The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1860-09-26

candidate 6r rs-eieesiOn from that State, and
thea, Tor the 1rs. time. We fnd the theory ad
vaDssd that thcrs Is 4 mode BY which subor-
dinats Territorial Legislature. on aauestion O
eonatifu.ionsl right nay evsde. or nag over.
ride ,he opinion Of ths highest judicial court IN
,he Uainn. The manner IN which il may, be
dons IS pointed QUE ia ths ellOwing Iansuses,
Lemployed by Mr. Douglas in discassion with
his competitor. Mr.. Linroln:
"The last question propounded to me by Mr..
Lincoln is: Can the people OF Territory, in
any law'u way, sgainst the wishes OF any citi
Zen OF the United States, exclude slavery i.om
their limits prior to the formation OF State
Constitution? answer emphatically,. as Mr..
Lincoln has heard me snSwer hundred times
from Q very stump IN Illinois, that, in my oPiR-
ion, the people Of a, Territory can, by Law iul
\ means exclude Slavery rom thtir limits prior
to the formation Of a State Constitution, 1,
That question we agreed, ip the Kansas bill,
to refer to the Supreme Oonrt Of the Bnited
States That question was decided. as have
Just shown you, by the court, The year before
this speech was made by Nr.rDouglas, in which
4 discussion they say neither Congress nor the
Territorial Legislature has power to exclude;
but their only right and duty are to guard and
protect. / have shown you that Mr. Douglas
agreed to submit the question to that court and
4 TO abide by its decision. l' 'T7siH. .e' a-'
Il quote Mr.. Douglas again concerning what
be calls the abstract question" Of the Consttu
tional right ofSouthern citizens to hold and en-
Joy their property in the territories. The qucs.
tion may be called abstract but it is one in
volving the equality Of the States ofthis Union.
and the vital rights of nearly half Of the Con.
ederacy. tApplause. y, -. ,-,
ut matters nnt,n says Mr.. Douglas, "what
way the Supreme Court may hereafter decide
as to to the abstract question, whether slavery
may or may not go into a territory under the
! Constitution; the people have the Law ful means
| to introduce or exclude it as they please, for
reason that slavery can not exists day or an
hour anywhere, unless it supported by local
police regulations '' ''-s ---
1t matters not as to the right to go into the
territories under the Constitution! The peo.
pie may lawfully exclude Il! '''' s'
have shown you, while yet in the territorial
condition, that in 1856, in the Senate of the
United States, he said: 1' .s'' % e'@
al the Constitution carries slavery there let
It go, and no po,oey on earth can take it away"
| I would like to see these two statements recon
ciled. tGreat applause Whether the Consti-
tuition did authorize it to 60 there, and protect
the individual in his property, was question
which he agreed to refer to the Court. This
have proved, not by myself, but by him. He
now says, no matter which way the Court may
decide it, it may be excluded. Prolonged ap-
plause. This declaration has ntver been tcith
ard,on. and he asserts to, day, that the people of
a Territory may eaelude The property Of Southern
people prior to the formation of Constitution,
6y territorial legislation against ID. "No matter
wlat The decision Of The Supreme Court may be
o,isthdt abstract question, sh2 tie right Of lie
people 10 make sldve territory or free terri.
tory, is perfect and complete ander the Nebraska
biRt Z" l# sra
/ Gentlemen, in answer to the accusations
against me of first holding and then abandoning
this doctrine, and which have disapproved,
have to say that it is not statesmanlike to agree
to refer controversy on constitutional point
to the Supreme Court of the country, and
when the Court has decided against you, to say
mo matter how it may decide, will find
means to evade it, il against me-"
No. 1t is not for a statesman to point out to
a subordinate legislative tribunal some device,
whether it be non-action or untriendly iegisa
tion, by which il may destroy constitutional
right.
That looks almost as much like higher law
as some other higher law'' we heard OF fur.
ther East. daughter and applause."l
And now, il were disposed to initiate an
euiinent, but bad example, l might say, "there
is not an honest man in all America" who can
deny that when the friends OF the Kansas bill
differed on the question Of The power of Con.
gress or a territory to exclude slave property
during the territorial condition, they agreed to
refer this constitutional question to the Supreme
Court--that Mr.. Douglas was party to this
agreement- the Court decided upon Gaze
properly arising that neither Congress- nor
territory have the power to exclude Southern
property from the common domain and final
ly that Mr.. Douglas notwithstanding The agree
ment, yet declares II at the legislature may ex.
pei slave property from the territories, and
carefully points out the mode by which he sup,
posed the decision ofthe Supreme Court may
be eyaded. Loud applause. ....,. ,...-',,....r -
But am content merely TO state the fact and
let the public draw their own conclusions. .,.
Fellow citizens, the serious illness under
whiehi have suffered for some days, makes it
almost impossible for me to address this vast
asssmblage 80 as to be fully heard, and renders
II necessary that should be brief I pass on
to view Of this subject in an another aspect Of
II. .Sr5a .&rB .a 7.r'a. rs' ss @ rr1 aeEs
Now, Gentlemen, how is this question me /?
Do not the constitutional Democracy meet it
BY fair manly appeals 10 the reason Of the
people and to the Constitution DO we not
state our principles fairly? Do we not
stand upon the Constitution as adjudicated by
the Court and do we not express our reasons
in temperate, manly, and respectful argumeuts? ?
The language in which the Supreme Ccur,
states the territorial question and decides It,
and The manner in which it i, stated by the
distinguished Senator from Illintis---how, diff.
erent! Here are the questions upon which the
brightest intellects Of the country are exercised
engaging the anxious attention Of your wi
sest and best men, engaging the attention Of
your highest judicial tribunal debated In s,bo |