The Tiffin tribune. [volume] (Tiffin, Ohio) 1848-1859, 1856-07-04
NO XxxIx

cessors IN this respect by enforcing Obe-
dienoe 10 the laws made by the aof,ial
settlerso OF thai territory instead of cater
iry 70 the uewfsngled dogmas Of the pro
slavery fanatics aud disunionists at the
South, all disoord aud civil commotioh
would have beeh avoided. II win be re-
membered that this disposition to aoqui.
ese in the premises on The part Of the ac-
tuel settlers OF Kansas, was strictly in
conformity to the doctrine OF ''squatter
sovereigniy"-.a doctrine adtocated by
General Casa aud the whole Democratic
party to the suppression aud exclusion Of
the whole theory to which | have refer
red, and which had been uniformly prao-
ticed for more than half century by the
Fathers Of the constitution and their com.
peers, The peuplo Of Kansas had conse-
quently no reason to distrust the oriho.
doxy and permanenoy Of this new doc.
trine, often having seen II IN tho watch
word Of Democracy, through botly con-
tested Presidential campaign. And in
deed, only one year ago Che advocates Of
the Kansas and Nebraska bill oonlended
that the people Of Kansas alone had the
sovereign right 20 admit or exclude sla-
very into the territory. and that such was
the true "inlent and meaning" Of that bill,
But it was soon discovered that the in.
ilux OF emigrants from the free States In.
TO Kansas was such as would insure free.
dom TO that territory under the doctrine
of "squatter sovereignty" in despite Of
secret associations aud mob violence Of
pro.slavery advocates. Therefore anoth-
er summerset Of the political turntable Of
Southern Democracy became indispensi-
bic, The doctrine Of "squatter sovereign
lty," being inadequate TO the purpose,
must Be repudaied II was az once re-.
1 lpudia'ed accordingly. and the absurd the
ory advanced that neither Congress nor
the people o, the territories have the right
70 legislate upon the subject Of slavery
there urless 10 protect Il; or, in other
words, that they cannot legisla,e 10 pro-
hibit it--thereby rejecting not only tho
doctrine Of "squHtter sovereignty" but
also that Of tho Fathers Of the oonsti.
sutton rs false and pernicious, This
last theory Is indebted 10 John O. Cal
houn for its paternity and embodiment.
Itwas the germ Of that memorable Of
fort at disunion which received wither-
ing rebuke from President jackson; and
which, for a time, became a by-word OF
reproaoh. It's advocates have, however,
insidiously and industriously nourished it
with hopafnl aya upnn soma onparlunity
70 revive it. That opportunity was found
in the Kansas controversy, and the south
have finally succeeded in giving II a
lprominent position in the platform and
lcreed OF great party. Fsdity TO u Is
nOw an indispensable prerequisite 10 De-
nocrdcy. The whole power Of the ma.
tional government is invoked TO enforce
in practice, this iniquitous theory. All
settlers in Kansas, who are not disposed
TO tolerate and encourage African slave
ty are 10 be prescribed and treated rs
felons and traitors. and dragooned. how
ever revolving il may be, into the mos
abject submission. The avenues and
highways leading into the territory ar,
heset with an armed soldiefy, or bordel
intruders. Men are daily subjected TO an
humiliatiug and inqu'sitoridi search, and
w some instances, are not safe lgitbom {
pass Shades of Washington and JEFF
decentralization and Jarksonl what out
rages are not committed in the name o
, liberty, bought by your patience, and suf
fering aud eareworn toll And his EN-
braces partly the prerogaii6t principles o.
Democracy, substituted for those o.
"squatter soTereignty," and avowed Q,
10 only orthodox test al tho south, and
echoed with obsequious ODE ience By par.
4 ly aspirants and leaders at the north.
But then we are told that property,
! (using the term generally owned BY cit-
iSens at the South, as we'll as by those At
the north, is protected in the territories
by the power incident 10 the general grant
on thesubjeci in The constitution Of the
United States. This sophisncal, yot Sc
duotiye dOgma, follows as a eorollary from
the doctrine that Congress has no power
70 prohlbiL slavery in the territories, and
it was conceived for the purpose Of en-
arging the dOmgin and Increasing the
demands Of a slave market. IL may be,
and is conceded as true, as TO that prop.
erty, and Maf only, which g regarded as
such by natural Or universal lav but sub
ect to specified constitutional reserva-
lions. il includes no other. II does not
include properly held aud recognised as
such only by the local laws Of ono or
more particular States contrary 70 the
fundamental principles of eternal justice.
The Constitution was intended and de-
yised as an instrument having a single
eye to gsivsTsal freedom aud while il
secured she rgll 10 the several States,
as BY them previously enjoyed, OF ma.
king their own local laws for their own
municipal governments, it conceded to
them. ia this respect, no enlargement OF
State soVesegnly--or, in other words,
no right of power to extend their local
laws or peculiar institutions, especially
over property unknown as such by nat
ural OF universal law. into other juris-
diotions or beyond the limits Of their
own.
Such was the constitution Of the Uni
ted States as il came from the hands Of
the illuetrious patriots who framed it,
Such was the construction in this res
peel gwen 70 il by them and its ablest
expoundera in the early days Of tbe ~
public. when any misconstruotion Of its
provisions was improbable. The prae-
/ = .tQe