Demoine courier., 1856-04-10
The ~AggreSsi0ns and U%Surpati0ns OF
the Slave Power.
Deci ration Of the Principles and Pur
poses Of the Republican Party.
ADDRESS OF THE REPUBLICAN CONVEN-
TloN. AT PITTsBURG. FEB %, 1896.
To The people of The Omitted States:
CONCLUDED

Ihe FIed or f0PuIdT ooCeTetSHIy'
Failing thus to establish the right oil
he Shareholder TO carry his Slaves as
prnperly, by virtue of the Constitution,
INTO Territory belong ing 10 the Uniied
States, tho slaveholdlng states have been
corr pelled 10 claim, for The Inhabitants OF
the territories themselves, the right 10
provide for admitting or prohibiting Sia-
very, as a right inherent in their sover-
eighty over their own affairs. Tins
pIInciple OF Popular Sovereignty. as II is
sly ted, was embodied in the bills for or
ganizing New Mexico and Utah, and is
made the substitute for he prohibition OF
Slavery in the Missouri Compromise,
which il. repealed; and The slaveholdlng
ls;eres, is now sustained by the Fsdersl
Government. ia this new position. as II
had been IN all HE positions i. has sue
cessivel5 assumed. The principle OF
Popular Sovereignty is fundamental in
our institutions. No one doubts that The
People arc sovereign over all The terrific
ries as we'll az over all the states Of the
Coninderacy. But this sovereignty Is
subject 10 limitation aud detinltIon, and
can only exist within the limitations OF
The Constitution. The people are SOW
ereign N the House of Representative e,
bu, their sovereignty may be overyuled
by the senate, Or defeated by the veto OF
he President. The States are Sover-
eign-but only within certain limits, and
in suhordination TO the sovereignty OF the
nation. Two so,ereignties over the
same country and on The same subject, it
is manifest, cannot exisi-onc mus, Of
hecessiiy exclude the other. But the
CONSTITUTIONS IN express and unmlstakabie
ierms, makes Congress sovereign over the
territories, 5y comforting upon II power
to make .ail neeGful rules and regulations
respe,ing lhem.' The doctrine Of Pop
ular Sovereignty in the people OF the
of the territories, nnds no warrant or
support in the Constitution. In the
language Of Mr. Calhoun. il ''nvolves an
absurdit,; if the sovereignty over the
territories be in their inhabitants instead
of the United States, they would cease
to be territories of the United States the
moment we permit them to be inhibited.
So long as they remaip territories, they
are in the possession and under he ex
elusive denomination Of the United
States; and i, is for The General Govern
eminent to make such laws for them as
their welfare. and that Of the nation, may
require.
WI deny that Congress may abdicaie
a portion OF lie authority and commit &c
he inhabitants Of a territory power con
lerred upon i, by the Constitution. Such
an abdlcation is an abandonment ot du-
~, and cannot be juslifed IN the pre-
tended principle of popular sovereignty.
That principle. Indeed. 10 discarded in
he very ACT of Congress in which il il
iclaimed to be embodied. If sovereignty
exist, i. must be exercised through the
organized departments Of Government
the legislature, executive and judicial
Bot the act to organize the .errilorities
of Kansas and Nebraska prsseribss the
requisites of citizenship and the quaint
cations Of voters, c~onisrs upon ,hs Pres
ident and Sena.e the appointment OF q
Governor. who is clothed with the veit
power. and Judges by whom The com
mon law shall be interpreted. Each de-
par.ment Of the governmenti is thus virtu
ally in the pa wer of the Presiden, Of ,ht
United States. To style the small rem
nan, of power which such a law leave.
TO the people popular sovereignty is al
abuse Of language and an insul. 10 com
mon sense. Yet this has been eflec,u'
ally destroyed by the invasion of armet
men, sustained by the General Govern
ment. in their high handed endeavor I,
force Slavery into Kansas against The vii
of The hardy settlers who have made ]
ihsi homes.
The whole system Of doctrine b.
witch Slavery seeks possession of m
territories Of the United States, either b.
asserting ths sovereignty Of their inhabi'
ants, Or by denying the power Of Cor