Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-05-01
sSquatler Sovereignty" in Kansas.

published last week, from apparently
su,hentic sources. relative to the e!ec.
tion in Kansas, are 10 be relied upon,
then It is evident that the voting was
mere farce, and the rights Of large
portion Of the actual settlers there, were
outraged and trodden down by mobs and
bullies from Missouri.
In one district where there were but
200 resident voters, 800 votes were cast.
In every election district in the Terri
tory, it is stated that ATcnIsoy, DouG'
LAS & Co. were represented by drunken
bullies, who were there in sufficient
numbers. armed to take possession OF the
polls, and insult or knock down every
man that was not "right on the goose
question:" The only test Of qualifica'
tions was whether a voter was in favor
Of admitting slavery into the Territory.
BY such means as these tho actual SET.
tiers there were entirely overwhelmed.
Could the men Of l776. who estab.
lished Liberty as the faith, and the great
leading idea Of the nation, speak from
their graves, would they not blush to en-.
quire of US, why we, their descendant
were nos0 debating the question among
ourselves, whether slavery is more de.
sirable condition Of mankind than Lib.
erty? 1t is we'll known that thero are
but two great social and commercial in.
terests; those Of capital and those Of la.
Dor. They at present occupy position
OF antagonism 10 each other. The inter.
est of the former has heretofore control.
led the legislation Of the country to q
very considerable extent. Cha,tel sla.
very is an aristocracy Of wo.fold power
that Of capital and political domna.
tion, besides the slaves compete with free
labor and degrade it wherever the two
come in contact. Therefore when this in.
stitution Of slavery seeks to become ag.
gressive. and travel oat Of the States in
which it is recognized, and to plant itself
6. the common domain, the question then
becomes eminently political one, and
Is such, should be squarely and openly
met, and discussed in all its bearings
upon morals, industry, and politicaI
economy.
The doctrine Of squatter sovereignty
was applied to the territories for the ex.
press purpose Of smuggling slavery into
them, whoever denies 1t, knows nothing
Of the history. Of its birth, and adoption
in Congress. Legally and abstractly
there has been no power to establish
slavery anywhere in the United States
OF America. since l776, because Lib.
erty was then established, and a Consti.
tuition Of government made TO protect
and perpetuate it. But custom is stron.
ger than law. In the territories Of Mis-.
sissippi, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana
and Florida, slaves were held by Gus.
tom and force, in defiance Of all law.
Therefore, if liberty is to be the aggres.
sive principle Of the nation, it must be
continually guarded and protected by
the people themselves. The constitu-
ton Of the United States as now inter.
pfeted by Federal Judges, is no sure
guaranty Of personal liberty. The in.
junction Of Wolsey to Cromwell. not
to put his trust in princes. applies with
equal force to U. S. Judges. If the peo.
pie trust to them to inierdict the spread
Of slavery, they will be deceived.
We have steadily opposed the squatter
sovereignty doctrine from the time it wus
6rst promulgated by CAss, in his Mich.
olson letter, until now. 1t was institu.
ted by weak and timid men as a COW.
ardly stratasem to get slavery into the
territories. The Kansas Election is one
OF ito first fruits.
Under this theory the few inhabitants
that first enter a new territory are clio.
thsd with more power than is found in
Abe Constitution Of the United States
itself. or in that Of any State, for it is
clsimed that they have foil power to vote
pe-sons into a State Of slavery.. No
military dsspot eyer exercised any great.
er power. than that required to subju.
este man to perpetual slavery. Such
suthority as that sought to be exercised
by the "Squatter Sovereigns" at the
Xsnsss election. We believe, is not
claimed BY sny governments in the range
of Christendom. not even by the militia.
~ despotisms Of Russia and Austris.-
The only security 10 liberty 10 in writ.
lsa esnssitutions, but under the CAss &
DossuAs ihsoy Il 10 placed 1t the dispo.
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