Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-09-18


From the Charleston Mercury (DemOcrsiic 11th ins
The Democratic Party at the south.
When Senator Douglas introduced tie Nebraska
bill be declared that il was intended only 30 carry
out, as TO- the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska
the principle of the Compromise measures Of $780,
That principle was popular sovereignty" It's sps
piication, in 1850, bad excluded the South from
California. Although Ike South, in 1850, had re-
pudiated and denounced "squatter sovereignty"
vet, in 1854 when the same doctrine was engrafted
upoa the bill organizing the Territories Of Kansas
and Nebraska, coupled with the repeal Of the Mis-
souri, Compromise line, her Representatives in Con-
gross supported the measure and her people ac-
quiesced in it. What was the cause of this start
ling change? The question is snsRered-the re-
peal Of the Missouri Compromise line, and the hope
of securing Kansas a slave State. But for this
last expectation, the South never would have ac-
cepted the Nebraska bill.
Now. what was this principle of ''popular sovcr-
eighty" as expounded by Mr.. Douglas, and assert
ed by the Nebraska bll The language of the
bill is, that the people of the Territories should
'.be free to form their own domestic institutions,
subject only to the Constitution of the United
States" Mr.. Cass and other leaders of the Demos
cratic party, further explained the doctrine as fol-
lows: The people OF Territory sovereign, and
the Act Of Congress organizing he Territorial Gov
eminent is a recognition by Congress, of that SOW
ereignty. The only limit to this sovereignty is the
Constitution Of the United States, as e1pounded
by the Supreme Court The direct conclusion
from such premises, and which Mr.. Cass and the
Democratic party repeatedly asserted, was, that
after the passage by Congress of the Act organ
ising the Territorial Government, Congress should
not interfere in any manner with the Territorial e-
gislation And the great merit claimed by them in
favor of the Nebraska bill was, that it put an end
to Congressional Intervention. Il was direct
pledge TO the country and especially to the South,
whose character and institutions had for twenty
years, been asSailed the floors of Congress- that
heneeforward Congressional agitation should cease
The only arbter Territorial legislation was to
be the Courts of the United States Right or
wrong, this was the agreement-Lhis the compro-
mise.
If the principle, that the inhabitants Of Terri
tory are sovereign, be correct, then any interfer
ence BY Congress with their legislation is an out.
rage. II will not do to say that frauds perpe
trated at the elections. Admit it-but who is to
INQUIRE into them, or rectify themg Does Congress
ever inquire into the regularity of elections TO the
State Legislatures? No more can il do so of the
elections of Territory, if the Territory is sove
reign. These propositions too plain to need eu-
cidation. Suffice it to say that the Nebraska bill
meant this, or it meant nothing. "Squatter sove-
reignty" was this, or nothing. And so Mr.. Doug
las and the Democratic party taught US to bes
lieve.
What have we SEEM The Territorial Legislature
of Kansas pass laws, admitting and protecting Sla
very, and, therefore, obnoxious to AboltiOnism.
And what is the course of Mr.. Douglas, aud other
Democratic leaders in Congress? Six years ago,
when under the same principle of popular severe"
ignty," Abolitonism in California excluded the
South from that magnificent domain, and she pro-
tested against it, the leaders Of the Democratic par
~ sustained the principle, aud sanctioned our ex-
cusion. What we repeat, is their course, when
the people of Kansas acting under the same doc
trine, pass laws protecting slavery? Mr.. Douglas
comes forward with his qualification bill, "a bill
which, in the teeth of popular sovereignty in the
teeth of the Nebraska bill ltself, repealed whole
statutes of the Territorial Legislature. And this
measure, so fragrant in its violation of the just ut
tered pledges of the Democratic party-this meas
ure, revivng Congressional intervention" and re-
pealing the laws Of pro.savery Territorial Legs..
ture-actually pssses the United States Senate by
the vote Of the Democratic party and of Southern
Senators There is a still lower deep, with an ef
frontery beyond conception. Mr. Douglas, in his
late speech even vaunts that the Democratic Sena.
tors were willing to repeal the obnoxious laws,
while the Free sellers resisted il for political effect
Mr. Hunter, of Virginia, adopts the same view,
and Mr.. Orr, of South Carolina ''out-Iierods" all
by invoking Executive intervention to strange
Judge and jury" for the escape of Abolition male
factors in Kansas
Can betrayal Of principle so further? What is
this doctrine of popular sovereignty, that to-day
repudates Congressional Intervention, and to-mor-
row invites it-thst makes the Courts of the United
States the sole arbiter; yet calls upon abOtiouis-
ed Congress and the President to trample upon
theml Popular sovereignty for California, and pO~
pular sovereignty for Kansas, very different
things. 1t is to be landed and upheld, when it
cudes slavery, but to be repudated when it admits
slavery. Congressional Intervention, on the other
hand is to be repudiated when invoked to protect
slavery in California but to be fOstered when invo-
ked to crush it in Kansas! The Compromise of
1850 is to be kept, when it defrauds the South,
but to be violated when it benefits her. Such
is the last warning specimen of National Democra-
tic faith.
And is it expected Of the people Of this State,
that they will shout hosannas at the heels Of a par
~ which stands ready so to insult and trample on
them? Shall we cringe and fawn about party
which, by its recent acts, assures US in what con-
temptible esteem it holds its own principles, and
our rights? Shall We despite the experience Of
California and these demonstrations, still praise
the glorious doctrine of"squater sovereignty" and
look the Democratic party to enforce it faithful
y? One thing is certain: The Democratic party
in Washington are ready to abandon it, Northern
Democrats quail before the pressure Of an over
whelming sentiment at bonneville Southern De-
mOcrats, az before, are found ready to sacrifice
prnciple-sacriice the SOuth-that Abolition may
be appeased, and a spoils-dispensing party be led
to triumph.