Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-06-27

4 Itl' NV 'l''N 'lN' 49, \" th W EF'hNF
wish Ia elaborate before this body, and before. hi
country: topics numerous rs the stars, md broad Il
the henvcns. Time, strength aud voice ml,st fail re
and | must content myself with Il rapid glance Il; bu
few.
1t has been objected tn this measure, TINT i, has III,
effect Ia establish sqHa'icr Sorc5rtgaiy in KANSAS mi,
Nchruskn. This objection, il innst he confessed. j.
expressed in terms sufficiently laronir: hui it is ,s
tin%lii>l!cl 10y wan. of specifications, and il l,ruu-iI
forward with 50 much va-ucnc>s us Ia nuke i; ,!ini.
cult /" lay mold on it and keep ii in position t" be cx
aininc': with the degree ui attention necessary tn nf
Ter arcplY. In the fourteenth section Of the Till. it i:
said t" he 1.-The true intent and mcarin. of this ac,
not To lcgisla;c slavery into my Territory or State
nor 10 exclude il thcrcirom, bu, la leave the pcopI,
thereof perfectly free 1" form and regulate their 10,
mestir institutions in their own way. %>ulirr: only IL
tie Constitution of III. United States;' aud ] have
heard il, charged that .quattcr sovereignty is, in som,
riiiinrr, wrapped up in these words. Now, -ir, | de-
ny thu: sIua.;rr sovereignty L. wrapped up in thcs,
words, or thu; Sovereignty Of any kind is anywhere
Ia he found in the bill.
In al! reasoning nn government, il is absolutely ne
rr>sary TO he explicit! What. then, is meant by
s,luattcr sovereignty! ] presume the "i.jrctors in.
tend to charge that the bill invests the inhabitants oi
these Territories with the powers and attributes Of Ii
sovereign people. This deny. What i, sovereign
~! Freedom from cnntr"l-ircc'lon from ~rcsponsi,
h:llty-suircnrn"y. Sovereignty Is the supreme, ui-
cuntr"liablr will uf society. In all iaaticrs which re-
late Ia Itself. i. decides for ~itncif-its decision j. final
it ir supr.mc-unr"n,rollaiIc. II acknowledges no
supcrinr-no equal. IL i. responsible only 10 Cod
II is To the political community w!!a; Divinity is 10
ihc universe Docs this bill propose 10 clothc iniInbi-
tanlSn nj Kansas or Nebraska with any sucl! powers or
attributes, ar 10 invest them with any such supreme
dignity! On the contrary, they are retained in II con-
,IiiUu Oh absolute dependence on this GoNcrnmcni.-
Ilnv Hrc not allowed Ia form their own government.
Congress prcscribcs the fundamental law. HE soy
eminent ui The United Statee appoints the supreme
Executive OF the Territory, regulates h- term 81 ser
Vice, invests him with the power Ia Vel" tie acts OF
the Territorial Legislature. and makes him rclnorcn-
br n, the Will and pleasure Of the Prc,!i"!l; OF tie
United S:ntrs. ns mr.. Nil the executive officers oi tie
Territory nppuiItr! bv the President u! the United
S;utr-, and removable n; hi- will aad pleasure! Tic
~jriiciar" rcgn!ntcd-i;s jurisdiction, powers. and dn-
lico controlled bv laws al Congress, with liz judge
appointed By the President. Arc these the powers
n!mi chara steri-,ics OF a sovereign people
In the organization nj The legislative department II
i. subjected To- several importan; Limitation, explicitly
imposed BIZ this act: and then it Is expressly subject
T.. 10 the General limitation "f the Constitution o! the
United States. H. legislative powers limited IL ''F-
h,ed 4, all rI.hJm sUti-crs ol legislation consistent
with the Constitution ui the United States ana the
PROVISIONS "i ilii- act = and even IN tic very words
Oh. which th. "hj"clurs found their reasoning, the III
!lab;:unt- ar. lett free IL form their domestic ins'itu-
ii"l!s IN their u.Su WAY. subject only "a In" Constltu-
t!uu nt The United States Far from erecting The IN
iiahitant, "f the Territory into Il <0rrc,gA p.0iIt, far
from establishing. syVQt't,. sYrcyriyaiy, the territorial
governments are rcrainci in Il condition of absolute,
practical dependence On tho Federal G"vcrnlncI!!. am!
expressly subjected Ia the Limitations and power and
authority of The Federal Constitution. All powers 81
the Territorial legislature are mere ilvOrs and III
lni=clcc- granted by the Congress OF the Unite!
