The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-09-04
FROM KANSAS TERRITORY.

SHANNON, X. T., Aug. 10, 1856.
To the Editor of the National Era:
Allow me to say, that never since the organ.
izatiOn of this Government has there been
such an attempt made to misead the masses.
and set q gull-trsp for the feet Of imcautious
emigrants, as that theoretical and practical
humbug, Territorial Sovereignty" The Peo-
pie OF the States may consistently talk of
Sovereignty" but the actual settlers in Kansas
utterly repudate the idea. VINO but a hungry
politician, deficient in electioneering capital,
would ever dream of representing the people
OF the Territories as Sovereigns?" If the
People of the United States had their Govern
ors, Judges, and other subordinate officers, ap-
pointed over them by the General Government.
would they call themselves I" Sovereigus?' IC
Congress could at any time modify or abrogate
their entire code of laws, and in lieu thereof
make such "rules and regulations as they
thought proper for the governments of the peo-
pie, would any one call the people of the States
"Soveregus?" If Congress should proceed
step further, and place in the individual
States standing army, to enforce its laws, hv
making arrests tor treason, burning houses and
towns, on the charge of being nuisances, e;
the bare instigation of their own Interested
| courts, would the People of the SOVEREIGN
States feel that they were indeed Sovereigns?"
| think not. Neither do the settlers in Kansas
think better of the humbug idea of Terrific
rial Sovereignty"
We know that constiiutionaily we are minors.
We know that Congress has the right to make
all needful rules AID rsgHl0tiOHy' for all the
Territories belonging to the United States :;
and We know, that to call Us Sovereign"
while we are thus occupying the minority
state, and are under the absolute control of an
! other, is an Insult to common sense
The fathers Of the American Republic, look
ing down the long vista of coming wears
| seemed to fOresee how the idea OF selEgUvern-
ment might operate in certain contingencies, ana
they wisely retained the supervisory control in
the Congress of the United States. The Con
| stitution places all our Territories under the
control Of Congress, but 1t does not authorizes
Congress 10 make " Territorial Sovereigns."
! Some of the statesmen of 1851, and eSpe-
cially those from the State Of Missouri, with
the exception Of the Hon. Thomas H. Benton.
seemed to believe that Congress had the power
to extend to the people of the Territories the
/ right of seitgovernment. The act organizing,
the Territories of Kansas aud Nebraska bears
tue unmistakable marks OF this belief. Its
provisions were clearly intended To remove
from Congress the further control Of the two
Territories. Ii was passed under the suppUsi-
ton that 1t contained unusual powers, although
/ Mr.. Benton maintained that Congress had no
such power, and that the idea OF Territorial
Sovereignty was an utter absurdi.y."
! care not how or where the bill organizing
the Territory of Kansas originated one thing
] know, that the MisSOUri-seat Councilman and
Representatives who composed the first Legs
lature of the Territory, came together with the
belief that they possessed as ample legislative
powers as those Of any State Government.
/ hOaStad thu4
hands. Again and again, IN The committee
room and ON the floor Of debate. WAS this idea
pHrsded and dwelt upon As "a final and fail re-
ply to all argument.
The hrst step IN securing Kansas to the
/ Slave Power was to remove the control of the
Territory from Congress to the FIRST Leyisla-
ture of the Territory. The second step was
to overrun the Territory by Missouri voters.
and thus secure the advantages Of the first
step. This being done, the next step WAS to
secure such o code oflaws as would secure the
| final result.
All these steps have been taken, and would
have resulted in the desired object, hal it NOT
been for one fact-they failed in removing the
Territory from the control Of Congress they
failed In making S0rereigns of the people OF
the Territory. If Territorial Sovereignty had
not proved itself theoretical farce, Kansas 10
day would have been fast secured in the meshes.
Of the Slave Power
Did the trainers Of the Constitution commit
blunder, when they wisely placed their in
liant Territories under the guardian care of
Congress? They left it to the wisdom of Con
gress to make all neeiful "rules and recula.
tons" Have nos the Kansas outrages most
fully demonstrated the utter absurdity Of Drac-
''1dt as we'll as theoretical sovereignty, when
applied to feeble Territories?
What parent would leave his infant child
unprotected on the wild plains of Kansas I?
would he not expect to have him devoured by
the Prowllng wolf? Could he. dare he. hope.
that he would not be DESTROYED? AS well NAV
we trust our children TO the tender me-cies Of
the mountain wolf, as to hope that our sacred
rights will be respected by those who habitually,
Theoretically, and practically, strip man of all
his rights, all his time, ali his powers of soul
and body.
The specific difference between States and
Territories liz, that the former is prepared FIR
anu entitled TO selfgOvernment, while the lat .
Ter Is unable, without protection, 10 arrive at
that state. One has the other has not, the
necessary power TO sustain Government.
| can discriminate between the slaveholder
and his system; and while would eXonerate
him from any peculiar guilt, still must charge
his system wih being one frdHykt Wih tie
ptbSC "cutty uuHytT 70 me TtgHfS Of ScfttcfS fIt
our ne,o Territories. dare not trust, l cannot
hope that my political rights will be kept invio-
late by those who Systematically and habitualy
tranple on all the rights of others.
What is TO be done? Will the People Of the
United States give up Kansas to the invaders ?
Will they permit Missouri to take by farce what
they have failed to do by stratagem2 VIII they
retain the control over their Territories until the
people are able to become real sorereigHS, and
protect themselves from outside interference?
Will they give to the people of Kansas their
rights NOR, or will they allow political dema-
gogues to talk about the right OF " selfgoveru-
ment," "Territorial Sovereignty until the
Slave Power he's occurred its victim? Kansas
has fully exploded the bubble of Territorial
Sovereignty The action Of Congress has de
cided it theoretical farce, and the present
condition of the Territory is a complete refu
tation of its practical utility.
Again l ask, what is to be done2 If we ara
to be overrun because the foes of Freedom
have secured an unfair advantage over us-ir
our Free State Constitution, the work Of the
actual settlers, has to find its grave in the Sem
ate Chamber-then let the masses In the North
arise in their might, and hurl from power the
men and the means of such base injustice. II
Kansas has to go down to coming generations
all cursed with Slavery, because few deml-
gogues must adore and worship the god Ter
rtOrial Sovereignty" instead of restoring To the
actual settlers their lost rights, then let the
People place their seal of condemnation on the
Vileness of the men AZ well as the absurdity of