Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1861-03-28

bles. On that side Of the Chamber
}hereie : erty bat Ias stsod 10 ye1
pledge tdfAs fincipl4 thst Conrre
must oh it avery III the Territori~.
IN anSthe& Qu11teS ofEthe Union ths.
Is party that stands pledged TO The
principle that Congress must protect
and maintain slavery in all the Terrific
s,e'. There is no express provision in
the Constitution authorizing Congress
to DO either. The President tells us
that the absence Of such provision il
the cause Of the trouble. Then let n.
adopt such an amendment to the Cousti-
tutlon..as will clearly define the power Of
Congress over the slavery question, and
thus put ~ end to the controversy.
really cannot see what difficulty nv
Republican feiends, if they will allow
me to call them such, can have in meet
ing US on this question. They have a.
ready learned that lesson which eyery
party passing from tho minority to the
majority must learn; that they are CON-
PEELED to do in the majority a great
many things which they condemned
when out Of power. For years, that
party has aimed its shafts at my breast,
because denied the right and the poll
cy Of Congress prohibiting slavery in
the Ierritories. For years they have
appealed to the people to support their
claims to office, because they were in
favor Of the prohibition Of slavery in the
Territories by Congress, and denounced
those OF US who we're in favor Of non-in-
PREVENTION upon that subject as pro-
slavery extentionists. Well, they have
attained power by these appeals. They
have come into Office on the success Of
these appeals. No sooner had they
elected their President than they dis
covered that they could not carry out
their principles Of congressional prohi-
bition without destroying the country !;
and what did they do! Irejoice to be
entitled to say that they acted like pa
triots. The enlarged craftsmanship and
broad patriotism displayed BY the Re-
publican Senators here, and the Repub-
lican Representatives in the other House
during the last session, in repudiating
the whole doctrine Of the Wilmot pro-
viso, in abandoning the ground on which
they had stood Tor years, and coming
over to the Democratic doctrine OF nom
Intervention, is worthy Of all praise. In
passing the Territorial bills for Colorado,
Dakotah and Nevada, on the principle
OF non-intervention and popular sover-
eighty, without the Wilmot proviso,
shows that they have really abandoned
their whole aggressive policy in the
Territories. | do not refer to this in
any spiri: Of unkindness or elimination.
| DO not do it as a taunt Of inconsisten.
cy. l refer to it as an evidence Of patriot.
ism on their part for which all Union
loving men will give them due credit.
| have always told them that they could
never carry out their principles without
destroying the country. They did not
believe it then but the moment they
got into power, they discovered that l
had been right, and they had been
wrong the whole time they had been
abusing and denouncing me. It required
mel of more than ordinary courage,
moro than ordinary magnanimity, more
than ordinary devotion to country, to
abandon their errors SO promptly, and
to come over and join their old adversary
50 quickly, and with such unanimity. l
receive you kindly. Laughter. l
welcome you upon the intervention
platform. l forgive you all the acts Of
unkindness, all the insults and ISLANDERS
that have been poured upon my devoted
head, for this one act of self.sacrifice
and devotion to the country. in aband-
oning the aggressive policy and coming
to the doctrine ofnon-intervcntion upon
the subj ect OF slavery in the Territories.
Concluded Tomorrow.