The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-09-19

conferred on the Federal Governmental will be
admitted, We presume, that Il could not author
ize a Territorial Government 90 erercise Nefa
Ir COULD CONFER NO POWER on ANY LOCAL Gov ,
EHsNENr, EsrABLIsHgD BY ITS AUTHORITY, TO VI
oLATE THE PROVISIONS OF TEE CONSTITUTION.
= snow as we have already said IN an
earlier part of this opinion, upon diferen;
point. The RIGHT OF PROPERTY II |
SLAVE Is DISTINCTLY AND EXPRESSLY
AFFIRMED IN THE CONSTITUTION.
THE ONLY POWER CONFERRED Is TIKI
GUARDING and PROTECTING THE OWN
Err IN HIS RIGHTS"
These are some of the odiou- features of that
decision OF the Supreme Court OF the United
Suites over the institution of slavery within the
Territories" which the platform OF the Douelas
faction Of the Democratic party pledges them TO
- abide by," and which Douglas himself endOr
ses in the following language:
Il in common with the Democracy OF Illinois,
ACCEPT THE DECISION OF THE SUPREME
COURT OF THE UNITED STATES II THE
DRIED SCOTT CASE, As AN AUTHORlTA-
TIVE EXPOSITION OF THE C0NSTITU-
TION.
"4ares are regarded AS PROPERTY, and
placed or an EQUAL. FOOTING with all other
property. Hence the owner OF slaves-the same
as the owner Of any other species OF property,
HAS A RIGHT To REMOVE TO ANY TER
RITORY AND CARRY HIS PROPERTY
WITH IIM."-tSpeech IF Douglas in Ne" Or
leans, Dee. 1851
But this is not all. Not only are the Douglas
democracy pledged to these infamous doctrines,
but they are pledged to any decisions which
NAV be hereafter made by the Supreme Court,
and declare that such decisions should be prompt
" enforced by every branch of the General Gov
ernment thus reducing the Executive and Le-
gisativc branches to "a state OF vassalage TO the
judicial and bringing upon us the despotl-n
f0resecn by Jefferson when he declared that
" The S~preD,o Couit - "a Sholtc corps 0f sap
pers and miners, constantly 'oorktng ander
around to undermine tie Foundation Of orr
confeferd'sd fa5ric.'
This plank of th. Douglas platform is as fol-
lows:
" i.cSDtged, That II J. 10 accordance with the
Cincinnati Platform, that durng the existence oil
Territorial Governments the measure Of reStr,e-
f.o., whatever it may be, imposed by the FEEDER
al Constitution on tie po'rcr Of the Territorial
LEGISLATURE over the subject OF the domestic re-
iaf;ons. a. the same has been or shall hereaitsr
be finally DETERMINED BY THE SUPREME
COURT of the United States, should be respec-
ted by all good citizens, and ENFORCED riM
promp tness and fidelity by EFER BRANCH
of ne General Government"
On the 10th of June 1860, Mr.. Douglas wrote
a letter accepting the nomination ct the Ba!ti-
more Convention, and cordially endorsing the
platform upon whc, it was made The "addi-
tional resolution" OF which he speaks in the fol-
lowing extract from his letter of acceptance, is
the resolution we have just quoted. Mr. Douglas
says:
"Upop coreful examination OF the platform
of principles adopted az Chariesfo" and re-o.tir-
med at Baltimore, .riM on additional resolution
rhich Is ia perfect harmony ~Hh tie others,
find IL to be a fajthtm embodiment Of ire time
honosed principles of tie Democratic perry, a
the same were proclaimed and understood by all
parties in the Presidential contests Of 1878, 1882
and lSj6."
This extract speaks for itself. Can intelligent
men longer sustain party that endorses doc
trines which would shame the rlnkest Federal
ism of earlier times? We think not
POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY.
A bad cause rarely trusts its inherent strength
for success. Among an intelligent, free people,
it must OF necessity resort 10 so.,histrleS and
catch words to delude those who would other
wise be hostile to it. Such has been the course
pursued by the northern democracy in their SUBJ
serviency to the interests of the slave power
As pretext for the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise, which Douglas in 1919 declared to
be "canonizcd in the Eearts of the American
people as a sacred thing, which no Ruthless hand
wonld ever dare disturb" they proclaimed it tn
be for the sole purpose o! establishing in the
Territories the great principle of Popular Sow
ereignty-the right of the people Of Territories
to govern themselves.
The sovereignty of the people is a iunlamen-
tai principle of free government, on which TIE
pillars OF our confederacy rest. But this attri-
butte, in its completeness, is applicable alone Ia
States.
1t is impossible that the people OF L Territory
should exercise all the powers of Sovereignty
which attach to the people Of a State. II so,
each Territory would be entitled to elect two
Senators in Congress, and Representatives, acc0r
ding to the ratio OF their population, and mem
beers Of our Electoral College equal to the sum OF
these.
But these acts can only be performed upon the
admission of Territory into the Union---wheii
it no longer remains a Isrriioru, but becomes Il
State
But it may be urged that this doctrine Of Z" the
right OF the people OF Territory to govern
themselves" does not intend TO confer upon them
all the powers of sovereignty, but only to leave
them, in the language OF the Kansas Nebraska
81
domestic institutions in their own way, subject
only to the Consultation Of The United Sia'es."
Let us see how far this perfect freedom, is
exempfied in the kansas-N ebraska act OF
judicial officers, the people of those Territories
have the power of eiecting Justices Of tie Pace,
whose decisions may b, overralcd at any time
by Judges receiving their appointment from the
President of the United States The people
may elect the members of their Territorial Le-
gisature-but their acts may be vetoed by GOV
errors also appointed by the President
Twice have the Legislatures of these Terrific
ries passed laws prohibiting Slavery within their
limits and each time they have been stricken
down by this veto power. Glorious illustration
of the "rights Of r people to govern thernseyes.n
1t cannot be said that these vetoes are no argu-
ment against the "great principle" emboded in
the act organizing those Territories.
The sin lies at the door of the act itself. The
responsibility rests directly upon Douglas and
his adherents, WHO, against the vote of the lead
ers of the Republican party then in the L. s.
Senate, placed this despotic power there, We
have reason to believe, for tie rery purpose of
overriding the sriH of the people Of those Terri.
tories. Popular Sovereignty, indeed. Trans
parent humbug,!
But it may be said that, at all events, the Kan
as-Nebraska act Z" ,cas intended to confer upon.
or leave to the people of the Territories the
right of settling the slavery question for them
selves" Let the record speak.
On the second day of July, 1856, Toombs'
paciicatiOn bill being before the Senate, Mr.
Trumbull, of Illinois, moved the following:
"Be 1t further enacted, That the provision
in the 'Act TO organize the territories of Kansas
and Nabroslo which dacl.-os II to ~ s,ba ,,,a