The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-02-07

say that Territorial Legislature had no riSnI 10
establish slavery any more than to prohibit 1t
heard him imperfectly at this distance and want
to know if that is his proposition.
MIR. LANE My proposition is that Congress
has no power over the question OF slavery; that
thew cannot, under the Constitution, establish it in
a Territory, or prohibit it and that Legislative
Assembly in Territory deriving its powers from
Congress cannot do what Congress itself cannot do
MIR. PUGH Then you hold that Territorial
Legislature has no power to establish slavery!
MIR LANE. No power to establish 1t, and no
power to prohibit it ; but that property goes there
like all other property, on equal footing with
other property, and while the Territory Is in ter.
ritorial condition it has that protection which the
Constitution extends to it, and which an honest
court would give it, and the common law of the
country secures to It,
Mr. President, it is not my purpose to discuss this
Territorial question l am tired of it; and | hope
that the discussion of will soon cease but it is
so essential in ny Judgment, that justice and
right prevail that l feel it my duty to give my
views in relation to the rights of all the States of
this country in a Territory while it remains in
! Territorial condition. | have heard gentlemen,
! Senators and others, talk about the value of the
| Union and their devotion TO it. No man loves it
more than do and no one would make greater
sacrifices to maintain and preserve this Union. L
would do it Il the moment when the country re-
Guires it, at the expense Of every drop OF blood;
but to maintain that Union the Constitution must
be maintained in its spirit in its letter, and i'll It's
meaning The principles Of justice and equality
must prevail in this country there can be no
| Union Sir, as much as | love this Union, as
much as I am devoted to it-and no one is more
so than myself would not ask to have this Union
maintained by the violation of the Constitution it
self.
If the Northern States of this Confcderacy could
not have equal rights with the Southern States in
the Territories, and equal justice under all crcum
stances, would they remain in the Union Ii we
want to preserve it let US be just, do right deal
fairly by every portion of this country, and not
hold that the Territory belongs to the North, to
free labor to the South to slave labor; for it IS
not So 1t belongs equally to all; all of them have
an equal right in it; and | would submit to no
wrongs from the South Being Northern man,
[ would submit to nothing that infringed the ri ghts
of the Northern States in the Territories of this
Union. No man would be more prompt to resent
a wrong, an insult. or indignity, or injustice
attempted to be perpetrated on the Northern States
bv the South, than myself; and while [ submit to
no wrong from that quarter, | would ask them to
submit to none from
intend to be just by all; to deal rightly with
the whole country; to know no section but the
Constitution and the Union; to carry out its pro-
visions and its guarantees, and the rights which
do not see how any man who loves the Union and
the constitution can discriminate between the sec,
tions of this country, AID pretend to say that the
common territory of all shall be given exclu-
svely to free labor or to slave labor. The citizens
of the States have equal rights in the Territory
while it remains in the Territorial condition; and
when the people who inhabt it come to form a
State Constitution, then it is their right to prohib
it slavery or establish it, they fit, and they
have a right to be admitted into the Union they
shall decide.
did not intend, sir, to say anything on this
Territorial question, and | should not have said a
word on this occasion, but that [ heard very
indistincty some question which was propounded
by the honorable Senator from Ohio to which the
honorable Senator from Minnesota rose to respond,
and desired to know what the question was, 50
that |. too might respond | say again to that
Senator that the Democracy of the North differ
in opinion upon this question l regret it. l can
agree with him and with our cd friend Doug las
E for they are both good DCmocrats-upOn all
essential questions, this only excepted. They will
both labor to prevent the election of a sectional
man to the Presidency, and will, [ have no doubt
do all in their power to secure the election of the
nominees of the Charleston Convention. Both
love this Union; they stand upon the principle oil
E right, they understand it; but [ must differ
from them to the power of the people in
Territory while in Territorial condition; but, as
said before, they WILL 1 have no doubt, labor
faithfully with the Democracy to secure the
election of the nominees of the Charleston
, | Convention.
Now sir | hope the Senator from Ohio is salts
fed with my position to the Territories, asd alst
with the fact that ! recognize him good Demo
crat, because know him to be so, and | know he
will not dispute my Democracy because l happier
to differ in opinion with him upon matter tina
| regard as essential to the peace and harmony o
, this country.
will say, before l take my seat, that this ques
n ton made in our late election in Oregon, AM
took active interest in it; and it required tn
# labor of sound Democrats there to secure the elec
@ ton of reliable national man to represent tina
g State in this Congress. The question was planl
= and fairly submitted to the people of Oregon, AM
in every speech that the member who represent
o that State, in the other branch of Congress- mad
before the people, he took the ground that the cit
. of all the States had equal rights in the Terri
tories, and that the North had no right to nfring
n the rights Of the South, or the South to nfring
O the rights of the North.
| canvassed nearly every county in the State i
i that campaign, and [ made myself understoo
Y everywhere. made the point clearly that, in N
; Judgment, all the States of this Union have
equal right and all their citizens had an equal in
terest in the Terrtories-rghts that could not nc
Is must not be violated. The Democracy of tina
q State triumphed; and by their votes at the ballot
J., box, endorsed that great principle-one that mus
!. be maintained one that cannot be violated; for o
e that great principle the equality of the States