The Placer herald., 1860-07-28
Douglas Reeord..His Tergiversations,

his eye on the Presidency for years, and hal
been shaping bis course to reach that posi-
ton without regard to principle or consis
tency. When he found that his Senatorial
term was about to expire, he waged wal
against the administration and joined hands
with the Republicans in order to defeat the
policy Of the Democrats in Congress in ref.
erence to the Kansas question. lie can,
Ator in opposition to MIR. Lincoln, and du-
ring that campaign enunciated doctrines
which startled the country, and especially
the Democrats. He then held, for the firs.
time, that the people of Territory, while
in a Territorial condition, could exclude
slavery. lie did this to take the wind out
of the Republicans sails indeed, he aban-
doned Democratic principles in o:der to Sc
cure re election. BY this means he sue
ceeded, and was again elected United States
Senator. He returned to the Sanate ana
continued to promulgate his anti-Demo-
cratic doctrines, dverging further and fur
ther from the party. We propose to show
our readers some Of the tergiversatiors Of
this political weathercock. 1t is well known
that he now holds to the opinion that Con.
gress cannot abolish slavery in the Terrific
ries, but tina. the Territorial Legislatures.
the creature of Congress, can. lie claims
that the squatters in the Territories are SOW
ereign and can do any act that the people
of n State may do, which is not in violation
Of the Constitution. That, although tho
creature of Congress, it can do more under
the constitution than Congress can, and
that SO far as regulating their domestic in.
situtions is concerned, they are sovereign
and independent Of Congress. This is new
theory with him. In ls45, in II speech de-
livered in the House of Representatives, he
said Of the Territories. They are subject
to the jurisdiction and control Of Congress
during infancy, their minority, but when
they attain their majority, and obtain ad-
mission into the Union, they are free from
all restraints and restrictions, except such rs
the Constitution of The United States has
imposed upon each and all of the States"
In l849 he voted for the extention of the
Wilmot Proviso over the Territories OF Utah
and New Mexico, thus acknowledging the
right OF Congress to exclude slavery from the
Territories. Eut le. us come down to IL
later period. Duing the debate in the
Senate w1iyhy ysssSsagYfd dAS9I AS III aSnSJ and Davis of
Mississippi Douglas and o,hels, Mr.. Douglas
denied that any such Thing as sovereignty
attaches to a Territory, md that Terrific.
rial Legislature could do nothing without
the consent Of Congress- That we may net
lie accused of disappearing him, we quote
from his speech on that occasion. lie said
II hold that no such thing as sovereignty
attaches to Territory, while Territory
hold that Territory possesses whatever
power it derives from the Constitution IN
der the organic act, and no more hold
that all the power Territorial Legislature
possesses is derived from the Constitution
and its amendments, under the act of Con-
gress: and because hold that, denied last
year that the people OF Territory, aUithout
the consent cf Congress, could assemble at
Lecompton and create an organic law for that
people denied the validity of your Lecomp-
ton Constitution, for the reason that Constitu
tons cauonly be made by sovere gn power,
and because the Territory Was not sovereign
ty that was not Constitution, but IA petit
ton" Only little more than year ago it
will be seen that he denied that anything like
sovereignty attaches to Territory, and that
whatever right they possess are derived
through the organic act passed by Congress.
Now he holds that the people OF the Terri
tory are sovereign, except in SO far as they
are restrained by the Constitution, and that
in their sovereign capacity they have the
right to determine wha, shall be property in
the Territories. Can these positions be rec
onciled!
Again, in his rejoinder to Judge Black, he
assumed that slavery does not exist in the
Territory by virtue Of the Constitution; that
is, if man takes his slave into Territory
he cannot hold him rs property by virtue OF
any right derived from the Constitution.
He denies that the supreme Court had ever
decised the question ia that way. But in
his speech in the Senate on the 23d of Feb
ruary previous he appeared to think differ
emily, for he then said: We agree that, un- =
der the decision Of the Supreme Court Of
the United States slaves are property, stand
ing on an equal footi G with all other prop
erty, and that consequently the own
or of slave has the ssme right to EN-
igrate to Territory and carry his slave
property with him, IA the owner of any 9th
species of property has to remove there and
carry his property with him" Very we'll,
if under tie decision4of the Supreme Court
slaves are property, and are crrried into the
Territories as such, then of course it exists
there by virtue Of the Constitution.
II will thus be seen that Mr.. Douglas has
shifted his position repeatedly; and notwith-
standing all this, his friends proclaim him
the true friend of popular sovereignty. No
matter how contradictory the positions as
sumed may be, they always toss up their
hats and shout hurrsh for popular sovereign
ty and the Cincinnati platform; aad although
lie entertains opinions now which are totally
at variance with those held by him year