The weekly Ottumwa courier., 1860-05-10
What it,s All Annnt.

united Democracy at Charleston, the matter
in issue stands thus:
Yanry & Co. hold,
1St That by the Constitution of the Uni,
ted States, slaves are property. CThats the
fundamental lie, but they pretend to believe
| it,
Cd That the Constitution extends to all
the territories, hence,
Cd. That slaves, held Constitutionally as
property in the States, may be held in the
same way in the Territories, and,
4th. That it is the duty of Congress to
furnish protection to property (slavesl wher,
ever it may go, in the territories or on the
high seas.
That's the Yancy creed, plainly stated.
The belief of Douglas and his friends does
not differ from it except in one particular
They admit that the Constitution recognizes
property in man; that the Constitution ex-
tends to the Territories; that it carries slave
ry with it; but that, when there, Territorial
Legislatures may repeal or nullify that por-
ton of the Constitution which put it there.
and by "unfricn1ly le~islation," or neglect
to provide for its protection, put it out
again +!
Add to the above certain unmeaning plat
itudes touching Cuba, naturalization, &C.,
and the creeds Of the two factions would be
complete
In pointing out the difference between the
two affirmations of belief, we point out at the
same time the brazen effrontery the Doug
las men. When they admit--aS they un.
qucstionably do-that the Constitution rec
ognizes property in man, and that the Con-
stitution extends to the Territories, their case
is all admitted away--there is not peg left
upon which they can stand. Because
it is evident that what is property,
by the Constitution, must be protected as
property else the Constitution is
not worth the paper upon which
it is written. And we need not explain to
our intelligent readers that the Constitution
is superior in authority to Territorial Leg
islature and what the pretense of the
Squatterites that the latter can forbid, def
antly or by indirection, what the former
permits, is a proposition too absurd to be
seriously argued. But in that proposition
is the marrow of the difference between
the Douglas men and the South Our readers
will estimate it at its true value
That the Douglas delegates are without
faith in the soundness of their own platform
is certain from their proposition to submit
the point in dispute to the Supreme Court
That they now, maintain it with great show
of tenacity, only for the purpose Of deluding
the people, is clear from the fact tnat
they know beforehand that the decis-
ion of the Court will be, must be, adverse
| They are wise enough to understand that
there is not in the whole country a judicial
body, stupid enough or wicked enough to
affirm that there is anv kind of property
which has not the protection of the Const-
tuition and laws; or that Territoritorial law
forbidding Slavery is of higher authorit V
than the Constitution, which, according to
the Douglasites' admission permits it. Not
even the Supreme Court, which found slave
ry where all mortal eyes have failed TO see
it. and which decided the case Of Dred Scott,
would be guilty Of such ridiculous folly
Hence should the Douglas men succeed in
electing their candidate, as soon as a case
could be made up for Judge fancy to decide
they would find that their creed, the absurd
tiles and contradictions being strioIln out,
is nothing but the extreme Southern plat
form after all.
1t is refreshing to turn from the new and
bold assumptions of the South, and the
snealIing inconsistency of the Douglas men
Of the North, to the clear, wcll-defined, we'll
tried and long-honored belief of the Republi-
cans of the North and South alike. It runs
thus: The Constitution neither creates nor
recogniz es property in man. 1t knows moth
ing but "persons owing service or labor,"-
1t does not extend to the Territories, because
it was not fra ned for them, but for States,
hence it new: carries Slavery--the creature
of local Law with it. It leaves the ques.
ton of Slavery in the national domain, in
the hands ofthe representatives ofthe whole
people in Congress assembled and by its
spirit, if not by its letter, invites those rep
resentativcs to prohibit the accursed institu-
ton wherever they may do so without en-
croachment upon the rights of States. This
! is the belief which jefferson and the Fathers
held This is the beliefwhich when it shaped
the policy of the country, was followed by
unexampled development and profound
peace and to it, rs the legacy left us by the
men who fought the battles of the Revolu,
ton, and devised the institutions under
which we live, the country must RETURN
The madness ofCalhoun and folly of Doug,
las have brought Disunion in view. 1t is
time that under Republican guidance tho
government was brought back to the old
andmark-P'ess and Tribune.
The War Goes Esg;.ye7y Cga!
l. ~