Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-10-04

those conservative doctrines which underlie the
compromises Of 1860. This We do know, and
it is enough for our present purpose, that JAS.
Buchanan has distinctly adopted, and proclaim
ed his adherence to the "squatter sovereignty"
doctrines which General Cass first developed
in his Nicholson letter, and which, most unfor-
tunately for the country, were embraced with
out due consideration, by the Congress Of
1854, and which the Buffalo platform Free-soil-
ers Of 1s48, now gladly accept, in lieu Of the
Wilmot proviso
Our present purpose viii be accomplished
Gin showing that Sir. Buchanan's position on
the slavery question is not "impregnable, I"
and that he does not maintain Southern doc
trines) when we shall have proved that squat
ter sovereignty" is not the doctrine Of the
South, and that Mr.. Buchanan has embraced
that doctrine. That he has embraced it, it
were stupidity in any man to deny. He has
made leap from the position that i" Congress
has s00Sreign and escItlsipe potoer 0Ver sI10e-
ry an the Territories, to that Cincinnati plat
form which endorses the Kansas Nebraska
bill, the trainers and advocates Of which pro-
claim that it contains the doctrines Of "squat-
ter sovereignty" and the language of which is
susceptible Of no other construction. He has
jumped from the position of sovereign and
exclusive power in Congress" to the position
of sovereign and erclusiUe potOer IN the scar
goes Of crime, folly, and ,oretchedness yearly
shipped of to Anserica," SO graphically de-
scribed by the Englishman Marryatt II is
the last leap this political Sam Patch" win
ever make.
We might refer to the declarations of Cass,
Douglas, Jones, and dozen others, the au-
thors, trainers, and advocates of that act, to
show their purpose and intent in voting for it,
and their construction Of its meaning. But
this would be superfuous--its plain reading
is this, ITO LEAVE THE PEOPLE PERFECTLY PRE-
TO FORM AND REGULATE THEIR DOMESTIC NsTI-
TUTIoNs IN THEIR OWN WAY, subject ONLY to the
| Constitution of the United States ~ "Per-
.fectly free" to do this in their olon aoay,"
means, that they may do it without any con-
troll, and just sOhen and hoU they please. 1t
would be a palpable absurdity to say to the
people of a Territory, "you are perfectly free
to have slavery or to exclude it, and you may
have it or exclude it, IN your 0sOn Oay," and
then turn around and point out to them one
mode only in which they might dot /" in their
own wayl Those only who are ashamed of
the doctrine of "squatter sovereignty" deny
that under the Kansas Nebraska act the
"squatter sovereigns" may pass just what
laws they please, and at any time they please,
and in any mode they please, on the slavery
question.
The Cincinnati Platform, then, sanctions the
doctrine of "squatter sovereignty" and Mr..
Buchanan stands on that platform, and boldly
avows that the Kansas Nebraska act is found
ed upon "the elementary principle of self
government"
Is that doctrine, the doctrine of the South
The Enquirer may answer that question, and,
to enable the young man who conducts that
press to do it readily and consistently, we refer
him to an article published in the Enquirer
just before the meeting of the Cincinnati Con-
vention. We only copy portions Of it to ena-
BILE the youth to find the article. 1t reads
1--WE must, in the Cincinnati Platform, repudiate
squatter sovereignty, and expressly assert State
"It is often charged that the Kansas-N ebraska
bill contains the doctrine Of squatter sovereignty
and that squatter sovereignty is the most efficient
agency of Free-sosm Some Northern Demo |
Gratis have maintained this Now, this gun must
be spiked II must appear from our platform that
we maintain practical State equality, and repudi-
ate that construction of the Kansas Nebraska act
which would defeat it."
Look at the Utah and New Mexico acts of
1850, approved by Willard Fillmore, and you
will find the very doctrines you advocate car
ried out
Why was not that "gun spiked2" ave
must repudiate squatter sovereignty in the
Cincinnati platform, said the Enquirer Why
was not "squatter sovereignty repudiatedp
Were the Bentons, the Cochranes the Van
Burens, and the residue Of the Buffalo plat
form Free-soilers too strong for your Dol.
Benton, now an advocate of Buchanan, said, in
recent letter to his friend, Governor Price, of
Missouri, /" We forced them (the Atchison DEM
ocrats) to take Buchanan ~ The confrere of
the Enquirer-him of the faithless phantom
of a Star Informed the country, in advance,
that Buchanan would be nominated, to concili-
ate the Free-soil influences Of the North-and
(poor fellow y he did his very best to prevent
the calamity, but Northern Free-soiIism tri-
unaphed, and "squatter sovereignty was in
augurated, as sound Democratic doctrinel
Now we know that it was "a bitter pill to
swallow" when the platform and its nominee for
President were presented to the Southern De-
mocracy, We know that the South despise,