St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-02-21

congressional code that | propose. .
The code that exists is not congress /
sional one at all ; it is territorial
one and as we have come to the
point where ! suppose some settle
mcnt should take place, propose that
we shall take the status as it exists. .
1t relieves us from all Legislation.
propose merely to give what protcc-
ton the present laws give-notling
more.
Mr.. Harlan--I do not desire to mis-
represent his proposition.
Mr.. Crittcndcn--l am sure the gen
tlemen does not.
Mr.. Harlan--lIere is the language,
however, of the printed bill which
have Oh my desk
"In all the Territories south of said line of
latitude, slavery of the African race is hereby
recognized as existing -
Mr. Crittendcn-That is all.
Mr.. Harlan--It is recognized as ex-
listing.
"and shall not be intcrfercd with by Con-
gress, but shall be protected as property by
all the departments of the territorial govern
ment during its continuance.
Mr.. misunderstanding to their
own laws.
Mr.. Harlan shall be happy, Mr..
President, to find that the proposition
submitted is less Objectionable than !
at first supposed it to be.
Mr.. Crittenden-It has been one of
my objects to exclude the idea of leg
islating by Congress. The resolution
is silent on the subject.
Mr.. Harlan Printed propositions
have been laid on our desks, coming
from the other side of the Chamber,
proposing to amend the resolutions Of
the Senator from Kentucky, II do not
now sec them, hence | cannot recitc
their provisions y but their effect
would be to conform the Senator's
proposition to the requirements of the
Breckenridge platform. And the pro-
position as it stands-as it seems to
me-recognizes slavery as existing in
the Territories south of So 80, and
provides that it shall continue during
the existence of the territorial govern
ment The Senate has heard the pro-
position which came from the Senator
from Virginia to-day, which is an ell
larged demand over that of any Sena.
tor who has spoken upon this subject
ask then, Mr.. President, if it car
be expected that triumphant part,
Il may say union of parties, so fa
as that principle of the right to cx
clude slavery from the Territories il
concerned, unprecedented in the histo
ry of this country will humble them
selves at the feet of minority sc
very small? Will any honorable man
consent to humiliate himself
Mr.. Pugh--I should like to inter
rupt the Senator a moment, with his
permission.
Mr.. misunderstanding.
Mr.. Pugh-l heard him indistinctly
before but. as he has repeated it, ]
wish to ask him question. | under
stand him to say that the supporters
of Mr.. Douglas in the last campaign
maintained the power of Congrers tc
exclude slavery from the Territories.
Mr.. Harlan-No sir.
Mr.. Pugh- Certainly not one Of
them, to my knowledge, ever admitted
it.
Mr. Harlan-My statement was
that the friends of Mr.. Douglas in the
recent election, maintaied the right t
exclude slavery from the Territories.
Mr. Pugh-Or to admit it, as tho
people choose.
Mr. Harlan-And, as a means for
its exclusion, would use the Tcrritori-
al Legislature. The main point at is
sue was: can slavery be rightfully
excluded The Republicans said it
could. The Douglas Democrats in my
part of the country also maintained
that it could and that the means
they would select were preferable,
considered in the light of efficiency, to
the means proposed by the Republi.
cans. "Why" said they, "look at
your northern hordes, millions of men
free to cmigrate throw open the Ter.
ritories, and allow the people who ell
ter them to exercise their own choice
on this subject and can you doubt,
educated as the great majority Of the
settlers will have been, that they will
remove slavery from every Territory
organized under the jurisdiction of
the United States ?"
Mr.. Pugh--l hope the Senator will
allow me to intcrposc.
Mr.. Harlan-Certainly
Mr.. Pugh--I think can speak for
the Democracy of Iowa better than he
can In the first place, | was very
well acquainted before, and at the
time, with the delegates in the Charles
ton and Baltimore conventions. All
that we have ever claimed was, that
the people of the Territories should
have the right to exclude it or to ad-
nit it, at will and as for any asser-
ton that the Democracy of the North
meant to exclude slavery as propo-
stion, and awaited themselves of the
doctrine of popular sovereignty for
that purpose, it is an invention of the
enemy.
Mr.. Harlan-I do not say that eth
err the Senator, or any of his party
friends, desired to exclude slavery
from the Territories. am inclined to
think some of them do not entertain
such desire, especially those of them
who, though residing in the free States,
are the owners of slaves. The point
Of principle, however, cannot be eva
ded. Tile right to erciude Slarery from.
the Territories was maintained by the
Douglas Democracy all over the Union
1t was SO announced by that eminent
gentleman in the city of New Orleans,
in Baltimore, at Norfolk, and every
where over the Union and doubt
not he is indebted to that frankness for
the smallness of the vote pollcd for him
in the slaveholding States. The prin-
eiple then maintained by them was,
that slavery might be rightfully and
constitutionally excluded from the Ter
ritories. So it was by the Republican
party. The Republican party say it