e of
the States or territories to control_--or, to state the point a little
differently: On this one subject of purely domestic concern the Federal
government is stronger than the people.

The Federal government, virtually say the Breckinridge party, must every
where protect, but can no where prohibit slavery: The same government,
in effect say the Lincoln party, must prohibit slavery, but can no where
establish or legalize it:

True it is, that the Breckinridge party in the 3d article of their
platform say: "That when the settlers of a territory having an adequate
population, _form a State constitution_," the State "ought to be
admitted into the Federal Union, whether its constitution prohibits or
recognizes the institution of slavery;" but at the same time they so
construe the Dred Scott decision as to affirm that the right of property
in slaves is guaranteed by the Federal constitution, and therefore
protected every where, where that constitution is the supreme law. If
so, of what avail is it for a State constitution or State law to
prohibit slavery? The prohibition would be a nullity under the Federal
constitution.

True it is also, that the Lincoln party affirm in the 4th article of the
Chicago platform, the necessity of maintaining "the right of each State
to order and control its own domestic institutions, according to its own
judgment exclusively;" but in the 8th article of the same platform, they
affirm the right and duty of Congress, _by legislation_, to maintain the
territories in their normal condition of freedom, and they deny "_the
authority of Congress, of a territorial legislature, or of any
individual, to give legal existence to slavery in any territory of the
United States_."

The pretense then of conceding sovereignty to the people of the States
"to order and control" the domestic institution of slavery, when that
sovereignty is denied to the same people while in a territory, is a
piece of transparent hypocrisy. Does not any sensible man know that
prohibition of domestic slavery in a territory, is essentially
prohibition of it in a State to be formed of that territory? As the twig
is bent by Congress in the territory, so will the tree be inclined in
the State. If slavery does not exist in a State at its organization, it
will never exist there, unless forced there by the Federal government
under the Breckinridge construction of the constitution.

But again: If Congress, as the Chicago platform af