Weekly Trinity journal., 1860-10-27
Present Position of Political Parties.

lev. and the singular estrangement which exists
in different sections Of the Union, have tended to
make the present campaign the most important
to the country of any it has ever witnessed.
From the appearance of things now, we are led
TO believe that ABRAHAM LINCOLN stands The only
show of being elected President by the people.
If we rightly understand the position occupied
by the Republican party in regard to the ques-
ton of slavery. (the apparent issue which alb
serbs every other question: it is this: In the
first place that slavery should be confined within
its present limits, that is in the States where it
exists by virtue Of the recognition in the Consti-
tuition and police regulations adopted by those
States Second, that the normal condition Of the
Territories is that Of freedom that all the Terri
tories of the United States, and those which may
be hereafter acquired, shall be free and kept open
to free labor Third that Congress has jurisdic-
tion over the Territories, and should enact a law
preventing the further Introduction Of slavery
into said Territories. Fourthly, the Republican
party favor protective tariff, discriminating ju-
diciousy in favor Of and against articles Of for
eign importation, in such way as to protect the
mechanic and aborer in our own country. and Sc
cure to them Just compensation for their labor.
1t further argues that Government should adopt
a different policy in regard to the disposition Of
the public domain--instead Of selling to donate
it to actual settlers as homesteads Finally, the
party profess to he in favor of Pacific Railroad,
and declare it to be the duty Of Congress to make
ample and immediate appropriation TO commence
the work. The acknowledged standard bearers
Of those principles are ABRAHAM LINCOLN, OF IL
linois and HANNIBAL HAMLIN, Of Maine.
The Democratic party stands to-day divided
both in organization principle and policy. IT is
not contcnded by either wing of the party that
there have been any regular nominations for
President or Vice President
JoHN G. BRECKINRIDGE, Of Kentucky and GEN
JOSEPH LANE, Of Oregon. are the respective can
didates Of the Brockinridgc Democracy. Their
principles and position, if we are correct, stands
thus First that the Government Of Territory
organized by an act of Congress is provisional
and temporary, and during its existence all cti-
zens Of the United States have equal right to
settle with their property in the Territory, with
out their rights. either Of person or property,
being destroyed or injured by Congressional or
Territorial LEGISLATION. Secondly, that it is the
duty of the Federal Government in all its de-
partments to protect when necessary. the rights
of persons and property in the Territories, and
wherever else it's constitutional authority extends.
These are the views Of the Breckinridge party in
reference TO the slavery question They believe
that the Constitution makes no discrimination
between property, whether slave or otherwise,
and that slaves being held and regarded as prop
ery since the foundation of the Government,
cannot be impaired or destroyed by Territorial
legislation but that the people of Territory,
at the time of adopting State constitution, have
the right to adopt or reject the institution Of
slavery as the majority Of the people Of such
State may deem most wise and polite
By adopting and adhering to this principle, it
is contended that the sacred principle Of equality
is established that peace will be restored to the
country, and the veXed question of legislation on
the sllvery issue will be taken out of Congress
and left to the people of those Territories when
they come to perform the first act Of State SOW
erciQnv.
All the great leaders Of the BrccRinridge de-
moeracy are in favor of the Homestead BILL and
are also in favor Of graduating the tariff on all
articles Of foreign manufactured goods and i'm
portaiOn-that the actual expenses Of our Gov
ernment may be met They avow themselves
also in favor of Railroad from the Atlantic to
the Pacific. BRECKINRfDGE LANE pledge them
selves to maintain at all hazards, il elevated to
the high positions for which they are named, the
constitution and the Union of the States.
The other prominent wing of the democratic
party is headed by STEPHEN A. DoCGLAs. Of Hi
nois as the nominee for President, and lIERScHEL
V. JOHNSON. OF Georgia, for Vice President The
whole country knows well the distinguished char
acter and hgh standing Of the man. Mn. DOCG
LAS is looked upon as the leader and standard
bearer Of the popular sovereignty democracy,
and contends that Congress should not either
upon principle or policy meddle with the domcs-
tic institutions of any Territory but to leave the
people of such Territories free to manage their
domes tic institutions in their own way, subject
only to the constitution of the United States
The question is therefore to be determined by
the people whether it is the wisest policy to per.
nit the people while in a Territorial condition to
tolerate or exclude slavery by friendly or un-
friendly legislation. The first contest arose be-
tween the Douglas and the Breckinrdge wings
in regard to the construction Of the decision
made by the Supreme Court of the United States
in the Dred Scott case, upon the trial Of which
the majority of the Judges decided that negro
was not and could not become a citizen of the
United States, but by legal inference assigning
him to be property, according to the true mean
ing and Interpretation of the constitution of the
United States. The question and issue came up
in the early part of the present campaign, and
before the Presidential nominations were made ::
If a slave be property under the Constitution of
the United States, as eXpounded by the Supreme
Court, can a Territorial Legislature impair the
right in such property and exclude by system
of uniriendly legislation slave property while the
Territorial condition lasts Mr.. DOUGLAS, it
must be conceded, has waged and maintained one
Of the noblest contests ever fought by any states
man or political leader of modern times, ard
asserts as fact in law, as well as in political
ethics, that the constitution bears no such con
struction as put upon it by his opponents, and
further that the Supreme Court decided the point,
in the Dred Scott case" as to whether a negro
was property and so considered by the Constitu-
ton of the United States MR. DOUGI.AS asserts
that the principle of popular sovereignty lays at
the foundation Of all our prosperity and progress
a nation, and that it is itself the very basis of
self-government that the people of Territory,
within the United States carry with them their
political franchise and right of citizenship. and
as such have a right to exclude slavery by Terri
tOral legislation without the consent or inter
ventlOn Of Congress. Upon all other matters
there is a united action and sentiment with the
democracy We apprehend that within one year
from this time all conflicting elements in the
democratic party will be healed up and queted
upon some union compromise.
The BELL and EVERETT party occupies dcci-
dedy one of the most prominent positions as a
national party. There is no Disgusting the fact
that the men who stand at the head of the party
have filled record of nearly forty years as ma