Washington sentinel., 1856-07-19
From the Richmond Enquirer.
Squatter Sovereignty

squetter SOverelSntyS
The opposition press and speakers are siren.
uously, but vainly endeavoring to fasten upon
the escutcheon of the Democratic party the foul
stigma of Squatter Sovereignty. The third of
the miserable batch Of resolutions adopted by
the Staunton Convention, points to the Kansas
Nebraska act, as containing the odious doctrine;
the Richmond Wing says it is unequivocally set
forth in Mr.. Buchanan's letter OF acceptance,
and Senator Thompson, of Kentucky, and the
"Lone Star" of the Virginia delegation in the
House boldly proclaimed its distinct recognition
in the Cincinnati Declaration of Democratic
faith. As Mr.. Buchanan cordially and unre-
servedly accepts and endorses the platform and
gives his unqualified adhesion to the principles
of the Kansas-Nebraska act, con6ning himself
exclusively to the propositions enuhciated in
them 1T must be apparent to every reasonable
mind, that if his letter sanctions and approves
Squatter Sovereignty, the same doctrine must
be contained in the platform and Kansas Ne
braska act. And since the platform does no
more than recite, almost tolidem perbis, the
principles of the act, we propose to confne
ourselves 10 vindication Of the act itself from
the loose charge Illuminated at Staunton. The
beresy Of Squatter Sovereignty may be broadly
defined to be the right of the people of a
Territory, at any time previous to taking the
initiatory steps TO become State, as prescribed
by the Constitution Of the United States, to ex-
ercse all the functions Of an independent body
polite, and necessarily includes the power
to prohibit or establish slavery as the will
Of the majority may determine. Now, we
defy human ingenuity to discern the faint.
est semblance Of such a doctrine in the
Kansas Nebraska act. Aye, we challenge the
famous necromancer Of the Richmond Whiq,
with all his spells, sorceries and ncantatiops,
to evoke the grim genius Of Squatter Sover.
eighty from the body of the "Act to organize
the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska =
Let us examine its provisions relative to this
subject. Section A enacts that the legislative
power and authority Of said Territory tKansas)
shall be vested in the Governor and legisla
tive assembly, which assembly shall consist Of
Council and House Of Representatives, whose
members shall be elected by the qualified
voters in each district and county If the
people of the Territory can, previous to the
formation of State constitution, inbibit or es-
tablish slavery, they must do so through the
agency of the Territorial Government. But
the Territorial Government Is the creature Of
Congress, erected for certain well defined OBJ.
jects, and derives its entire powers from the act
by which it is ordained. Nothing is clearer
than that Congress cannot delegate to it
power which it does not itself possess Sec
tion IA declares the principle Of non.interven-
ton by Congress with slavery in the States and
Territories In Its most latitudinous sense. IL
follows, therefore that the Territorial Govern
ment cannot interfere with slavery. The de-
ducton is inevitable, that as long as Terri
tory is under the jurisdiction Of Congress, until
il has the requisite population to enable it to
form State Constitution, the people thereof
are not sovereign, and have no power to frame
an organic law.
Mr.. Buchanan's letter merely states the gen.
eral principle Of the act without its limitations,
affirming that the people of Territory, like
those Of State, SHALL ultimately decide
upon the character Of their domestic institu-
tions which is made to read by the Whiq,
" The people of Territory may at any time
&c. But what is the language Of the bill
Section first "And when admitted an State
or States, such Territory or any portion
thereof, shall be received into the Union, with
or without slavery, as their constitutions may
prescribe at the time Of their admission And
section fourteen: 1T being the true intent
and meaning Of this act not to legislate slavery
into any territory, nor to exclude it therefrom,
but TO leave the people thereof perfectly free to
form and regulate their domestic institutions
in their own way, subject to the Constitution Of
the United Statesn
Now, applying the principle Of legal con-
struction, "Erpressioun,ts est erclusio oltinus,"
to these provisions relative to the subject Of
slavery, taken together we are forced to the
conclusion already reached by process Of
reasoning prior1, viz that the people Of the
Territory cannot prohibit or establish slavery
until they come to form State constitution,
preparatory to admission into the Union.