New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-18

TERRITORIAL LEGISLATION.
In his late speech in the United States Senate
Mr.. Dougas alluded to bill relating to slavery III
New-Mexico, passed by the House week ago, as
an evidence of the sort of legislation which may
be expected from Congress which did not accept
the doctrine of Popular Sovereignty. TO this Dill
of the House an amendment has been moved IN
the Senate to abolish the laws of Kansas prohibit
ing Slavery The Senator from Illinois holds his doc
trinc to be common and middle ground, by which
contention of this character may be avoided In fu-
ture 1t is precisely for this that Republicans
object to it, They, at least, want no middle
grounds; and no better evidence can be gwen that
they are right in this determination than his own
acknowledgment in this speech that the extern
sion of Slavery, under his ruling will be secured
two or three degrees further North than under the
positive protection of his Democratic opponents
The final triumph of true Republican principles
is certain upon direct issue the prohibition Of
Slavery; while upon the cunning side-issue by
which Mr.. Douglas proposes to escape agitation
if peace is secured, if is at the price of liberty
The bill in relation to New-Mexico is, so far as
the House is concerned, q broad assertion OF the
right and duty of the Federal Government for
which the Republican party is contending. 1t was
carried by a clear party vote, and shows the ne
cessiy and the benefcence of Congressional inter-
yention It's first section repeats all laws and
parts of laws in that Territory which legaize or
permit /" the enslayement of human beings, except
as punishment for crime" Probably no more
ferocious and dsgraceful statutes were ever en-
crossed upon parchment since men learned TO sub
stitute clerkly fingers for the red right hand, ana
they evince so completely the incapacity OF the
people of that Territory to comprehend the idea OF
a republican government, that for this reason
| alone if for no other, the guardianship OF pa
rental government was demanded. In January
last an act was passed by the Territorial Legsla-
| ture relative to contracts between masters and
servants. The 4th section q this statute PROVIDES
that no Court of the Territory shall have cogni-
zance of any complaint of correction inflicted by
masters upon servants bound to them by contract.
This provision does not concern slaves merely; 1t
applies to all servants, whether for household SER
vice, or for labor in the field or mines, whether
"shepherds, or agents sent on journeys" whether
white or black, and whether men or women; and
while all these may be logged according to the
Act, by their employers, il denies them all appeal
to the Courts for protectiod, and all redress And
this is the sort of law which every Democrat in the
House voted, only week ago, should continue to
be law in New-Mexico; this is the sort of Democ-
| racy which Mr.. Douglas and his party invite the
German the French, or Irish colonsts, who, in
vited by the climate, the SOIL or the rich mines of
that region, shall be seduced into making it their
home.
OF black emigrants they have even more sum-
| mary and certain way of disposing. Every black
man, it is presumed, either is or ought to be
| slave. Whoever sees a black man at large is
authorized by another act of the Territory to sup
| pose that he had master somewhere from whom
| he had run away. Acting on this presumption, he
is at liberty not only to assist, but to employ any
force to arrest this fugitive from real or SUPPOSE
titious MASTER and hand him over to the Sheriff Of
the county, whose duty it is, under penalty, to
imprison the man and advertise for master. If,
at the end of six months, no master shall appear,
which-on the suppositon that there is none in
existence-is an extremely probable case, then the
Sheriff again advertises but this time that there ia
And at the end of another Six months provided
claimant does not in the mean time appear prove
a claim, pay charges, and take the property away,
the article is put up at auction at the door of the
Jail or Couit-House, and sold to the highest bid
der; sold, and title given against all claimants,
except it be the former master aforesaid-title
given by Territorial law, in the body of one who,
whatever may be his right to freedom by human
laws-we say nothing Of the laws of Gods left
without redress, for no asseveration of his can be
of any avail, for his evidence against white man
is not legal
IL is such inhuman enactments AZ these that the
United States House Of Representatives. has seen
tit to annul and render void. We want no better
evidence of how mischievous allacy the doctrine
Of non-intevention Is. end Of the imperative neces-
sity of legislation by Congress for territory belong
ing to all the States.
DOUGLAS AND TIKI DEMOCRATS.
Il hr Ia.