The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-08-27

i"g him, Or entering bis room; for fear that they
would soil his clothes, step on bis shoes, or do
some other daElage, and in this state he died,
"unwept, unpitied, and uneared for" although
worth fortune of $S0,000. -,
~ f--.--.. ..5js,,, .f.r lts=ti -. I -
U. S. SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE TER
RTTORIEs.
There are certain terms and phrases so IA.
miliar in our political discussions as to have be-
come like "household Words" among which is
that ofsovereignty. Yet we find that some Of
our statesman do not or will not comprehend
its force and signifc"ncy. Among these we
did not expect to find General Cass, for at the
very close of the debate in the Senate on tile
California bill he not only disputed Judge Ber-
rien application of the term, but wished it made
no part of our political vocabulary. Judge
Berrien, in the admirable speechhe made at the
termination of the debate affirmed that such
portion of the people of California as had insti-
tuted a State government, had usurped the SOW
ereignty of the United States. Gen. Cass claim
ed for the body of adventures who had so act.
ed an Inherent right to organize State govern.
ment, and could not discover what application
the term sovereignty had to the matter in hand.
He could not comprehend the explanation Of
Judge Berrien, that the Congress, as the Agent
of the States, held and exercised their sover-
eighty collectively, as atrust-ad delegated pow
er-which passed, in this particular, to the peo.
pie of the Territories, whether acquired by pur.
chase, cession or conquest, when, with the as
sent of Congress, they, having formed const.
tuition, were permitted to enter the Union. It
was difficult to get Gen. Cass to understand the
distinction between original or primary aud del
sgated or'derivatlve sovereignty over the Terri
tories, the former being reposed in the United
States, and tue latter lodged with Congress.
lie would give to any body of adventurers
the right to enter on the public domain, without
paying for it, and organize themselves into
body polite, in virtue of what he calls the ina-
licnablc rights of man. Chinese, Australians,
South Americans. equally with Americans, be-
come, according to this doctrine, having no pre-
paTation, suddenly invested with the privilegeto
firm, OH territory not their own, political
constitution. They assume the functions, by
inspiration, BY intailivc knowledge, of self.go,-
ernment. To this conclusion does his theory
of inherent, inallenabe right necessarily con.
duct us. BY virtue Of popular sovereignty the
States of this Union are then to be ousted of
soil and jurisdiction, conferred on a n,iscellane-
Gus body of adventures, it being impossible to
discriminate, in this respect, between Chilians,
Chinarnen, Europeans and Americans. We
think that if there is any misapplication of the
term sovereignty, it is with Gen. Cass and not
Judge Berricn.
The same principle of Inherent privilege ap.
t> bor,J,,;,. fN,l;co~,,o 81
vcnturers with the samenght to seize the public
domain, to dispossess the United States OF the
soil and jurisdiction, had a correspondent right
to extend that jurisdiction over ten degrees of
lattude on the Pacific ocean. What was to
prevent their taking possession of all the unap.
propriated territory East and West as well as
North and South! Was there any limit but
their own sense Of convenience.
Another of the terms employed by Judge
BeTren in lis argument seems to have perplex-
cd one OF the Senatorial body in an equal de-
gree that Gen. Cass was puzzled with the idea
that delegated power was reposed in Congress.
Judge Berrien spoke ofthe equality ofthe States
being about to be sacrificed by the almission of
California. Mr.. Underwood, Sena or from KY.
could not comprehend the principle by which
equality bctweea the States WAS TO be maintain
cd. rs it, (says the Kentucky Senator, with
great simplicity the cpiIio of the Senator
from Georgia that, in this e,ual:ty of interests
among tn several States the State of Della.
ware i, crtitled to as m 'ci, as the State of New
York +? Would he di iIe the d,nlain per capi.
Ia or ccording to opulations Or what sort
of interest do, S exist in til S property among the
sever States The iswer of Judge Ber-
.ien was, ef cou se that he spoke of IAN equality
of rirM, and not that he public domain should
lie dividel, nd tha' o each Stata, and still less
to every individ al, should be assigned its or
his appropriat po ton"
II re the afle disc ssion Of eightmonths,
dn:inq whic'i tae words Sovereignty" and
equality between the States" have been
banded SO often in debate, two intelligent
Senators cannot, or will no! understand their
Obvious signifcation. Is not this an evidence
of the msguiding influence of pei iudice Or
preconceived theory2 Gen. Cass wishes SOW
ereignty to attach to any promscuous as.
semblage of semi.civzed foreigners, however
large, blended with number of the citizens OF
the United States, however small, in derogation
of the rrhts of the Union whilst Mr.. Under
wood, citizen OF d slave State. can discover
no violation Of equality il her citizens being dc.
privcd of the right of removing with their pro-
pertv iuto Territory acquired by the common
blood and treasure.
Charleston Epniag Neus.