The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-05-21
Suuatter Sovereignty.


gress upon the question of "Squatter Sove-
regnty," of which 50 much has been said and
written within the last few years. The condi-
ton of Territorial Government is an anOma-
lous one, not provided for by the Constitution,
bat resulting entirely ser necessitate rei or in
plain English, from absolute and urgent neccs-
sity AS the public domain outside of the
States became inhabited it was the duty OF
the Government to provide for the maintenance
of law and order among that population, and
as no authority existed whereby the cnactments
of the adjoining States could be extended be-
You'd the boundaries of such States, the estab-
ishment of temporary governments was the
plan adopted, which has continued to the pres
ent time. A grave question has since pre-
sented itself, which has for years been the sub
jcct of discussion in Congress, and now Occu-
pies a great share of the attention of that
body.
Gen CAs.;, and other eminent men. contend
that, as the right of man to selfgOvernmcnt is
the very corner stone of our institutions, Con-
gress has exhausted its power over the inhabi-
tants of Territory, when it has bestowed up
on them a temporary government, and can no
further rightfully claim or exercise any con-
troll over their legislation. Or, in other words,
that ten Or twenty thousand people in an Or
ganizcd Territory, are as capable Of governing
their own domestic affairs and as clearly enti-
titled to manage them without let or hindrance
on the part of the General Government, as the
same number living in State. Nevertheless,
the fact that the Governor, Judges, and other
federal officers in Territory, are required to
be appointed by the President, instead of be-
ing made elective by the people, shows that
the doctrine of "Squatter Sovereignty has not
fully obtained with Congress. 1t is true that
the National Legislature has very rarely dis
approved Of or intcrltrcd with, the cnactmcnts
of the ,ocal authorities; yet the power is af
lirmcd in the organic act of each Territory,
and Therefore exists. Our own opinion has
ever been, and still is that when there are SUI
ficicnt number of people collected together as
permanent settlers upon any part of the pub
lie domain to justify Congress in granting them
Il separate territorial organization, they should
be clothed with full power to govern them
selves, not only by choosing their Legislature,
as at present, but by elccting their own eXccu
tive officers This we conceive to be the true
doctrine of '.,Squattcr Sovereignty" as it IL
wolves the commission of no injustice or wrong
to the Government or any of its citizens, while
it is in strict accordance with the genius of our
institutions. That such principle will be,
sooner or later, fully recognized by Congress
we have no doubt. 10 question it, would be
to manifest a want of faith in democratic pro-
gress, which we would be among the last to
entertain.
We have been led thus briefly to express our
sentiments on the subject of popular sovereign
ty in the Territories, by the pcrusal of Il most
able and profound speech ofthat staunch friend
of Minnesota in the L. S. Senate, Hon. Al
GCsTUs G. DODGE, delivered on the 25th of Feb
ruary last, on the Nebraska Bill. Gen. CAss
characterized that speech as earnest and elo-
qucnt," and as having "captivated equally his
heart and his understandings Such praise
from the veteran Senator would not have been
bestowed upon any production not far elevated
above the ordinary intellectual efforts made in
that dgnificd body.
We do not wish to he understood as concur
ring in all the opinions cnunciatcd by Mr..
DODGE in his speech, but we do cmphatically
right of all organized communities of Amcri-
can citizens to govern themselves, whether thcv
are found in the States or in the organized
Territories. He says:
ut follows that those who live upon the pub
lie domain within the boundaries of States
look to the State Legislatures for necessary
laws, while those who are beyond the limits of
States must depend upon their own inherent
rights of selfgovcrnment. The assumption, by
Congress, of right to lcgislatc for American
citizens thus situated, and denial to them of
the powers of selfgovcrnmcnt would he di-
rect outrage upon one of the cardinal princi-
pies for which the fathers of the Revolution
contendcd-an attack upon that sovereignty
which all our institutions recognize as being
vested IN the people, Again. but an Amer
lean citizen does not part with his portion of
the sovereign power which is in the people, his
right of protection, and to exercise all tie