Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-05-05

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To settle principle, is the canswcr-the prln-
ciplc of non-intervention, and the right Of the
people OF the territory to decide tho question
Of slavery for themselves Sir there Is no
such principle. The tcrrltorie- are the child
rem of the States They are minors, under
age. and it is the business Of the States,
through their delegations i'll Congress to take
care of them until they are Of age they
are ripe for State government, then to give
them that government. and admit them to an
equality with their fathers. That is law, and
has been so admitted since the first ordinance,
in l1S4.
The States in Congress are the guardians OF
the territories, and are bound to exercise
that guardianship and cannot abdicate it
without breach Of trust and drrliction Of
duty Why, sir, the territory itself is the
property of the States, and they do with 1t
what they pease-rermit 1t 10 be settled or
not, as they please cut it up by lines. as
they please sell or give it away, as they
please chase white people from it, as they
please. This has been always the case. There
is proclamation now extant of the old Con
press of the confederation. describing the first |
settlers in the Northwest territory as ''disor-
derby persons - and ordering them to be drI- /
ven of by the military,
| remember many such military expulsous I.
in the early settlement Of the western coun- /.
try, often executed with severity burning
houses, cutting up corn, destroying fences,
and driving off people at the point of the bay
| onet, and under the edge Of the sabre. As |
late as 1886, and after the extinction of the
Indian title to the Platte country in Mis-
souri, similar orders were given to the then
colonel of dragons commanding on that from
! tier, the now senator in Congress, Henry
Dodge, TO cxpcl the people from that pur
chase orders which he executed in gentle
ness and mercy, going alone, explaining his
business, and requiring them to 60 away
which they did, like good and orderly people
and when he was gone, came back like sensi-
bic and industrious people, and secured their
preemptions. Not only settled, but organ
lied territory, has been SO treated by the te-
deral government, and worse; the people dri-
ven off, and their homes given away. ms
happened in Arkansas in ISIS. when twelve
thousand square miles of her organized terri
tory was given to the Cherukees and the peo
pie driven away. Why, sir, this very line
Of 360 30, with all the territory on one side
OF it, and two degrees on the other side, were
given away to the King Of Spain. This has
been the seventy year practice Of the govern
mcnt--to treat the territories as property,
and the people as unlimited guests, to be en-
tertancd or turned out, as the owner Of the
house chooses. Fine sovercigns these chased
off by the military, and their homes given to
the Indians or SpauiHrds
The whole idea OF this sovereignty is no
vety. secuted from Congress when it first ap-
peared in the Senate, contradicted by the con
stitution and the whole action of the govern
ment. in all time and contradcted by the
Il bill itself which is to secure it. The proyl-
= sions Of the bill are Il burlcsque upon sove-
reignty
= 1t gives to the people, instead Of re-
trpfu
what an organic act, One in who n
they are denied every attribute of soyer-
It eignv--drIied freedom of electOns-dencd
=, freedom OF vo'ins-lcnel choice Of their own
' laws-denied the right Of fixing the qlllIfca-
- tons of votcrs-sublccted to a foreign super
vlson, aud comfortable by the Federal Govern
O ment, which they nave no hand IN elecung, and
q only allowed to admit and not reject Slavery
n Their sovereignty only extends to the subject
4, of ,verv, and only to one side OF that, the ad
-, mltling side, the other halt OF the power being
= held TO be denied by the Constitution, which l.
N extended over them, and which, according tC
il the reading of the supporters OF the blIl, iurbd
II any law to be made which Will prevent any
citizen from going there with his slaves. 1hI'
n is squatter sovereignty, non-lntervention, anC
X no power to leglslate in the Territories upoI
At Slavery; and this is called a prncipe-tht
r principle Of non-Inerven,on-lettlng the peo
r | pie alone to settle the question OF Slavery Them
IN selves. How settle it; That can only be done
IS in an organic act, and they have no such act
w nor can they have one until they make con
.. stlruion for State Government. All the res
10 is legislation which settles nothing, and pro
tv duces contention at every election. Sir, TIM
20 principle of non-interventlon is but the princl
of pie of contentlon-a bone gwen TO the people
is to quarrel and fight over at every election, ant
I'd at every meeting Of their Legislature until the!
s. form a State Government Then, and the
is only, can they settle the question.
- For seventy years-since the year Ie4
when the organizing mind of jefferson dre1
v. the first territorial ordinance-we had uni
=, form method of providing for the government
il of territories, ali founded upon the clause il
II the Constitution which authorizes Congress
TX to dispose Of, and make rules and regulation
IN. respecting the territory and other property q
rn the United States. This mode of government
e. has consisted of three grades, all founded
ed the right of Congress to govern them. Firs
Mn grade Governor and judges, appointed b
no the United States, to adopt laws from othe
Of states, to be in force until disapproved b
. Congress. Second grade territorial legis
nm lature, when the inhabitants Shall amount I
IN, five thousand men above the age of twenty
,r- one, composed of council partly apponte
or- by the United States, and House of Repre-
as sentatives, elected by the people at the rat
of of one representative for every five hundre
,w voters, its legislation subject TO the approve
We of Congress Third grade entrance ON tn
os state government, in full equality with tn
of the other states. THIS is the way these Tel
by rtorics have been governed tor several years
W and am for adhering to it.
- And now, what is the excuse for all tn
of disturbance of the country this breaking u
.he of ancient compromises arraying one-halt
IL, ~, : ba m thor and 1nStr,Nip n
lly the temper and business of Congress Whi
m. is the excuse for all this turmoil and mi
In chief We are told it is to keep the questio
moi Of slavery out of Congress Great God
nd was out Of Congress completely, entirol,
eu- and forever out of Congress, unless Congre
Ip- dragged It in by breaking down the sacre
r,s laws which settled it, The question vi
he settled, and done with. There was not "A
,sd inch square of territory in the Union q
IN which it could be raised without breach
oy. a compromise. The ordinance of 80 settl,
le- it in all the remaining part of the northwe
for territory beyond Wisconsin the compromi'
the line of SO So, settled it in all country mort
md and west of Missouri TO the British line, an
np- up to the Rocky Mountains; the organic az
ln- Of Oregon, made by the people and sanctiont
es. by Congress settled it in all that region Il
on acts for the government Of Utah and Ne
ee- Mexico settled it in those two territories
INK the compact with Texas, determining u
wn number of slave States to he formed out
, of that State, settled it there aud Cahtorn
TO settled it for herself. Now, where was the
- an inch square of territory within the Unit,
nth States on which the question could be raised
ms, Nowhere MOI an ihcn iuo Iu0s'iou
eri settled everywhere, not merely by law, bl
!, ot by fact The work was done, and there W
Isl no way to get at the question but by undoiI
l. the work No way for Congress to get Il
and question in, for the purpose of keeping It ou
was but to break down compromises which ke
nm IL out
on- What advantage do the Slave States eHpe