The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-08-01
zoH-HrERvENr1on.


Whether slavery shall or shall not exist ID
the Territories, is not question to be settled
by the whole American people through Com
gress, but to be determined by the people Of
each organized Territory, who are doubtless
the best judges of their local interests This
doctrine was applied in regard to the States
when the Constitution was adopted and ths
Union formed In fact, no Union could have
been formed upon any other basis. Thars
were then, as now, zealous opponents Of slave
ry. In order to insure domestic peace and
tranquility, and provide for the common de-
fence nd the general welfare, Il was agreed to
leave each State In possession Of IFS sovereign
ty with full power to settle all local questions,
like that of negro alavery, for itself.
1t is conceded on all hands that slavery ID .
local Institution. IF it is such, It Is the sub
jeet Of Legislation In particular eomnunities,
and is not within the Jurisdiction Of the Ma
tional Legislature Congress- il Is admitted,
cannot meddle with the question of slavery or
no slavery in the States; why should it in the
Territories. It is as much local institution
IN the latter as in the former. The Terrific.
rieS are organized not merely for providing
them with Governor and Judges appointed
by the President and Senate, but for the pur-
pose of giving them an opportunity, through
a legislative body of their own choosing, to
regulate their local affairs in their own way.
If this is not the object in Territorial oreani>
cation, the provision that the people may
choose Legislature to assemble from time to
tine to make laws not inconsistent with the
Constitution of the United States, is bat .
mockery. The Territorial Legislature has, in
truth, but one duty to perform, and that is, to
attend to the local affairs and business of the
community it represents. Among these local
matters, slavery is included, for it is a local
question in a Territory as much and as truly
as it is in a State. The jurisdiction Of . Stats
Legislature over the subject of slavery within
the State, when there is no constitutional pro-
hibition, is exclusive; Congress has nothing to
do with it. So, Congress has no right toned
die with the question of slavery in an organi-
zed Territory; it belongs exclusively to ths
Territorial Legislature, whose power is only
limited by tile Federal Constitution.
The true mission of the Democratic party in
this country Is to maintain and preserve the
rights of the people when organized into sep
arate communities of States and Territories
against the concentration and consolidation Of
all power in the National Legislature. It was
to oppose this consolidation and preserve the
right of the States against the centralizing
tendency of old federalism that the Demo.
cratic party had its origin under the lead Of
the immortal JEFFERSON In that position is
has ever stood, and there it is standing now.
Its doctrine then was, and now is, that the
Union must be preserved, while the sovereign
ty and the right of the people in their several
local governments shall be maintaihed.
The Democrats in JEEFERsoN's time we're
opposed by the Federalists who contended for
strong central government, and were for ma-
kirg the Congress of the United States, like
the Parliament of Great Britain, onnipotsnt,
with power to bind States and Territories Gin
o1l vho AZ
Democratic party resisted. The same contest,
slightly tariedin name and by circumstances,
is still going ON.
The attempt of the Federalists of later
day, under various party names, and now of
Republicans, to control the people through
Congress ON the question of slavery, has met
with decided opposition from the Democratic
party on the same principle that governed its
action during the administration of the elder
ADAMS, in opposing Federal usurpation and
consolidation. The modern doctrine of Com
gressional Intervention is nothing but old
Federalism in disguise. Against it the Demo-
cratic party places the principle of Popular
sovereignty, which is only the application to
an organized Territory of the old doctrine of
State Rights, for which the party, North and
South, have earnestly contended.
1t is the attempt to induce Congress to In.
terfere with matters which do not belong to
it, that keeps the country in perpetual turmoil
and agitation. The question now before the
country is not simply one concerning the en-
tension or non-extensien of slavery into the
Territories, but whether Congress has a right
to interfere and force the people Of territory.
as the British Parliament undertook to eoerce
the people of the colonies, against their will,
to have slavery or not to have it. This is tho
real point at issue, although the Republican
leaders aud journals attempt to evade it, and
conceal the fact that their candidate for Presi,
dent has repeatedly avowed himself as pledged
to Congressional Intervention. The real OBJ
ject of the Republican leaders, following in
the wake of ancient federalism, is to get pos
session of the General Government in order
to establish an overshadowing central power
at Washington, which shall control the action
of the people both in the States and the Ter.
ritories. In this they join hand in hand with
the Secessionists, who go for the same old
Federal idea of consolidation under its modern
disguise of Congressional Intervention. The
people are arrayed against it now, as in the
days of JEFFERSON, and the same spirit that
moved them to place him in the Chair Of
State, will place DOUGLAS, the advocate and
defender of the same great principle Of Self
Government, in the same exalted statien.-O.
Statesman.