Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-05-12
VOLUME NI--NO. 6.
WHOLR NUMBER, GoG.

severe gH.y is a novelty, secuted from
Congress when it first appeared in the
Scns.e, con:radicted by the Constitution,
and the whole action Of the Government,
in all time and coutra5c;ed l.; ;Ia bill
itself, which is to secure It. The provi,
ions Of the bill are burlesque upon soy
reignty. 1t gives to the people, instead
of receiving from them, an organic act.
Aud what an organiY act, One in which
they are denied every at;ribr:, Of sove-
rcign'v. Denied freedom Of elections;
d:uied freedom of voting; denied choice
of their own laws denied the right of fix
ing the qualification of voters subjected
20 foreign supervision and controllable
BY ;he Federal Government, which they
have no hand in electing and only allowed
to admit, and not reject, slavery. Their
sovereignty only extends to tho subjec. CT
slavery, aud only to one side Of that-the
admitting side the other half of the power
being held to be denied by the Con-t,tu-
ton which is extended over them, and
which, (accoriing to the reading of the
supporters Of tins bilD, forbids any law to
be made which will prevent any citizen
from going there with his slaves. This is
squatter sovereignty, non-ir.erven'ion, and
uo power 10 lrcisiate in Territories uv12
slavery. And this called a pr.-c.. ls-,-e
principle Of non-intervention-.etting the
people alone to settle the question of slave
rs for themselves. How settle l.? That
can only be done in an crgap'c act, and
thty have no such 49,, nor can have one
til ,hey make constitution for State
government. All tie -est i legislation,
which settles nothing, and PRODUCES con-
ten'ion at every electior. SIR, this priu-
ciple cf non-iuterventior is but the pr.u-
cipic of eontention--a bone given to the
people to quarrel AMI fight over at every
election, AID .: meetings q their Legisla-
ture, until they become 4 State govern
ment. Then, and .hen only, can they
settle TIE question.
For seventy years--sincc the yea- 1874,
when the organizing mind of Jefferson
drew the first territorial ordina--e--e
had uniform method of providing 70. the
government cf Territories, all fcande3
upon the clause in the Constitution wL;.a
authorizes Congress to dispose of, end
make rules and regulations respecting the
territory and other property in the United
States. This mode Of government has
consisted of three grades, all founded in
the right Of Congress to govern them.
Firs: grade Governor ard judges, ap-
pointed BY the United States, 20 adopt laws
from other States, to be in force until dis
approved by Congress. SeyyEd grsje a
Territorial Legislature, when tie iuLabi-
tants shall amount TO Eve thousand men
above the age OF twenty-one, composed Of
council partly appointed fy the United
States, and 4 Hcuse of Representatives,
elected by the people, at the rate Of one
representative for every five hundred so-
iers, its legislation subject to the approval
Of Congress. Third grade: entrance on
the Srste government, in full equality
with the other States. This is the way
these Territories have been governed for
seventy years and am for sdhcrius .
it.
And now what i. the excuse for all tbs
Of the country this breaking
up Of ancient compromises; arraying Che
half of the Uuion against tie other, and
destroying the temper and business OF
Congress? What is the excuse for all this
turmoil AID mischief? We are tod it is
70 keep the question Of slavery out of
Congress. Great God 1t was out Of
Consycss. completely, entirely, for ever
out of Congress, unless Congress draeged
it in ty breaking down the sacred laws
which settled it. The question was settled,
and dono with. There was not az inch
square of territory in the Union on which
i. could be raised without, breach Of ..,u-
promise. The crdiuancc of SO settled t
in all the remaining part OF the Northwest
Territory beyond Wisconsin the comrro-
mise line Of Sc so settled j. in ali ccun-
try north and west of '.is-0uri 10 the
British line, and u? % tue h0oAy N'Tr-
tains the orear,c act Of O.c.,f, ri4..e y
the people, ami sanctiapei ty { a,-s,
settled it in al that region: toe acs f,r
the government Of Utah and New Mexico
settled it in those two Territories tae
with Texas, determined the n
Der Of slave States to be formed Oh: OF
.ha. State, settled il there: AM California
settled it for Io-sof. Now, aIe-e Was
here IT inch square Of Territory within
he United States on which tie question
,ould be raised? Nowhere MOI AN inch.
The question was settled everywhere, not
merely by law, but by fact. The work was
lone, and there was no way TO get ct the
question but by undoing the work. No
way fer Congress to get the question IL,