Year: 1860

The Express labors, in yesterdays issue.
very industriously, to show that in ls4S Her
schel V. johnson entertained views on Ter
ritorial sovereignty quite different from those
of Mr.. Douglas. Suppose he did, what of it?
He stands now in favor of non.interyention.
What his peculiar views may be with refer
ence to the abstract question of the power OF
Territorial Legislature over the subject of
slavery, he is willing to submit his opinions
to the decisions of the Supreme Court on
that point Alexander II. Stephens, of Ga,
does not entertain the same views with Doug.
las on the question Of Territorial Sovereignty,
but he is distinctly in favor of non-iDterven-
ton by Congress, and endorses the Charles
ton Platform, for the same reason, we pre-
sumo, that Herschel V. johnson does-be-
cause that platform does not insist upon the
ty ut all, but leaves the matter an open 9ueS-
ton, to be decided hereafter by the Supreme
Court of the United States. Men who diff
fer with Douglas on that abstraction, can
stand on the Charleston Platform as readily
as those who agree with him. for the plat
form distinctly declares that, st is in accord
ance with the Cincinnati platform that, during
the existence of Territorial Governments. the
measure of restriction, whatever it may be,
imposed by the Federal Constitution on the
power of the Territorial Legislature, over
the subject of the domestic relations, as the
same has been, or shall hereafter be, finally
determined by the Supreme Court of the
United States, should be respected by all
good citizens, and enforced with promptness
and fidelity by every branch Of the General
Government"


The object of this resolution was to har-
mohizo the Democratic party on some
common ground, where they could freely en-
tertain their differences of opinion upon an
undecided abstraction, and enjoy their own
views until such time as the constitutional
question in dispute might be definitely and
unmistakably settled. The Express, and
other sheets of the same genus, grossly mis-
represent, when they say that the platform of
squatter sovereignty was forced upon the
South. There is no squatter sovereignty in
the platform at all. The Douglas delegates,
though largely in the majority, carefully re-
Trained from forcing their views upon the
minority and left them perfectly free to en-
tertain their own notions on the question of
Territorial sovereignty. The minority were
not satisfied with this fair dealing, but arro-
gantly demanded that the majority should
adopt their views. They rejected the COM
mon ground of union, but the masses of the
Democracy, North and South, will not re-
ject it,


Upon this common ground Herschel V.
johnson and Alexander II. Stephens and
host of Southern men stand. There are va
rious views among Democrats respecting the
precise powers of Territorial Legislature
but they depend for their settlement upon the
decision of the Supreme Court of the United
States, and can be settled in no other way
There are thousands of supporters of the
regular nominee of the National Convention
who do not agree with him in his views on
Territorial sovereignty, but, as the platform
of the party on which he is running does not
require them to agree with him, and as he
himself is pledged to abide by the final set
tlement of the question by the Supreme
| Court, they see no reason why they should
not support him.


AS to what Breckenridge thought in former
times or as to what johnson thought, we
conceive it is much more important to know
how they stand now. Breckenridge is run
ming on a boiling, secession and disunion
ticket There is where he stands, wherever
he may have stood before. johnson is run
ming on the regular National Democratic
ticket and is opposed to Boilers, Secessionists
and Disunionists The people know the
positions of both candidates and that is sufi-
cient.


Breckenridge has been proved to have been
at one time opposed to Intervention by Con-
gress on the subject of slavery in the Terri.
tories He is now in favor of intervention.
His former position was correct, his present
one inimical to the peace of the country.
How TUOT ST -Erono oil tho w.