Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-06-28


"Ths ns>vs-born snl uAsursIized cilissus Of
the United 5tals4 pessnanently residipg N any
Territory merec<, wssy (r1n< their ecsststuffon
| apd Iars and reGu1ato their domestic and social
affairs In thsi~ own mod" &c.
HoW are such citizens "to regulate their do
mestic and social affairs ?" By Jronsins their
coEstitutioa and Iaus When are they allow
ed TO dc thiss When they get ready 70 claim
admission into the Union by reason Of the
amount Of their permanent population.
Whenever Territory forms constitution,
1t usually enacts laws to carry that constitu-
tion into effect, and upon the admission Of the
Territoryinto the Union, that constitution and
those laws are, ipso Jacto, in operation. BY
that constitution and those laws, the citizens
of the Territories under the principles and
| by the terms of the 7th section of the Amer
lean platform are declared to have the right ITO
regulate their domestic and social sfairs in
| their own mode" In our view Of this ques-
ton, the Territorial Legislature is, and ought to
be, subordinate to Congress, and its Legislation
is and ought to be, subject to the supervision
and control Of Congress, down to the time
when, under the principles laid down in the
American platform, the citizens have just
right by reason Of their population, to claim
Al squalstywith the States Of the Federal Union.
But we do not hold that slavery is q question
upon which either Congress, or the Territorial
Assembly as such has any constitutional power
to legislate. M ts, n. II.
Wedo not hold the doctrine, nor is such the
doctrine of the American platform, that the
people OF Territory have the right, at any
time they choose, to decide that the people of
tho North may and that the people Of the
South shall not bring with them into the Ter
ritory that which, in al the original States, was
regarded as property when the Constitution
was formed. Such q doctrine, carried out to
its legitimate results, would authorize the first
one hundred or one thousand men who entered
a Territory, so to shape its legislation as virtu-
ally to debar the citizens Of either section OF
the Union from the enjoyment of their accus-
toned rights of property.
| Yet such is the doctrine of the anti Ameri-
can platform, not only as expounded by the
1 trainers of the Kansas-N ebraska bill, but as
enforced noso by James Buchanan, the nominee
down to the present year, had alOays, from
first to last, maintained that the Missouri Com
promise was a .1fnalityi
But the Richmond Examiner of yesterday
seeks to avoid the charge Of "squatter sover-
eighty" made against the Kansas Nebraska
bill, and against Mr.. Buchanan's letter of ac-
ceptance, in this manner. 1t says:
~ +,
! the subject Of slavery, it does possess res
trainiag power over IT. Accordingly, and as if to
guard against the possibility of usurpation Of
power by the territorial legislature this subject
Of slavery 1t has incorporated in all it's acts for
organizing territories, those Of Utah, New Mexico,
Kansas and Nebraska included, the following clause,
common to all, which We copy from the Utah bill !:
CONGRESS- HOLDS CHECK REIN OVER THE sQUArTRR
sovRREIGNs
."SEc. 6. The legislative power of said Territory
shall extend to all rightful subjects Of legislation
consistent with the Constitution of the United
States and the provision of this act. .. AL
the lags passed By the legislatire assembly and
governor shall be submitted to the Congress of the
United States, and If disapproved, shall be null
and of no s6ccf.r'
"This clause being part of the Compromise Of
1850, and of the Nebraska Kansas act Of 1854 is
part also Of the Democratic Cincinnati platform
Of the nomination on the basis Of the platform"
We think the Examiner has made lust but
a most unfortunate admission, in claiming
that Congress holds check rein over the
squatter sovereigns." 1t thereby admits the
necessity of such reservation of power, by
Congress, to avoid the conclusion, that the
Kansas Nebraska Bill undeniably confers
"squatter sovereignty" upon the people of the
Territory. Unfortunately for the argument
Of the Examiner, THE KANsAs-NEBRAsKA ACT
CONTAINS NO SUCH RESERVATION OF POWER, as
was contained in the Utah and New Mexico
Territorial Billsl That Kansas Nebraska act
inaugurated aes0 era in American legislation.
by establishing new doctrine of Territorial
power The act says: "it being the true
| intent and meaning of this act, not to legislate
slavery into any Territory or State, nor to ex-
clude 1t therefrom, but to leaoe the people
thereof PERFECTLY FREE to form and regulate
their domestic Institutions in their oson soay,
subject only to the Constitution of the United
| States"
| This omission TO reserve controlling power
in Congress over the Territorial legislation,
and this declaration, that the people Of the
Territory are to be left PERFECTLY FREE y to
legislate as they please on domestic questions
confirms, beyond all cavil or controversy, the
charge that "squatter sovereignty or squat
ter power was intended to be inaugurated by
that act How it was that our contemporary
Of the Examiner overlooked this important
fact that the snsas-Nebrasks act leaves the
people of those Territories perfectly free
| To leoialafe thar r,leaaod an 1.,.act;ous L.,