New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-07-27
A LETTER TO MR.. CASS.

To he lion Leuris CAS-
SIR: In your recent letter TO a Committee of the
city of Philadelphia you express the hope that when
he great American prncipe-the great human prln
cple iudeed-the right of all men 10 lcglslate for
themselves upon every question of internal admins
tTatiOn-s assaied and condemned on this side of
the Atlantic, that the Democracy of Pennsyl yania
viii march to its support as firmly and untedly a.
=" did their reyOlu iOnary fathers when similar effort
was made the other siie of the Atlantic, aud
" England sought 20 rule her colonies by the same
"pretcnccs. claiming that her Parliament had the
light Of gsaton IN I'll cases whatsoever over distant
regions as il is now claimed that Congress has the
same light of oppression over our fellow-ctzens in
remote Territories THE only safe principle is
the principle Of selEgOye rnment.' " We may well
ask il men in the Territories unfit To govern
Themselves have they found angels in Congress IN
{" the shape OF men, 10 govern them - The editor OF
The Boston IimcS III relation TO your letter remarks
that in ''the and yellow leaf of life, you are
more devoted if possible than al any former period
d" to the Constitution aud laws OF your country"
Sir, appauded your patriotic conduct during the
war OF IcI2-have ever since respected your talents
az statesman. and approved your political sentiments
generally But can il be that at this period OF your
lie YOU can assume the character OF mere partizan-
dtmacocuel / cannot agree with that your fac
uites are impaired by age and slender health; yet
when you engaged ia the support Of men who, b.!
party strategy Of the basost kind, defeated your re-
nomination candidate for the Presidency. and
afterwards secured your support by hatery the ques
YOUR Nicholson letter pacity aud the votes
Of Shareholders of defeating your eleys
ton To the Presidency; and that Mr.. Webster ny hs
celebrated speech of the 9TH March, $50 committed
political suicide Ought any to hope for political
success or temporal prosperity, who connects his poll
teal desnes with the SlayeOcracy of our country
Now YOU contend that the great American principle Of
reinforcement Las recently been assailed by the OPP
rOnenfs of the infamous Nebraska bill: that new
doctrine las been set UP in l-54 Sir you have long
10 ;,,C When fnp bills
for tie organization Of Territorial Governments
uassed Concress-bills not GrJrary and despoic
the KansasNebrasks bill in their Proyision- where
were you that you did not fearess assert the great
American principle which, upon the passage OF the
measure YOU pleased to baptize By the name of
"esuatter sovereignty 20 Dare you say that until
Ia tie idea never occurred 10 you that Congress
had 10 constitutional right TO egis!aic FOR the Terrific
rits or extend jurisdiction and laws "over our
fellow. citizens in remote Territories regions
owned by the States 70 hch the Constitution
tXIrtssly cOniers empe power upon Congress.
Had tie Nebraska bill received your sanction the
I'll bodment Of squatter sovereignty been less afo-
rery than the previous territorial bills ou might per-
haps have found preteXt for ring new pri1
ellie. But what sthe principle o; Senator Doug
lass bill IL is that the Territorial Legislatures,
the people themselves, OF Kansas and ebraska, are
prc hibed from excluding Slavery from the Terri
tories IL being the true intent and meaning o the act
LeLer To introduce NOR exclude slavery. You are
more learned as a statesman than a lawyer, yer you
cannot be ignorant that should the Shareholders with
d. tier property move into Kansas. they cannot. by
any legislative process Of squstter sovereignty, be
excluded or prohibited from holding their slaves while
tie Territorial Government remains Indeed. several
Democratic Representatives stated on the foor
Of TIE House that they would vote for the bill
provided Il should he so amended that the people or
their LEGISLATURE should be allowed the right 20 pro-
hitt Slavery. But the Pro-Slayery majority, not an
gels" knew that the amendment proposed might DE-
L.. IL cir object. And well know that thu ME-
four line was abrogated for the sole purpose of effect
~ their object. Now then for the mighty stru-ge
iul. comH enclng, whether Freedom or slavery shall
,itdominate in that vast region; and IN The second
t'ace, whether Kansas shall be admitted INTO the
l.,1 e. = zee q slave state Ic1r iet.e. ..a7cys