Plymouth weekly banner. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1856, 1856-07-17
Squattcr SOvereignty-Equality Of
the States.

We have no doubt there are many
Democrats in Indiana. and not few
here in Marshall County, who honestly
think there is something tangible and
certain in the administration thunder oil
the last two years. in regard to the doc
trine OF popular or squatter sovereignty
or. as it is so delightfully."- described BY
Douglass. Cass. and other pcrtisans, " the
right Of the settlers OF territory to es
tnblish their own institutions in their own
way. as they may deem just and proper "
This has plausible sound: but let US
examine the claims Of the Buchanan rarly
to northern votes. so far as this par.icu.
lar doctrine IS concerned.
The Kansas Nebraska bill was urged
through both houses of Congress upon
the plea that thenceforth the discussion
Of the slavery question would be with
drawn from the nationa. legislature. and
the power always vested in Congress of
exercising the supreme authority in all
matters pertaining TO territorial iegisla-
ton. should thereafter be given to the
nctual settlers Of territories. A new era
was to dawn upon the country; the
JeffersoDian principle that man was com
petent to exercise all the functions Of
self-government. political and otherwise;
. principle which, under Democ ratio in
depreciation, had before applied only to
sovereign States Of the confederacy, was
now to be inauguraied in the territories !;
the great evil Of the day-heated discus
sion of the slavery question-wss to be
removed and every thing was to be Dem
ocratic. nice and comfortable. Northern
Democratic members of Congress, who,
by some remarkable decree of fate. were
possessed OF modicum of conscience !;
or, I'm oefault thereof, stood in a healthy
fear of the stern disapproval Of their lib
erty loving constituents. were coaxed into
The support of the measure; aud in more
than one case received a reliable assur-
ance Of Presidential favors. should they
be repudiated by those who had sent them
there. During the discussion Of the bill
in the House, the entire burthen of the
Democratic song was popular sove-
reignty )" and even now. in Indiana,
many Democrats still shout for squstter
sovereignty. either ignorant of the facts
in the case. or wilfully misunderstanding
them.
But let us see whether il really was
the intention of the Democratic originn-
tors of the Nebraska bill to incorporate
into il the principle of popular sovereign
ty. Mr. Mace. member OF the House
from this State, elected as q Democrat
and universally endorsed as such by the
whole party. introduced an amendment
"that the people Of the territory be
clothed with the power to. prohibit OF
admit slavery in Kansas and Nebraska
Did the Democratic majority in the House
vote for this ? No. indeed. They votee
it down-.he Democracy. with some few
exceptions. voting nay. Mr.. Fuller. o
Maine, another administration member
subsequently, proposed similar amend
ment. vesting in the people Of the terri
tory. through their legally constituted
|, representatives. the right Of deciding tn
question as to the exclusion or admission
of slavery. This, too. IVES voted dow
} by the administration party in the House
|, The same game was plsyed in the Senate
Cass, Douglass. and other doughface beau
ties, all shouted popular sovereignty, q
their brethren in the House had done
, and jet voted against the incorporate