Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-09-15

the opinion Of the highest court in the
Union.
Then we find the agreement to abide
by the decision of the Court violated, and
the declaration made that subordinate
territorial authority may confscate or
exclude from the territory the property of
citizens of the Southern States without
regard to the opinion Of the Supreme
Court to the contrary.
In debate between Senator Douglas
and Mr.. Lincoln, the former said "rhe
next question propounded to me by Mr.,
Lincoln is-can the people of IA Territory
in any lawful way, against the wishes of
the United States, exclude slavery from
their limits prior to the formation of the
State Constitution l answer emphati-
cally, as Mr.. i. has heard me answer
hundred times from every stump in Illi-
nois, that in my opinion the people of
Territory can, by lawful means, exclude
slavery from their limits prior to the for
nation of State Constitution"
That question we agreed, in the Kan
sas-Nebraska bill, to refer to the Supreme
! Court, and it was decided, as I have Just
shown you, the year before this speech
was made by Mr.. Douglas, in which de-
cision they say that neither Congress nor
the territorial legislature has the power to
exclude slavery, but its only right and
duty is to guard and protect it. | have
shown you that Mr.. D. agreed to submit
/ the question to that Court and that he
acquiesced in the decision. quoted Mr..
d. again concerning what he calls " an
abstract question" The question may be
ABSTRACT" but it is one involving the
equality Of the States CT this Union, and
the vital rights of more than half of them.
| [Applause] "It matters not" says Mr..
Douglas, "what way the Supreme Court
may hereafter decide as to the abstract ques;
ton, whether slavery may or may not &C
into Territory Under the Constitution
| The people have the lawful means to in
troduce or exclude as they please, for the
reason that slavery cannot exist day or
an hour anywhere, unless it is supported
by local police regulations. 1t matters
little as to the right to 60 into the Terri
tories. The people may lawfully exclui
it."
l have shown you that in 1856, in the
Senate of the United States, he said that
if the Constitution authorizes it to 60 there
and protects it, no power on earth can
take it away. would like to see those
statements reconciled. Great applause
Whether the Constitution did authorize it
to go there, and protect the individual in
his property, was question which he
agreed to refer to the court This have
proven not by myself but by him. He
now says, "no matter which way the
court decides, it may be excluded."-
prolonged applause)
If were disposed to initiate the bad
example of an eminent man, might say
as he said about me, that there is not an
honest man in the United States who can
deny that the agreement was made, that
the decision was made in accordance with
our views of the Constitution, and that the
agreement has been violated by the Sena-
tor and his personal adherents, who agreed
to abide by it. [Applause.l
Do not we state our principles fairly
Do we not state them in the very Lam
guage Of the Supreme Court? Do we not
stand upon the Constitution as adjudicated
by the Court And do not we express
|. our reasons in temperate, manly and re-
, spectful arguments
The pure language in which the Su-
, preme Court states the question and de.
cides it, and the manner in which it is
stated by the distinguished Senator from
Illinois, are questions upon which the
highest intellects of the country are exer-
cised, engaging the anxious attention OF
your wisest and best men, engaging the
attention Of the most august tribunal on
earth, debated in your Senate, debated in
your House of Representatives, debated
f before an anxious people-questions which
are stated from one end OF the country TO
the other. The cry is, is it not well
argued in the decision! How firm and
f yet temperate, without any appeal to
sectional passion and prejudice "
The question whether your property is
the same as other property; whether it
has the same rights in the Territories as
other property; the statement as made
/" that you shan't force slavery down the
throats of an unwilling people"-those
| arguments consist of an appeal to the pas
sions of one section of the Union against
f. another.
l Mr.. Douglas admitted that slave prop
erty stands upon the same footing with
other property. The Supreme Court de-
cided that under the Constitution it stands
4 on the same footing and it has the same
right to protection in the common terrific
ries as other property.
f Yet we hear the accusation about for
e cling slavery down the throats of an uu-
!. willing people" Who wants to do itl
: Does the existenco of the question of pro.
a tectlon of private property in this Union
;. imply that the Southern States are folc-a
l. to take charge of such property! Substi,
n tute this word property for the word
: " Slaves" and SEQ how it would read.
/, You attempt to force Slaoery down tho
o throats of an unwilling people-you ats
tempt to force property down the throats
q