The daily union., 1854-11-14
THE DAILY UNION

territorial population possess any rights They
passed ant-Nebraska law which must even now
gladden. the hearts of every unbeever in the great doe
trine OF sefgovernment They claimed in solemn
declaratory aet-here The words memorable words
they are, too-that " his Majesty in Parliament has
the right by statute 10 bind the colonies in all cases
whatsoever" Pretty good ntsquaer-sovereignty doc
tnne, clear, concise, and dogmatca as If written in
Richmond. And what said revolutionary fathers
to this monstrous preension They said in solemn
Continental Congress in T74 that the English eoonists
entitled free and exclusive power of legislation in
their several provincial legislatures where their right of
representation alone be preserved in all OF
ton and INTERNAL PoLry These true and wise patriots
did not rack their brains 20 discover marked boundary
stone walbetween the power to establish governments
and the power OF internal legislation. They found
the words OF the great Earl of Chatham the principles
OF freedoms written in the great volume of Nature They
said to the British government we acknowledge your
supremacy over the empire, and your right establish
and supernend our governments But when you under
take to tax and 10 regulate internal you
pass the bounds of just authority and will resist you
And they did and successfully And this is lust the
condition of our Territories with this stronger consdera-
uon IN lheir favor that the English form of government
acknowledges no limitation, while general government
is one of limited and granted powers and rightfuly
exercise none not previously enumerated SO much for
squatter sovereignty whether of the revolution the
constitution
The Enquirer denies that the South has finally recog-
nsed this doctrine Of the people of the rerr'r to man
age their internal affairs for themselves, and calls my
sertion upon the subjert or abfdy" "lacious logic
and eyogste artheep and says "a like attempt
trap US is discredabe to the last degree" Well shall
not stop TO handy harsh epithe but shall myself
with repeating that the southern representation in Con-
gres supported measure which conters upon the people
OF these Territories, in many words the right form
and regulate their domestic institutions in their way
and subject only 10 the constitution OF the United States
and which provided expressly that the original law of the
country 10y which the condition OF slavery made le
gal there should be revived put in force by
these statutes Afd there was not man in Congress
who did not know, and do not recolec who denied
that under this provision the fate of slavery in these
regions must depend upon the will of the people And of
course voting with that conviction practical aban
donment of the pretenson that slavery everywhere
abshed in the Territories by the tuition And these
laws present curious illustration of the opposition
squater sovereignty Here two Territories organized
with Institutions possessing almost unbounded powers of
selfgoyernment, and yet there is this day single
white who of land in either of them.
commend this fact to the attention of the Enquirer.
As to the argument repeated in that Journal but first
presented elsewhere that Congress if have the to
provide for the organization of territorial legislatures
of necessity have the power TO legsate themselves for the
Territories, shall dismiss it with but summary consid
Grafton More cannot be necessary The principle is that
Congress can grant power to others which itself
not exercise The proposition in its unlimited extent is
contradced by the legislative experience of every day for
powers in every variety of form granted others which
would be the veries assumption the part of that body
claim for itself But if the petension is
down to the grant of legislative powers 1t s equally
enabe The question is not one of mere idle subtley 1t
one of constitutional authority and is to be determined
by the principles of the constitution If that great instr-
ment of carrying into effect specified power
gives authority ocsabsh territorial governments there the
jurisdiction OF Congress ends and the right of the people
cation Of the principle of federal supervision there may be
honest differences opinion Of its operations
being disposed to carry it further in the details than
others But wherever the true practical boundary be-
as to the appointment OF superior officers and the quaca
tons of voters, and other similar arrangements of organ
zaon certain is there is Justification for the whole
power of domestic legislation by Congresnd the hole
is given if one is givenover distant people who have
no representation in that body These as have shown,
were just the views of revolutionary fathers who
mitted this very absurdy of denying to the Parliament of
England unlimited power of internal legislation, while
they conceded the general exercise Of Legislative suprea
cy necessary to the OF proper relations between
the portions of nation Neither Lord North
his master, George the Third could at first understand
such an absurd and perncous principle to borrow the
words OF the Enquirer 1T took them eight years of school
ing to learn It, ana the lesson cost them empire. The
great champion of the English mnistrythe hired cham
pion, sorry sayDr Johnson, could understand
it any than his coadutors in Westminster, his
successors in Richmond and in his paid pamphlet entitled
Taxation no Tyranny, proved to his satisfaction at
least that it just and wise that the British Parliament
should govern the colonies aH uatsoerer The
politicians of the Enquirer schooke Dr. johnson in this
but very unlike him in certain other qualifications which
it would be nvidious to enumeratehod with the
tenacy to this preenson OF unmtgated despotsm equal
y unmgaed whether exercised by King Congress or by
King Nicholas Those who defended the rights of man in
l715 were called CromWedns towards Jewellers To the
two latter phets is added the sQuATTER
REldNs, as the last and vest token of reproach
But where does this claim of unlimited legislation lead
Congress has power to authorize the convocaon of
yentons in the Territories with view the formation
State constitutions and to the admission of members
unlimited legislation is deducble from the power estab-
sh legislatures because Congress grant
y which 1t cannot exercise it follows concusvely that
that onnpoent body the people of the Terrific
ries all the trouble of constitution-ma by doing that
work for them. Even the Richmond Enquirer cannot
cape from this position and there leave this branch
the subject No further illustrations of the weakness of its
logic or the unsoundness of its doctrine be necessary
But there statement Of the Enquirer which, must
confess has excited my wonder and, if had il
where ese should have said, my amazemen 1t displays
reckessness OF ignorance of something worse than g-
norance but 1t is redeemed in far indeed
AS such redemption goby the courage mani
tested by the assertion The Enquirer thus states the
ton: Obnoxious these principles have always been
to the Judgment and feelings of the southern people
General Cass advances for the first time propo-
4 ston stll more antagOnisc TO the rights and in
eress of the South This propositions formally enun-
cated in the fourth fifth and sixth articles of his CON
eson OF fath atrn in fact that slavery is the creature
OF local law and claim neither protection nor recogni-
versatility OF tins position by the admission that accept
the provision tor the recapurc of fugitive slaves will
not quarrel with HIM about the generality of the he
employs But we do not mean" continues the writer ito
discuss the validity of this novel article of the as creed
We propose only to submit to the people of the South that
rights and interests General Cass has been driven bv his
an-savery prejudices There is much more of the same
sort but this is enough And this is said in the capital
virginia. and by the seassumed Jupiter Tonans that
glorious old State Like his Olympan predecessor he
considers all thunder but his own as Jruu,a tulmep
which term he applies to the "Washngton Union or any
other arrogant presumptuous organ which has the ar
roganoe or presumption to doubt his infallibty "Ths
novel article in the Cass creedn advanced now for the
hrst time believed in "ony 10y the the
lilon fanatics, heralded to the South fci all otnp
ana circumstance OF thrilling dcnuncation the