Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-10-24
Thn slnrs oodsa supportsd hr Mr.. nonrIn..

Gho HiaFe Souea supported ~ lArs BougiuHs
Ex-Gov. Wise Of Virginia, in his speech
at Norfolk, Sept 9Th, fully dissected the
conrse of Senator Douglas on the Slavery
question in the Territories lie showed up
the inconsistencies ofhis policy il the strong
est light, and declared that .-a.
Gle 1Douglasl even assails popular SOW
ereignty itselfand takes the precise Leeomp-
ton position, which he so vehemently pro-
fesses to eschew. Squatter sovereignty
when analysed, is nothing in effect but the
same infamous Lecompton tyranny which
attempted to compel people to be all of one
way"
After reviewing the course Of Senator
Douglas on the subject OF Territorial legisla-
ton, Gov. Wise thus summed up his Slave
Code record: ......
Isay it without hesitation, and defying
the possibility of contradiction, that Mr..
! Douglas himself, has drawn up, proposed,
reported voted for, and passed more slave
codes, not only for the protection o. slave
! property, but discriminating in favor of slave
property in the Territories over other property,
| than any other statesman, living or dead, |
say this deliberately, aud | call your attention
to the proof And for the first and best
evidence, refer you TO the Kansas Nebraska
act ITSELF a.l
By one provision OF this act, "drawn by
| Mr.. Douglas own hand, it is provided that
appeals can be taken in suits involving prop
erty other than slaves, only when the property
in controversy shall equal in value the sum
of $1,000. .
But where the property in controversy is
slave property, however small may be its
value, even it be an old negro altogether
valueless, an appeal is always a legal right
under the provisions OF Mr.. Douglas slave
code.
Again, Mr.. Douglas discriminates in favor
of slave property in the territory, by provid-
/ ing that writs of error shall be allowed in
/ all cases involving PERSONAL FREEDoM.
And yet again, Mr.. Douglas intervenes to
discriminate in favor Of slave property, and
against other property, in providing that
cases involving slave property shall take
precedence OF all other cases of error or ap-
peal.
Thus Mr.. Douglas has himself drawn up,
reported, voted for and passed a slave code in
the single case Ofthe Kansas Act, which gives
slave property not only peculiar perfection,
but degree of prOteetiOn which he refuses to
any other species OF property. Under this
code, the nOn-slaveholder having property
in controversy can obtain no appeal, unless
his property shall attain the value of 81, 900.
The stakeholder may have an appeal if bis
property be valued at one farthing or at moth
ing, or less than nothing. The non-slsve-
holder can obtain writ of error only in
specified cases; the stakeholder can obtain it
in every case involving personal freedom.
And even where the non-slavehOlder obtains
an appeal in case involving $1,000, oI
100000, and however detrimental may bC
the delay, still the non-slaveholder must wait
and the Shareholders appeal will take pre-.
cedence of trial, even though it may involve
no actual value whatever.
So far has Mr.. Douglas occupied himself il
securing the passage of slave codes-discrimi
mating in favor of slave property, and ever
against other property. And this not in one
instance, or in two, but time and again, re
peatedly, reiteratedly, he has provided The
same or similar "slave code" legislation fOl
Territory after Territory, in a multiplicity o
organizing laws which are still operating in TIL
Territories, and extant on the roll of Con
gressional statutes.
Understand me. | do not accuse nor dis
approve this slave CODE legislation of Mr.
Douga'. entirely approveit. 1t furnishes
to some extent the very kind of protection
which demand for slave property. AnC
: even the apparent discrimination which
embodies in favor Ofslave property, may wei
be needed and provided for a species of pro
perty more exposed 10 aggression, as it Ger
But surely, ifa slave code is so odioI559H4ir d5l5
slave code oughtto damn man in the North
Mr. Douglas doom ought to be sealed in ever
State opposed to such enactments