The Nevada journal., 1860-12-21

We notice with pain the dictatorial de-
mands of the South in the present crisis OF
affairs; because, if persisted in, the North
must retire in dishonor from the position
she has taken or the Union is ruptured, or
the South must withdraw her claims and
pro~o false to her professions, or the same
great calamity must follow. When we
speak of the South in this connection we
mean the voice of that section as thus far
expressed. There is a still, small voice yet
to be heard which may silence the clamors,
What are the demands of the South and
are they reasonable7 The voice uttered in
that section is for an equality Of rights, by
which is meant the right of STAKEHOLDER
to take his slaves into any Territory of the
United States and hold them there in spite
of any law made by any power on earth.
The STAKEHOLDER demands the liberty to
thwart singly and alone the wishes of every
other citizen of a Territory. This 10 what
he calls an equality of rights. He declares
the Constitution Of the United States rec
ognizes property in slaves, and he demands
protection to such property by virtue Of
that instrument. lie denies the power OF
Congress, the Territorial Legislature, or
the people, to interfere with his rights as he
understands them.
Such is the position assumed by all who
have thus far spoken on the Southern side
of the question. Mr.. hagofin, Governor
of Kentucky, is explicit on this point Gov.
Brown, of Georgia, is equally So The same
appears to be the position os all the cotton
States. Stephens, of Georgia, in late
speech insinuated the same thing. Such
we may safely assert is the forward voice of
the entire secession element.
1t is plain these views are not entertained
by majority of the people of the Union.
The Republican party asserts, and not with
ont the authority of the Constitution backed
by the words and actions of those states
men who made it, and the uniform practice
of the Government for more than half a
century, that Congress has the power and
right to legislate for the Territories. The
Republicans, therefore, deny the assumption
of the secessionists, and they are not alone
in the denial. The Douglas wing of the
Democratic party asserts the right of the
people in Territories to make their own
laws. If honest in their professions the
Douglas Democracy are as much opposed
to the demands of the South as the Repub-
licans. Besides these two parties thous
ands of the Bell and Breckenridge support
ers in the Free States do not sympathize in
the doctrines dogmatically asserted in the
cotton States. The aspect of the contro-
versy is that of handful of men, very
small minority, demanding what is regarded
by the vast majority of the people irrespect-
i've of party, as not granted in the Consti-
tuition. The demand is made by the few in
the face of the party platforms and profess
sions of the many. Can these demands be
honorably acceeded to? 1t is impossible.
The Republicans cannot submit to the die
tation of few while the recognition of the
power of Congress over slavery in Terrific
ries lasts. The Douglas men will not SO
stultify themselves as to allow one man to
destroy their favorite doctrine of popular
sovereignty when the people have declared
their wishes with regard to slavery.
How; then, are these demands of the Sc
cessionists to be met? Is there any COM
mon middle ground on which all may come
harmoniously together? We confess our
inability to see it if any such exists. The
Constitution and the laws of the land
should be executed at any sacrifice. While
the Fugitive Slave Law remains upon the
statute books of the nation it should be OBJ
served, and all restrictions upon its e1ecu-
tion by the individual States should be re-
moved. This much the Republicans are
willing AS party to concede. But how
they can agree IN the teeth of the party
principles to allow lone STAKEHOLDER, in
defiance of the people and the prohibitions
of climate to take his offensive property
into Nebraska and force the Government of
the United States to protect him there in
his SO called rights, we, for one cannot
see. Neither do we expect the qualification
of the Douglas Democracy necessary to
permit SO wanton an assumption. 1t can
not be. Great as is the attachment of the
Free States to the Union, and frequent as
have been the submissions of the North to
the demands of the South in tho past, we
have yet better opinion of the section from
which we came than to belive there is again
to be the basest of all surrenders. Wher-
ever there is right let it be maintained
Not indeed in trivial affairs need there be
extreme punctillio. But when great prin-
ciple are at stake, let our motto be-" fiat
justicia, ruat calum."
Against the principles of Mr. Lincoln we
would not make single concession. He is
for the vigorous execution of all the laws
of the United States he is not pledged to
the repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law; he
will not intermeddle with the institution of
slavery where it exists he would admit q
new slave State into the Union and is not,
while believing in the right of Congress to
legislate for Territories, unwilling to allow
the people to make their own laws in all
cases where the interests of the nation are