Year: 1859

Protecting slavery In the Territories.


The Union of the 5th, double sheet, publishes
the great debate which occurred in the United
States Senate on the 23d February last, on the
question of protecting slavery in Territories and
which occupies awards of thirty five columns of
that journal. We have not az yet had time to
thoroughly study the positions assumed therein
by the Northern and Southern Democrats. If
the Southern Democrats, however, have taken
the ground heretofore occupied by the Republi-
cans, that Congress has power to legislate upon
the subject of slavery in the Territories-that is
either to legislate that institution into the Terri
tories, or exclude it ttherefrom-then, all we have
now to say is, the entire North is lost to the De-
mocracy forever, and that great party which can
alone preserve the Union, is lost, lost lost The
Washington correspondent of the ST. Louis Re
publican-a friend and supporter of the Admin
istration-thus speaks of this debate


" The result of the debate seems to be to pre-
sent to the country the issue upon which the next
Presidential fight is to be made, viz Congress
slonal interference to protect slavery in the Ter
rltorIes. Upon such an issue as this the entire
Northis lost tothe Democracy, and with the North
goes the seepter of power. Thus we shall have
strictly sectional contest, and in such con-
test the South loses all. The Northern States, if
united, can elect President and the vote of
every Northern State will be thrown against the
candidate who claims the right of Congress to
foster and protect slavery in the Territories
where the people are opposed to IT. phe old
doctrine of the South was that Congress had
nothing to do with the subject of slavery. The
doctrine announced yesterday that Con-
gress had the power only to legislate for its
protection. The Douglas men took the position
that the subject was out of Congress entirely,
and rested with the people of the Territories, or
with the Supreme Court, under the Constitution,
according to the plain purport of the Kansas
Nebraska Bill The issue may now be cunsid-
cred to be made up and it is for the Democratic
party to say whether they will enter the contest
with the chances SO unequal, and where defeat
is certain.


! As for ourself, as an individual Democrat,
having cheerfully, gladly, enthusiastically voted
for the National Platform in the Cincinnati Con-
vention, we prefer to continue to stand on that
Platform rather than run the risk of wandering
upon unknown grounds, where we may be met
by evils which we know not of. The first reso-
luton of the second series of resolutions com
posing that Platform 1--WE quote from a copy of
the proceedings, as published by order of the
Convention reads in part as follows:


The American Democracy recognize and
adopt the principles contained in the organic
laws establishing the Territories of Kansas and
Nebraska as embodying the only sound and safe
solution of the slavery question" upon which
the great national idea of the people of this
whole country can repose in Its determined con-
servatism of the nion-NoY-INTERvENTIoN BY
CONGRESS WITH SLAVERY IN STATE AND TERRIFIC
RY, on IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.


The words in small caps are thus
printed in the authorized proceedings We
may here remark, parenthetically, that the
proceedings declare that this resolution I" was
followed by long continued and enthusiastic
applause; in which every delegation land none
more heartily than the California delegation,
we can attest.-ED. CoUR. joined in the most
earnest manner That was the position of the
Democracy in 1856. That was the position of
the Democracy of this State last year. The first
resolution OF last years (Lecompton) Democratic
Convention reads thus:


Resolred That the Democracy of California
maintain with unfailing faith their attachment
to the wise, just and liberal principles announ-
ced in the Cincinnati Platform, and, among
others, they most cordially approve and will
most faithfully sustain the doctrine of popular
sovereignty and its inseparable guarantee, non
Intervention of the Federal Government with
the domestic institutions of State or Territory.


On that platform we stood last year. We
prefer to stand there this year, unless hereafter
we have sufficient cause to change our views as
to our duty as patriot and citizen.


That platform does not in the slightest par
ticular justify the idea that a Territorial Leg
islature has power to abolish slavery in Ter
ritory 1t does not in the slightest particular
deny the proposition that slave property, like
all other property, is entitled to protection in
the Territories.


A NOBLE DEED.-Charley Fairfax is indeed a