tional privileges and constitutional rights.
"A voice. What if Old Abe should be elected?
oil fbok,e h., H. l.
keep right on battling for the principles of the Ma
tional Democratic party. Should he be elected by
his sectiona! party, and his sectional platform,
we must content ourselves with the thought that
four years will quickly pass, and at the expiration
of that time the people will rise in their might and
place man in the Presidential chair who will stand
by and to the principles of the Constitution, as now
exPounded ny the Supreme Court and held by the
Breckenridge party. Loud cheers
"There are those who contend that the people in
the Territories have the same right and power to
control and regulate the domestic polity of the Ter
ritores that they have in the States. This view is
wrong The difference is that in the State they live
under constitution created by the people in the or
ganization of their State government, but in the
Territory their organic law is passed oy Congress:
that is and must be their constitution while thew
remain IN the Territorial condition. and under this
law the Territorial Assembly cannot do that which
Congress itself cannot do. The truth is the inhahi
tants have no sovereignty that conferred by the
organic law. Sovereignty. in its common accepta-
ton, cannot exist in Territory. The Territories
and their Legislatures live and act under the law of
Congress, and even Mr.. Douglas does not deny Con-
gress the right to alter amend, completely annul
the act of Territorial Legislature What, then,
becomes of your boosted squatter sovereignty The
fact is this popular sovereignty is a popular hum
bug. laughter allude, of course, to squatter
sovereignty
Suppose Arizona should, as she most probably
will during the next winter, be placed in Terrific
rial condition, and our brethren from the South be-
cause that Territory lies pretty far to the southwark
were TO rush there and obtain possession of the Ter
ritorial Legislature, and were to pass law To-
cal police regulation that you men of the
North might bring your horses to the Territory but
that you should not put bride on them, nor work
them, in such manner as should prove most profit
able to yourselves. Would you Ike it? Would you
submit to it? Of course you would not What
folly then, to expect Of the South to be patient