State. these grants are necessarily I1rmLSS'rT, and
merely ynrmiSSIrc: they IRE par ed AMI n%cccr;cd IL
such. The inhabitants of the {, rrltnrics are permit
ted by Congress Ia pass lnws by tic agency oi Terri
tnrial Legislatures, suffice; Ia regulations prescribed
by the ~W and nuLiOrHy nf Congress, and to llInitG-
finn. iu,,-rI la. .i. tnu.;iiu'iuu pt Nh. lui,pi
States. And all this results from :he relations between
the subject anil the actors, cstal lishcI hr the pflnCl-
pie, al Uir compact u: Union.
|; appears 10 I've apprclicnrlcd bY some gentlemen
from the South, thai, according 10 the PROVISIONS OF
this bill, il may be competent ~ the Terri;cria! Legs
laturc to exclude slavery, ar to p,"Ili5i; IL INTRODUCE
ton. dcuy this. aud will cndcav"r 10 inquire wiic-
,icr the apprehension be well fcu.,,cG. Al the pow
cr. ci the Territorial Legislature will be derived from
Congress. GY gTaRi, through TIL. bill. Many uf the
power. OF Congress are duties ri! winch il cannot d-
vest ii-eli. In M cnSc can II gram: power which II Is
not itself invested. The powers. then, ~ The lcrrlin-
rial Legislature, cannot be -r'ai'r than iil"S: winch
are possessed by Congress. Bu: Congress has 10 ri%ht,
no power. la exclude my citizen %! amy one "I The
United Suites !.nri catering upon any territory hct.i
by the Federal Government IT, the property al Inc
several Stutr>. ON the contrary, Congress has The
power. arl that power is n dwtv nj which il cannot
dives; Itself. IL project every American c!:IAcn III IN"
cn;uvmcn: ui life. l!bcri". and property, wherever he
may ort"Ry b., wherever he may iaTt"N,y 90; and
ir may iaw,lllv 20 an: where within the limits a: ;sc
United States: ur ANY where Oh the tncc NJ the habi-
table globe, and take HE property with HIM, eHScp;
"!iei: Ills lcrs"iiil presence 10 'o'p'''cn' VI IN
W pI'ic.'! :" =. ~ "I H.,
l,!ain terms, any citizen al 4 Southern STATE maE 20
any where within the limits 81 the United States. AMI
carry MS siaEe WIN niI, "mi ! r. =, n;"S - 80, !.
, ~ " IN !" n!""n 80" ~ = ~ - ,h' I.n,;,s NJ
" y" n, .'. - "''.. ,r.," ..rnro;a, ,m,Lori.
Il spvcr,isn IL".' Tn"sr rupir.;r' r r,gi.Ia -" :; !,
. nna :" ""a.H " on r - 'L,,. ;r.n
'""i ~. !" q l." ~. r aa 80" ;,S, ,HI roy.,rr mn.
Nv :. :" 'a' 80. IT,. I'LL ,,,r, ,Ln ronrlt.. I'm,
:" y h +, :" "'' :. , :, an;,, ;,rn .,c, = SAT- and ~.
-, 49, 49,, ,,,,,,, ,Ir,,,.r,v -: ia. S,y,,.. Com
'a"'"' y" ' -. T.. ,m;', 3d. ~ ,,.h,rf., ,r,i !. i,
- -: "a ID >, ,, ,n,,,,. ,;,, i, IT. r,nna, d;yr.r ;.scIr ", W
nn,".r ,,,,,,, r.In.rn i,s,if from, ,I,. nhl,,u.
-, ~ .Lo-r..y.I, du:y AMI j., r.s,,c,.: y, ~.
n.a :, ,,rn,, ,..nLiis, nm. ,rr,;t,rii,l onv,ru.
,,.,, IN , conditions loss f,ynrohl,. IN ;i, southern ci,i-
n", - ,h ,"" ,I., wh;.i, i. nrruni,J nv (.nr, r,,s itself
+, ,y; W. ,iir-",,rc h.. rho dutv ot tho territorial GOV
arr,n.r. - nrn.,,., ,v,-. ,,u,rir,, citizen in ,h,. en-
;,,,,au, NJ. III. Gh,rtv' and prourrtv-prourrty be-
:" a.,nrr farm n,,,,rchruiiuI ,y,rYini,i. which
, ,7 H.. ,n,.,..rd.
So I.,.. I'm, r,u,.rr.s I'm. Tho r;,,L,tul authority
= a.,;,-. ,l.. S.u,L ~ 'r.r.i.,ri,I
= H",."".mnu' L. i,,...,,.I ,,;,h any .,,., ,r,bnr;.
-. Nj. .", ,i,., W. dn mn, ,,E ,,,, ,,,.y sIull
! al, ,;,,. ~ :, ~ r,y,,r We Ic,nnmJ th,, ,h,v
sh,Ii mr,.tr,, r,ou,ly-nli pro,~,gg--nnL ncrcp, Il.
n,n,n,,tn ,.h,t,vrr I'm. been declared to Lr ,:,rrr;v,
hv ,hc ,n,nnctcu;. supreme, sovereign ar,thoriiv of nm
;,,l.r,,,ir,,t S,atr. u,iir1, il To Lr th,. u,,uliar urc.
rn.,arjyc uf snvrr.im,v-a prcrucativc Ia he cNcr-
,;s,,I urIv by n sovereign rommuritv-;o declare.
what shall be. and wiut shall not be property: 10 10.
.;no ,,.rn--tv. +, declare, Ia pronounce, tn orl,,in
Shall, md wllu, shall not be- ;nsScsSel: what
hall I,nvc. and wlat slall not have the quality al be-
in. pu-sr>scd. il ore al the highest attributes Of SOW
{" lr"icr! property is one al its most sal
cred duties.
ru - dial nit. S..tL, -. ,t -.,..