Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-02-27
WASHINGTON, ID. C.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY Fl, 1854.
INTERVENTION AND HoH-IRTERvEETON


INTERVENTION AND HoH-IRTERvEEnoN
"The Abolitionists ask Congress to interfere
in the Territories they demand that the agent
should usurp what belongs to the principal
that the representative should override the
people, and assume that power which belongs
to them alone. This is their aristocratlc and
inconsistent attitude-these apostles OF equal
ty--these oracles OF human freedom. Well
does the Hon. j. c. Allen, of Illinois, in his for
chile and fearless speech on this question, on
the 2Ist instant, exclaim: 1t ID in vain for
gentlemen to reconcile the two principles. They
are either for the one or the other-for Inter
vention or Non Intervention The bill OF SEN
ator Douglas is based upon the doctrine OF
NoN-INTERvENrIoND
The foregoing extract, from one Of the most
INSCRIPTIONS advocates Of the Nebraska Bill
hAfa.A tha Sanate il a fair specimen of the dis-
honest tactics of the Pro- Slavery men. We
assert that the question is not one involving
the principle Of Popular Sovereignty there is
no issue between the friends and enemies of the
right Of self government: the Anti-Slavery men
are not opponents Of the principle Of Popular
Sovereignty, nor are the Pro-Slavery men its
supporters The question does NOT lie between
Intervention and Non Intervention The Ad-
ministration, Mr.. Douglas and the Southern
Party, are no more in favor Of Non-Interyen-
ton, than the Aboitionists" and it is false
to say that chs Bill is based upon the doctrine
of Non Intervention On the contrary, the
Bill is founded upon the doctrine Of Interven-
ton. 1t assumes that the people or inhabit-
ants Of Territory have no original power Of
selfgovernment; it organizes them, and dele
gates this power to them, in limited degree.
1t does not recognise their right to form their
own Government; it prescribes to them the
Constitution Of their Government. It deter
mines who shall vote, how they shall vote,
when they shall vote; how many and what
Offices there shall be, what shall be the salaries
who shall be eligible, and how long shall be
the tenure Of Office. 1t denies to them the power
to choose their own Judges, their own Govern
ors their own Secretaries Of State, vesting the
appointment of these functonaries in the Pres
ident Of the United States and securing 10 the
Governor the veto prerogative and to the Con-
gress Of the United States the right to revise
the acts Of the Territorial Legislature. From
beginning to end, the Bill is wholesale denial
of the doctrine OF Non-lntervention, and yir-
tual affirmation that the inhabitants of Ter
ritory have not the inherent original right Of
self-government in their Territorial condition.
And yet, the Boston Post New Hampshire Pa
triot, Ohio Statesman, and other unprincipled
journals pretend that the Bill fully embodies
the principle Of Nom Intervention, recognises
and respects Popular Sovereignty and that its
opponents are enemies Of the People enemies
Of the glorious doctrine Of self government aris-
tocrsts and monarchists at heart
They shall not deceive the People, If we can
help it; they shall not draw off attention from
the real issue presented by the Bill. This issue
ia, the repeal Of the Missouri Compromise, for
the purpose of giving Slavery an opportunity
70 appropriate to its own base uses whatever it
can Of the free West and Northwest, and for
the purpose Of establishing Policy in pursu-
ance Of which the area Of slave labor on our
Southern and Southwestern borders may be
expanded without lot or hindrance. The only
Non Intervention which the Bill sanctions and
provides for, is Non-Intervention by Congress
or the Territorial Legislature against Slavery.
Last Saturday we exposed the doublc-deal-
ing Of the so-called Democratic politicians Of
the North and South on this point-the North
ern section proclaiming that by the terms Of
the Bill the People Of Territory, through
their Legislature, would have the right TO ex-
olude slavery; the Southern section insisting
that the Bill does not, and cannot, give any
such power TO the Legislature. As Mr.. Doug
las has minated his purpose to press the meas
ure 10 final vote next Wednesday, we again
solicit attention ~ this matter. There is honor
even among thieves: do these Northern and
Southern Slavery confederates intend to cheat
each other Is there no honor in the Senate
Of the United Statcs7 Messrs. Butler, Brown,
and other Southern Senators, support the Bill
on the ground that il opens the Territory Of
iNoUfnSAo W cinseEy, hhu give ho Po"ur W
the Territorial Legislature to exclude il or
legislate against it; so-callcd Northern Demo-
cratic Senators support il, ON the ground that,
although il leaves the Territory unprotected by
Congressional enactment against Slavery, it
secures 70 the Territorial Legislature power to
exclude IL The former view is industriously
dinsminated at the South, the latter at the
North. And the Senators who propose to pass
this two-fAced, doubls-songucd measure, arc all
honorable mon! They know that, were they
10 adopt an amendment, determining the
phrsseoIoky Of the Bill, 30 that il should hon.
estly mean but one thing --either that the Ter
ritorial Legislature would have power 10 ex-
cluds Slavery, or would have no such power
the Bill could not 70 through the Senate. AZ
firm the existence Of the power, and the South
srn Senators would vote against the Bill; deny
it, existence, and Northern Senators would not
dare support il. And yet, with their eyes wide
open 10 this fact Senators, being Of course all
4 a. T. r.