Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-11-08
Non-Interv

The principle of the Nebraska act was R0H-fR-
fsTrsnti0n and its object he"maintaining for aud
securing the people of every State and Terrific
~ Of the Union, all their constitutional rights
aud Immunities." II involved necessarily Op-
position to The Missouri Compromise, because that
Compromise rested upon the assumption that
Congress had the power Ia ialerreRe for the
purpose of restricting the rights and immunities
of the people north of the designated line: but
the principle of non-interyention embraced the
right of the people, in every State and in every
Territory of the Union. to regulate their own
domestic institutions.
The principle rests upon That clause Of the
constitution which declares that "the powers
no, delegated to the United States by the Con
stituiion. nor prohibited by it 10 the States. are
Teserred 10 the States TespeciCsiy0T 10 the people.
II is applicable alike TO the States and TO the
! Territories and I'm each case il appeals 10 the
constitution for its sanction. And because nom
Intervention does thus rest on the constitution
men of reflection, and all good democrats assert
IL to be 4 test OF democracy-not that 1T - doc
trine founded on tho principle that the govern
ment of the United has no right TO interfere or
to intervene in providing the iniatory steps for
Governments for the Territories, but upon the
principle that Congress has not the power
under the constitution 10 proceed TO determine
the character of its local or domestic insiiiu-
tons. The Territory is the property Of the
United States, and Congress has express power
10 "Inake all needful rules and regulations
specting it as such property; but when this
power is exhausted, and the question arises as
I 10 the relations subsisting betweeH the govern
ment and the people Of the Territory, and the
nature of the local institutions which shall ex-
ist whilst il remains in a territorial condition.
We look in vain for lis solution in any other
clause Of the constitution than that which re-
serves 10 tie people the powers not granted TO
eLs
This is unquestionahly the true doctrine
ON the relations between the United States
and its Territories. In the Constitution Of
the United States. the "tevitory'' is consiJ-
cred simply as property. and the power given
to Congress, to make all needful rnles re-
speeding it, extends no further than may be
necessary to secure the property rights of the
United States therein. At the time Of the
adoption Of the Constitution, the term "terri-
tory seems to imply merely the land owned
by the United States throughout its entire
jurisdiction. The term in the Constitution
is in the singular-territory, not territories
tits not probable that the trainers Of the Con-
all needful miles and regulations respecting
the territory aud other property belonging to
the United States, ever intended more than
taere protection to the United States rs a
iandholdcr. The enactment Of law for
the organizing of territory, preparatory to
its admission as a State. seems To have grow n
up a. custom, by common consent, and not
to have been foreseen or prcmeditated.
1t ID strange how carelessly some persons
read and quote the Constitution on this, rs
we'll as on some other points. We heard one
oil the most prominent speakers of the Fu-
sion Convention in this city on the 18th OF
July last quote the Constitution as follows
Congress shall have power TO make all ne
cessary rules and regulations for he oovs,,,-
mani IF tle territories ofhs United States -
This speaker was lalDyes, has been a ja7se.
and yet he quotes the Constitution thus, in
terpolating the words '.jor The government Of
tie territories" so as totally to pervert the
mssuing, and then argued loud and long on
his fictitious text Surely, either the intelli-
senes or the candor of the speaker must he
deficient.
The views of The Union on the disas-
irons influence of ''temporizing policy"
and Of concessions to terror and ianaticism,"
deserve serious consideration. We have be-
come fully convinced, fiom careful obserya-
ton, that the Democracy has always to pay,
and to pay dearly, for every advantage gained
by the ''temporizing" of its members, even
in local elections Least Of all shall we ever
gain by concessions to fanaticism." We had
better meet every issue made by fanaticism at
once; for meet il we must, sooner or later
Fanaticism is never content nor satisfied. If
we yield an inch il viii demand an ell, and
to its entertainments there is no end.