The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1860-08-09
Has Douglas Changed.

z |
one with any regard to truth dare as
: sert." 'sNeither Mr.. Doug
las nor the Democratic party has aban
doned the doctriue of intervention
2 by Congress in the affairs of a Terrific
$ ry. Both have constantly contended
that the people of Territory like those
OF a State shall decide. for themselves
whether slavery shall, or shall not exist
within their limits. "-KenoshQ Demo
cr0t.
The foregoing is tolerably fair state
ment ofPopular Sovereignty, but no
near as full and intelligent, as stated by
Douglas himself Mr.. Douglas defined
Popular Sovereignty in August 1858 al
? Freeport, ILL.,, as follows:
"The people of a Territory can, BY
z lawful means, exclude slavery before il
comes in as a State ;" and ''no matter
what may be the decision of the Su
Preme Court on that abstract question
still the right Of the people ofthe Terri
tories to make slave Territory or a
free Territory, is perfect and complete.
II S. A. Douglas. -49
Now the only question to be deter
mined is, does Mr.. Douglas still mains
tain this position, in regard to the right
Of the people of a Territory to exclude
slavery, $40 matter aohat may be the de-
ciSiOra Of tie Supreme Court % 1t wo'd
seem that every common school boy
who has read the late Democratic plat
form, adopted at Baltimore, and which
has been formally accepted by Mr..
Douglas, cannot fail to perceive that if
he has not changed, he must be entirely
destitute of honesty. The Platform
which he has accepted, pledges him to
! the decision of the Supreme Court, Gas
it has been or may hereafter be" in re-
spect to the power of Territory over
the subject of Slavery. We have alrea-
dy several times published this plank of
the Democratic platform, pledging the
party to the decision of the Supreme
Court, and need not repeat it here. The
decision of the Court is as follows:
"The right of property in a slave is
distinctly and expressedly affirmed in
the Constitution, and that ono tribu-
nal acting under the authority of the
United Statas, whether it be legislative
executive or judicial, has a right to draw
a distinction or to deny to it the benefit
of the provisions and guarantees, which
have been provided for the protection
Of private property" And if Congress
itself cannot do this-if it is beyond the
power conferred on the Federal Gov
-BgB@it could not authorize a
Territorial Government to exercise
them. 1t could confer no power on
any local Government, established by
its authority, to violate the principles
of the Constitution" ''The only pow
err conferred is the power coupled with
the duty of guarding and protecting
the owner in hisright.- Supreme Court
U. $. #a"t
From the foregoing decision of the
Supreme Court, it will be seen, that the
only power Territory can exercise
over the subject of Slavery, is that "of
guarding and protecting the owner in
his right" Whoever therefore insists
that Douglas has not changed on the
subject of Popular Sovereignty must
be blind to the facts of history.
-ees
| The Kenosha Democrat of last week
enters into the Squatter Sovereignty
conflict with A.uch zeal. We suggest
to our neighbor to keep in mind, that
inthe discussion of questions Of this sort
epithet, and cant phrases, may be tax
en- for smartness among the ignorant
but never for argument, among thinking
men. We have before called atten
ton, to the manner which the Demo
: crGt and other journals of the same pol
itical faith, treat political subjects. They
charge the Republican party and the
candidates of the party with holding
certain sentiments, but are careful tc
never quote the language of the plat
form OF the party, or the exact words
: Of the candidates-that does not suit
the convenience of these Douglas pol
iticians. They prefer not to take
the record, but to misstate-set up false
issues, and then attempt to argue
them. We have repeatedly said, that
we will ascribe no sentiments to Mr.
Douglas, or to the party which support
him, which are not found inthe speech.
IS Of the former and the platforms Of
the latter.
Every reader will perceive just the
kind of politicians these Douglas Dem
ocrats are; they ascribe whatever sen
timents to the Republican party and to
Mr.. Lincoln, they think best for politi
cal effect; but when called upon for the
proof, they do not produce it-simply
because they cannot. SO too when
these Douglas politicians are asked tc
answer plain question touching their
doctrines, they equivocate and evade
an answer. Last week, we put q plair
inteTogitory to the KenoshaDemocrot
at the same time predicting, that paper
would not venture an answer. The
question was this:
Has Territorial Legislature, tn,
constitutional right to abolish slavery
or prohibit its introduction into a Ter
t ritory =?
One line Of that paper would hav
been sufficient for direct answer. an,
far more intelligent, than the two o