The Yazoo Democrat. [volume] (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1858-18??, 1860-07-21
BRECKINRlDGE VS. DOUGLAs-REAp AND
BE CONVINCED


BRECKENRIDGE VS. DOUGLAs-REAp AN
BE CONVINCED.
Some of the Opposition journals with ipnorapc
that is objectionable, or with an unscrupulou
mendacity that is highly censurable, assert tba
tnere Is no difference upon the Territorial cues
uon between the National Democratic nonine
for the Presidency, John c. breckibridge, and III
chieftaln Of the Squatterites, Stephen A. Douglas
ana in proof of this assertion, parade before tn
pubic, in Haunting capitals, extracts from th
speeches of Mr.. Breckenridge. Now. we bay
read the speeches in full from which these er
tracts are taken, and NE assert. without the fea
OF successful contradiction, that there is not thu
slightest tincture of Seuatter Sovereignty in them
we Will give the extracts as they are given b,
those who are so swift to misrepresent and de
ZANE one of the purest patriots and soundes
statesmen of which our country can boast Tn
his speech delivered in Congress in support of the
Asnsas-Nebraska bill, Mr. Breckenridge said
"Among the many Misrepresentation sent To
the country by some of the enemies of this bill.
perhaps none is more fragrant than the charge
that it proposes to legislate slavery in Kansas
and Nebraska. Sir, if the bill contained sucb a
feature, 1t would not receive my vote The rioht
TO establish nvotpes The eorrelGtire right 10 prohibit
and denying both rould pOts for neither"
- 4he effect of the repeal (of the Missouri
compromise therefore, is neither to establish nor
TO exclude slavery but to 6dUe the future condition
Of the Territories dependent whollv upon the action
Of the inhabitants, SUBJECT ONLY TO SUCH
LIMITATIONS AS THE FEDERAL CONSTiTU.
TON MAY IMPOSE.
1T will be observed that the rirb,
of the people to regulate in their own way All
their domestic institutions is left wholly untouch
ed, EXCEPT THAT WHATEVER is DONE
MUST BE DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
CONSTlTUTI0N-THE SUPREME LAW FOR
US ALL"
Now, these extracts carry with them the refu-
tation Of the charge Of squatter Sovereignty
made against Mr. Breckinrdge, because he dis
tinctly states all the time that whatever the peo
pie of Territory may do in regulating their
domestic affairs, they ere subject "To Such LIN.
ITATIoN AS THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION MAY I'M
POSE" Now, if some of these political wise
acres will prove to us that the FEDERAL CoNsr1-
TUITION gives sanction to Squattet Sovereignty,
we will admit that their charge against MIR.
Breckenridge has great force, but until they
do this, every one will regard these charges as
idle, ridiculous and groundless.
Again, Mr.. Breckenridge said, il 1866, in his
Tippecanoe speech:
The people Of the Territories, Under the
Kansas Nebraska act, have the full right to sstab
llsh or PROHIBIT slavery, JUST AS STATE wobfb, /
which principle is as old as Republican Govern
ment itself"
Nov the power rests somewhere to make
Slave State or free State out of Territory.
None but Black Republicans and their allies con-
tend that Congress has control over the subject.
Then, if Congress has not. whe has We say
emPhatically, the PEOPLE of the Territory
when! AS soon as they have a sufficient popu-
Ion to form State Government, and entitle them
20 representative in Congress How d! In the
language of Mr.. Breckenridge, "JUsr ASA STATE
WOULD" How would State establish or pro-
aibit slavery? Through her Legislature! No
'ut through a contehton to be elected by the
people, to adopt or establish her organic law
Ter constitution. Just so can the people Of
Territory, when they have sufficient population,
'lect members to a convention, who, in adopting
constitution preparatory to the admission of
he Territory into the Union as State, can de-
ermine land no other power on earth can wheth-
II the State shall be free or slave. And this is
he principle which Mr.. Breckenridge declared
vas Gas old .as Republican Government itseR.1'
Ind this is the principle we endorse and defy it's
Ssallants to subvert it, if they can The ques-
ion Of squatter Sovereignty was never touched
pom or alluded to, for the reason that the SUE
orters of the Kansas. Nebraska bill cCnld not
gree upon this point, and regarding it as a i
judicial question, agreed TO leave the point. and
lade provisions in the hill for doing so, to the de-
ision Of the Supreme Court of the United States.
hey agreed to leave it to the Supreme Cours as
0 whether Territorial Legislatures had the power s
. establish or to exclude slavery. Inc 1857, the t
'red Scott decision was made BY the Supreme J
curt, and Mr.. Brecknridge, in his speech at
frankfort, in December last in alluding to this a
ecsion, said i
Well, that being the case, and il having been \
determined by the very tribunal
} which 1t was referred, that Congress had no 81
over to exclude slave property from the Terri D
'ries, and judicially determined that the Terri. :,
rial egislature-authoriie created BY Con. :. !,
ress-had not the power to exclu de or confscate
ave property, confess that had not antici- 81
ated that the doctrine Of unfriendly legislation N
ould be set up Henca, need not say to you u
mt do not believe in the doctrine Of unfriendly 3
gisaaOD; that do not believe in the authority
Territorial Legislatures to do by indirection II
hat they cannot do directly. repose upon the in
ecision Of the Supreme Court Of the United v
'stes, a. to the point that neither Congress nor
pc Legislature has the right to obstruct or con-
scate the property Of any citizen, slaves in
iudeo pending the Territorial condition. CAp- Il
lause. L"P !,
no" We ask those who have either ignorantly a.
wanton.y perpe,ratsd the SANDER upon Mr.. a,
'FecklnndSe' 'Or We regard the charges nothing d