Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-08-05
Bucharan-squatter Sovereignty a1d th. Missouri
Compromise.

TIE following letter, lately brought To hight
with much other interesting matter of the same
sort, seems to have had most dlsheartening ef-
feet with Dir. Buehanaus Presidential prospects.
While his irrecoucilable Inconsistencies, par
ticularly on tie subject of Slavery, have driven
off from has support consistent Democrats at
tho North, the rnanevers of his northern friends
have set the South in panic as TO his ortho-
doxy, and they are virtually dropping
him by doing ali in their power TO prevent an
election by the people, and thereby, through
the machinery of the electoral college, soist Mr..
breckenridge, against the will OF the people in
to the Executive chair of the United States
Here IS the letter let all read il, and reconcile
1t IT they can, with his present position. Ii is
dated
WasHIscrox. August 81, 1915.
DEAR SIR: have Just received yours of the
Eth inst. IN which You submit To me the fol-
lowing paragraph, and ask whether it contains
an accurate version of the yersation bel weci.
us, concerning my Berks county letter, on the
occasion TO which you refer:
" Happening TO meet Mr. buchanan at the
Presidents levee, on Friday evening. called
his attention to this letter. and asked hun il he
Intended to be understood as claiming that the
| population CT territory III unorganized
Paclly had the power 10 control the question of
slavery Iii such territory He declared that
such ltea had ever been maintained by him;
that the construction put upon his language by
MI. ahcy was a perversou OF Its plain and
obvious meaning; that in his opinion. the in
habuanls, OF a territory, It's such, had no polit-
cal rights, lalthough they possessed al the pri-
vate rights OF American citizens ! that they had
! no power whatever over the subject of slavery /;
and they could neither interdict nor establish
state constitution. He further authorized and
requested me to make any public use of these
declarations that might think proper to cor
rect any impression that Mr. Yancv's construc-
tlon OF his language III the Be.k5 letter might
! have made"
! With the addition which have inserted be-.
tween brackets this statement is substantially
! and almost literally correct, according 10 NV
recollection.
In NY letter to BerIEs county of 25!h August,
1871, had said, under the Missouri Compro-
mise slavery was forever prohibited north Of the
parallel of Sc degrees 80 minutes, and south of
TINS parallel the question was left TO be decided
/ by the people What people? Undoub; edy
the people OF the territory assembled in convel.-
ton to form state constitution, and ask adinis-
sion INTO the Union aed not the first dtfycnt,rcrs
or '..hrSt co7aerS, who might happen to arrive in
the territory assembled in public meeting Ii
doubt on this sub Get could possibly exist, it
Is removed by the next sentence of my letter.
1 proceeded to state: " Congress on the adj
mission OF Texas, adopted The same rule" etc
And what was this rule The Joint Resolu-
ton for annexipg Texas to the United States"
approved March Isl, ls45, answers he question
IN the following words And such states as
may DC formed o'lt of that portion Of said terri
tory lying south of 50 degrees 80 minutes north
latitude, commonly known rs the Missouri Com
promise liuc, shall be admitted into the Union
with or without slavery, as Mc loopie Of each
state asking admission may desire Such WIS the
description of the people to whom | referred in
my Bcrks county letter.
Any other construction Of tie letter would
render 1t essentially inconsistent with itself
having urged the adoption of the Missouri Conn
promise, the Inference is irresistible that Con-
grcss, III my opinion possesses the power TO le-
gisla'e upon the subject os slavery in the terri
/ tories " hat an absurdiy would it then be-
Ii, While asserting this SOVEREIGN POWER IN CON-
GRESs ~hich foacer, from its n<t,,re mist be Ex-
elusive, should in the very same breath also
claim this Identical power " for the population
OIL territory IN an unorglIized capacity p
i. conclusion, desire to retera:e and re-af-
! hrin every sentiment contained in m~ Jerks
county letter cling to he Missouri Coinpro-
mise with greater tenaciy shan ever. and vet
firmly believe that it viii be adopted bv Cor
gres5. Yours rerv reSpectflIlv
JAmEs BucHAsAS.
T. Saadfor,!. ESQ.