Democratic banner. (Bowling Green, Pike County, Mo.) 1845-1852, 1850-04-01

. REdPhtS sAchSu oA iIS 6'o"N's
the very same address insists upon its des-
potic, cnlimiied power over half CONT
nent.
According to the doctrine of Mr.. Cal
houu, the power of Congress over the ter
ritory of this country, from the States toI
the Pacific ocean, is absolute and unlimi-
ted. Congress may divide 1t into sections,
make all rules and regulations for the peo-
pie that inhsbit it, however numerous, I'M
all time to come. Now, it's true our writ
ten constitution allows Congress 10 make
all "needfuP' rules and regulations for the
territory, &C., and does not secure the rights
Of the people Of the territories; and surely
1.-THE principles of our Revolution, out OF
which the constitutions which the constitu-
ton grew, the rights Of the people to man
age their own domestic institutions which
the constitution was made 10 secure to the
States, are not less binding, when plainly
seen because they happen 10 be unwritten.
We should feel no more authorized to leg
islate in Congress for territory, any far
ther than was absolutely needful, than we
should feel authorized to legislate for Ken
lucky or Mississippi. And il Congress
should undertake to legislate for people,
able, in the judgement Of sensible ment, to
| to legislate for themselves, and DESTROYS tc
do so, that body would be guilty Of tyran-
ny of the vilest kind. They might not vio-
late the letter of the constitution. but they
would insult the memory Of the memory Of
. their ncestors-disregarded the voice from
the blood Of every battlefield Of the Rev.
olution. What did our fathers fight against,
} but the assumption to legislste for them, BY
. body 10 which hey we're not represented
Il We cannot agree to this monstrous pow.
er over this vast territory and ito inhabi.
tants. Congress should hx some rules fol
its action, some limit to the power il vii
exercise. That body should say whst nun
Der of people in q given area, should be
d free to legislate for the nselves, or be inves
ted with the rights Of States. To compel
the people emigrs,ing to these regions ,e
wait without laws to suit their circumstan
ces, until the States cen sgress upon some
d thing to suit our interests and our rights
e viii never do. 1t 10 snti.democrstic anC
suti-republican. Such pretensions cam
be carried far. They are not sterling nov
only because We do not see fully the msgni.
Itude Of them. We can do as We please fol
!, the territory, but the people are not Q,
!, manageable. Whea they here that Con
rlgress bold despotic power over them bu
> could do nothing, on sccount Of firreconcil
cable difference between free and slsv,
States, and they are left to care for them
: selves 90 best they csB, what will they dol
81 Nothing important, perhaps, when the peo
8 Iple are few; but California will contain il
a short time quarter Of Q millioH. Sh'
has State government 10 operation. VII
they consent to be Iegislsted back into .
territory They have now ststs govern
. ment st their own expense end to their owl
notions. They have their Offices chosen b,
themselves regularly installed.
When We consider the circumstances un
der which they have acted, We should b,
slow to blame shem. They have had no gu
] thority of Congress for what they hav,
f done; and, unfortunately they have no au
thority for anything else. Two years ag,
the news came Of the gold in CaliforDia. a.
Thousands, hundreds Of thousands, set Of
for the land of Ophir. They poured int,
Q California from the land sad see, 10 Raths
. ts treasures. Such spectacle was neve
witnessed before in the memory Of men,
|, Then the emigrsnt found himgelfin q Re-
. gios without order or Law. Each ono ws
oIcompslled TO be Law unto himself. A gen
!, tlsman left this city, who hes done grss
Q deal Of business 10 the world and seen al
sorts ofpsopls. He travelled over Cslifor
mia last summer for his own sstisfa ctioD-
not to dig gold. His account of the hsbitl
and social order there is truthful and inter.
b estiag. Az might be expected, the sdven
) lturous pioneers are above the average o
/, Intelligence and enterprise. They felt .h,
.tsecessity Of order, end each one felt the re.
:, sponsibility. Our informant says, he never
met with more civility and courtesy thar
] he did everywhere in California. The du.
p ties Of religion and morality were duly ob.
served a. they are anywhere in the States