The Van Buren press., 1860-08-17
Douglas Freeport Speech.

A great cry is. made by the E.c-.. - age
Disorgsnizers, over the speech OIL ia i-e
DoUcLAs, at Freeport- when canvas-
sing Illinois, against Lincoln, for the T.
s. Senate In fact, it is the only thing
harped upon, and although delivered some
three years since, they have just fonnd ou.
that it is so obnoxious to the South and its
institutions We copy the extract, and in
connection with it, an extract of speech
of Senator JEFF. DAVIS, delivered in Port
land, Maine, in 1856. from which it will
be seen that he takes exactly the same
ground as Judge Douglas. in regard to sla-
very in the Territories
Mr.. DOUGLAS SPEECH.
1t matters not what the Supreme Court
may hereafter decide as to the abstract oues-
tion, whether slavery may or may not go
into Territory under the Constitution, the
people have the lawful means to introduce
or exclude it as they please, for the reason
that slavery cannot exist day or an hour
anywhere, unless it is supporssd by local
police regulations can only be established
by the local Legislature and if the people
are opposed to slavery. they will elect rep
Tesentatives to that body who will, by un-
friendly legislation, efectualIy prevent .ne
inthodection Of it into thsir midst. IT, on
the contrary they ere for il, th.sir legislA-
non VIII fav0r It's extension. Hence, no
matter what the decision Of the Supreme
Court may be on that abstract question.
still the right OF the people to make slave
Territory or a free Territory is perfect and
under the Nebraska bill. l hope
Mr.. Lincoln deems my answer satisfactory
on that point.
MR. DAVIS SPEECH
The territory being the common property
of States, equal in the Union, ard bound
by the Constitution which recognizes prop
erty in slaves, it is an abuse of terms to
call aggression the migration into that Ter
ritory of one of its joint owners, because
carrying with him any species of property
recognized by :he Constitution of the Unit
ed States. The Federal Government has
no night to declare what is property any
where. The power of each State cannot
extend beyond its own limits As con
sequence, therefore, whatever is property in
any Of the States must be SO considered in
any Of the Territories of the United States
until they reach to the dignity of commu-
nifty independent when the snhject matter
will be entirely under the control of the
people and be determined by their funda-
mental law. If the inhabitants of any
Territory should refuse to enact such laws
and police regulations as would give seeu-
rity 10 their property or to his, it would
be rendered more or less valueIess in pro-
portion 20 the difficulty of ho idrng it with |
ont such protection. In the case of prop
erty IN the labor of man, or what is usual
iy called slave property, the insecurity
would be SO great that the owner could not
ordinarily retain it. Therefore though the
right would remain. the remedy being with
held, it would follow that the owner would
be practically debarred 10y the circumstance
es OF the case from taking slave property
into Territory where the sense of the it,
habitants was opposed to the introduction
SO much for the oft repeated fallacy of for
osHs ss~~esy. ~psA ~say sssasnanay.