Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-08-18
Popular SnHereigntY.

In recent speech made by Judge
DOUGLAS, at Concord, N. H., ho is repor-
ted in the papers as having uttered the
following language;
The principle that he, (Douglas) stood
upon was the right of the people to make
their own laws, and to establish institu-
tions to suit themselves. That was the
principle of the Revolutionary War Dem
ocrats but il is now said that Congress
can pass Federal laws, not local and do
nestle laws, for the people of Territory
who have equal rights Of self government,
and who went from the old States where
they had these rights. Why should they
lose them in the ferry boat crossing the
Missouri River"
Now look at the following principle
affirmed by the U. S. Supreme Court in
the bred Scott case, as set forth in How.
ards Reports, vol. 10, p. 395, and which
is the doctrine sdvoc ated by Mr. Breckin.
ridge:
Sd. Every citizen has right 10 take
aeith him snto tie Terpo'y any ariicie of
property whieh The Constitution OF the
U"itd States rec0s"ises as propeHv."
4M. /he C1nSti 'ution Of the United
StntcS recognizes sLaues as property, and
p,efgts Me FdtrM Government to pro 'ect
u, and Congress cannot exercise any
more authority over property of that de-
scription than it may constitutionaly ex-
erci,e over property of any other kind"
9th. I" The act of Congress therefore
prohibiting citizen of the United States
taking with him his slaves when he re.
moves to the Territory in question to re-
side, is an tgrrctse Of autho,hy ouer pri-
cate pr p"rty ph,ch is not scuramea by
the Cons ttutson, and the removal of the
plaintiff by his owner to that Territory
gave him no title to freedom
9th While it remains a Territory,
Congress may legislate over it within the
scope of Its constitutional powers in rela
ton to citizens of the United States, and
may establish Territorial Government,
and the form Of this local government must
be regulated by the discretion of +, ongrc.s;
but acsh p,acers not eacera"g Mose mh'ch
CbngresS ,ts'I By the Co"stitSkion is az.
thorscea 10 tse,cise OUer cittsenS Of Me
Un'tea States IN respect TO Me>r 7aghtS
and property"
And then consider, in connection with
the above, the two following planks of the
Platform whcreon Mr.. DOUGLAS is now
running for President
RrSolUea, That the Democratic party
aoti a6tae Gy the decision Of The Sup, en,e
Court of Tie United htates oue, The snsti-
tu'iol Of Stavery W,thin tue Itrrit,rtcs.
Resotuei, That it is in accordance with
the true Interpretation of the Cincinnati
Platform that during the existence of Ter
ritorial Government, the measure of
restriction, whatever it may be, imposed
by the Federal Constitution on the pow.
ers of the Territorial Legislature over the
subject of domestic relations as The same
has bern or shall henaftsr be, f"aiIy de-
termsnea by tbs Supreme Court Of the
Untted Statrs, shall be respected by all
good citizens, and enforced with prompt
ness and fidelity by every branch of the
Federal Government.
From the above it is apparent that
either Judge DOUGLAS is right, and the
Supreme Court and Mr.. BREcKINRIDGE
and the National Convention wrong, or
yice versa. They differ widely in their
construction of the Constitutional rights
OF the people of a Territory, and cannot
both be right and both wrong. Let the
people Judge between them.