Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-04-30

III u 81 act 81 s. sl,lj y llom b &
rerit{ Ana ii 81 Sc lf3 peass
ftic' Sens II h s should III Sssceesi|
q triumphing OYER al posing influences force
faud perjury, spurions legislation, and fear
nay esleiy add, the influence af this Adninis-
ration and exclude Slavery hy direcf vote,
hey haye NO assurance Of peace and quiet;
or the ssDe statesmen that deny the powered
Congress % exclude Slavery from the Territories,
,lso deny the power of the Territorial Legisla-
lare 10 exclude this species 81 property, They
ell ns that such legislation by Congress and by
Territorial Legisla ures ID alike unconstitutional
md void; that Shareholders have the right TO
lake their slaves into any and all of the Terri
tories purchased BIZ the common blood and trsas-
IRE; that the Constitution guarantees this right,
and that all laws excluding them are in bad
Iaith - as
Hence this .squstter sovereignty doctrine,
which declares that ..the people of 4 Territory
shall be left free to regulate their own institu-
lions in their own way, is q fraud on the free
States When properly Understood, it means
that the people may establish Slavery in the Ter
ritories if they choose, and that they shall be
compelled to do SO If they refuse Nothing more
less. It has been introduced into
Kansas by force. and is now defended by the
armies OF this Government. And the country is
distinctly notified, that if this defence of Slay-
cry in the Territories should be discontinued,
that the Guion Of these States shall be dissolv-
Cd. SID. ~
The honorable Senator from South Carolina,
Mr.. BurLERl-justly admired for his great tai
ents, and venerated for his candor and integrity
IA few days since, in very able speech then
delivered OH this subject on the floor of the Sem
ate, made the impressive and startling declara-
ton, THAT he wished TO be understood did
not speak rashly-his words were measured
but unless the equality Of the States could be
preserved in Territorial legislation, he would
advise the people ofSouth Carolina to go out of
the Union. This may not be the exact wording
of the Senator's proposition, but it does no
violence to the sense. He said deliberately"
land called the Senate to note the deliberationy
with measured wordsn--that unless the
equality of the States could be preserved in
Territorial iegislntiou, he would advise the
people of South Carolina to 60 out OF the
Union
The character of that Equality which must
be maintained for the States, to prevent disco
luton of the Union by the Southern States, is
more deliberately expressed by the honorable SEN
ator from Georgia, Mr.. TOXINS. That may
not seem to do him injustice, quote first from
his recent speech delivered in the Senate He
says:
We intend thatthe actual bona fele settlers OF
Kansas shall be protected in the full exercise Of
all the rights of freemen that unawed and un.
controlled, they shall freely and of their own
will legislate for themselves to every extent al
lowed by the Constitution, while they have q
Territorial Government; and when they shall be
in condition to come into the Union, and may
desire it, that they shall come into the Union
with whatever republican Constitution they may
prefer and adopt for themselves; that in the ex
ercise Of these rights they shall be protected
against insurrection from within, and invasion
from without. The rights are accorded te
them without any reference to the result, and
will be maintained, in my opinion, by the South
and the North
Again:
know that many gentlemen with whom
have correspondent, and from whom have 9th
erwise heard, in western Missouri, General Atch
ison among them, asked for nothing more
They simply demand that the actual settlers who
go to that country shall have fair opportunit,
to establish those domestic institutions which
they may think proper. General Atchison tool
this ground in the Senate. am very sure hi
stands upon it now"
Again:
Against all these conflicting efforts and opin
lons the friends OF the Constitution, justice, anf
equality, have hitherto held, and will continue
to hold, the scales of Justice even and mistaken
We still tell all the joint owners of this public
domain to enter and enjoy it, both in the Nortf
and the South, with property of every sort; ex
ercise the full powers of American freemen; leg
islate for yourselves to any and every extent
and upon any and every subject allowed by oul
common Constitution: the Federal Government
will protect you against all who attempt to dis
turb you in the exercise of these invaluable
rights and when you have become powerful and
strong enough to bear the burdens, and desire
it, we will admit you into the family of sovereigns
without reference to your opinions and your &C.
ton upon african Slavery. Decide that question
for yourselves, and we will sustain your decision
because it is your right to make it. This is the
policy of the Kansas bill; it wrongs no man-no
section of our common country
But this is the pleasant spicing to an unpleas.
ant dish. 1t is kind of sophistry which de-
ceives by its apparent fairness, and which is so
finely expressed as to create desire to leave its
beauty unmarried. But how is its logic affected
by the following, from the honorable Senator's
Boston speechs
The constitutional construction of this point
by the South works no wrong to any portion OF
the Republic; to no sound rules of construction,
and promotes the declared purposes of the Con-
stitution. We simply propose that the common
Territories be left open to the common enjoy.
ment of all the people of the United States, that
they shall be protected in their persons and pro.
perty by the Federal Government until its autho-
rity is superseded bya State Constitution; and
then we propose that the character ofthe domes-
tic institutions of the new State be determined
by the freemen thereof. This is justice-this is
constitutional equality"
Here, sir, what | have shown to be true, as
logical sequence from the denial of power in
Congress to exclude Slavery from the Territories,
is distinctly avowed. The honorable Senator
from Georgia [Mr. TooMBsI declares this to be
THE constitutional construction of this point by
the South" He says
I'VE will tell all the joint-owners Of this pub
lie domain to enter and enjoy it, both in the
North and in the South, with property of euery
sort" "That, unawed and uncontrolled, they
shall freely, and of their own will, legislate for
themselves to every extent allowed by the Con-
sTITurIoN, arhile they haze a TERRITORIAL Coz
eran,ent.n
But the CONSTRUCTION" of their ssconstitution
al powers "by the South" he tells us, is: seThat
the common Territories be left open to the com
mon enjoyment of all the people of the United
States with the property of every sort !" that
this property shall be protected 'sby the Federal
government, until a:S authorlty Is superseded by
State Constitution" and that then, not before,
THE domestic institutions of the ne,o State NAV
be determined by the freemen thereof. Yes,
sir this is the equality of the States" which, we
are gravely told by able Southern Senators, in
measured words thIt must be preserved in
the national Territories, if you would perpetuate
the Union. You must continue Slavery in all
the Territories, and protect it by the strong arm
of the Federal Government as long as these
Territorial Governments continue, or the hon
orablc Senator from South Carolina Mr. Bur-
LER] will advise the people of that State to dis
solve the Union.
From this we may readily infer why those
who have resolved to make Kansas Slave State
will resist her admission into the Union until
her population shall have reached ninety-three
thousand, Slavery is to be continued by force
as long as the Territorial Government lasts; but
when that's superseded by State Government,
her people are to have the gracious privilege of
determining for themselves the character of
their domestic institutions! This is feature of
'seif-governnet" for Kansas, which the people
of the North and of the West have not hitherto
fully understood. They supposed their free
sons, though poor in worldly wealth, might 90 to
Kansas with nothing but hard hands, with strong
arms, with sane minds, and with honest hearts,
and by their own votes settle the question Of