The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-10-06
The Two Faces Or Doaslasism.


accept the Dred Scott decision Of the Supreme
Court Of the United States, in the Dred Scott
case, as an authoritative exposition Of the Consti-
tuition. Whatever limitations the Constitution,
as expounded by the courts, imposes on the
authority Of aterritorid legislature, We cheerfully
recognize and respect in conformity with that
decision. Slaves are Recognized as property,
and placed on an equal footing with all other
property. Hence, the owner Of slaves-the
same As the owner Of any other species Of prop
erty-has right to remove to ! Territory and
carry his property with him. Stephen A.
Douglas speech at New Orleans, Dec. s, 1858.
"We," (that ID, he and Senator Brown, who
goes for congressional protection,) "agree that
under the decision of the Supreme Court Of the
United States, slaves are property, standing on
an equal footing..with al other property; and
that consequently the owner Of : slave has the
same right to emigrate to . Territory, and carry
his slave property with him, ~ the owner Of any
other species Of property has to move there and
carry his property with him. ."-Stephen A..
Douglas speech in the y. $. Senate, Feb. 23,
1859. sag. sSg Fs5sF a
ssNy opinion in regard to the question which
my colleague ID trying TO raise here has been
well known to the Senate for years. 1t has been
repeated over and over again.
ny answer then was, and now is, that if the
Constitution carries Slavery there (the Terrific
rics) let it 70, and no po.os. on sar can take il
asray."-Stephen A. Douglas speech in U. s.
Senate, July 2, 1885.
as NORTHERN TEXT.
1T is difficult to CONCEIVE how any person who
believes that the Constitution confers the right
Of protection in the enjoyment Of slave property
in the Territories regardless Of the wishes Of the
people and Of the action Of the Territorial Leg
sepn x;ces ~
Of fidelity to the Constitution in Withholding such
Congressional Legislation as may be essential 70
the enjoyment of such right under the Constitu-
tion. Under this view Of the subject, il is inn
possible to resist the conclusion that, if the Con-
stitution docs establish Slavery in the Territories
beyond the power Of the people to control it by
Law, it il the imperative duty Of Congress 70
supply all the legislation necessary to its pro-
lection; and If this proposition is untrue, il ne
cessarily results that the Constitution neither
establishes nor prohibits Slavery anywhere, but
leaves the people Of each State and Territory en-
tirely free to form and regulate their domestic
affairs to suit themselves without the interyen-
tion of Congress or Of any other power whatso-
ever. stephen A. Douglas Harpers Magazine
article. aa
"The people Of Territory can, by lawful
means, exclude Slavery before it comes in Is
State !" and mo matter what may be the decis-
ion Of the Supreme Court, on that abstract qnes-
ton, still the right Of the people Of the terrific
ries to make Slave Territory or Free Terri
tory is perfect and completely A. Douglas
speech at Frseport, III. 1885,.
l have only . word to say in reply. If that
gentleman had read any one speech shat have
made on the subject in the last five years, he
would have found an unequivocal answer to the
question. have made more than fifty speeches
this year in which have answered that question
and yet political opponents insist on quitting il
to me, for the purpose Of creating doubt on the
subject Icannot believe that there is man in
America Of ordinary inte ligence who does not
know that hold that the people Of . Territory,
while : Territory, and during : territorial condi
tion, may introduce. exclude. abolish. or regu
late Slavery just as they please. have said thai
North and South. and held the same doctrine
everywhere. When Ihsve seen newspapers and
small politicians renewing that question, il has
excited in my bosom no other feeling than thai
Of unmitigated contempt that they should pre-
tend 70 have doubts on the subjects. A.
Dougias' speech at Clifton Springs n. r., Sept
rs, 1860. "