Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-07-09
:. NAE. Fillmore,s hopes and chances.,,

Mr.. Buchanan's views Gas expressed in his letter
to I. Sanford, Esq, dated August 21st, 184S,
and published October 4th, 1s4s, in the Mo
bile Register in .faror Of the sovereign and
esclusice posoer Of Congress upon the m6ject
ofsLarery IN the territories, and we contrast
ed those views with his declaration in his let
ter of acceptance, dated in June, 1856, in
which no claims "that the people of a Terrific
ry, lake those qf a State, shall decide for them
selves whether slavery shall, or shall not exist
within their limits" We presented these an
tagonistic views of Mr.. Buchanan, the former
announced in 1848, and the latter in 1856, to
show not only his total want of stability in
politics, but also to demonstrate, that at neither
of these dates did he entertain opinions which
the people of tho South can approve on the
territorial questions.
If we understand anything of the opinions
Of the Southern portion Of the American peo-
pie, they cannot and will not sanction the doc
trine, that Congress has sovereign and czcla-
size poacer ocer slaOery IN the Territories, as
asserted and claimed by Mr. Buchanan in 184S,
nor will they admit the "squatter sovereignty"
doctrine, nqU asserted by Mr.. Buchanan, ''that
the people Of Territory LIKE THOSE OF A
STATE, shall decide whether slavery shall exist
within Territory" Having shown, in our
daily issue of yesterday, that Mr.. Buchanan
cannot receive the vote of the South, upon ann
principle which he has ever advanced, we pro-
ceeded to exhibit the Presidential record of
Willard Fillmore, on the doctrine of Estate
equality"
We presented the provisions of the Utah
Territorial Bill passed in 1850, and approved
by Mr.. Fillmore, declaring that this Territory,
the sohole Of aohich lies north of SO IL degrees,
should be admitted into the Union, as a State,
WITH OR WITHOUT SLAVERY, as its constitution,
Mt the time of admission, should prescribe
We quoted the language of Mr. Fillmore, used
after the Compromise measures of 1850 had
been adopted, declaring that he considered
those acts as a final and coaclasioe settlement
of the szapery question: We thus presented
undeniabe and unequivocal proof that Mr.
Fillmore approved the doctrine of estate
equality" when he officially approved the
Utah and New Mexico Territorial acts That
doctrine is the true conservative doctrine, for
which the whole South contend
But we referred in our article of yesterday,
not only to the Territorial legislation Of 1850,
for proof of Mr.. Fillmore's adherence to this
doctrine of estate equality" we referred also
to the fact that the American platform, on
which Mr.. Fillmore stands, contains this iden-
teal doctrine, which the American party stands
virtually pledged to maintain. We need only
to refer our readers to the 18th section of the
American platform, which distinctly announces
"the right Of the native-born and naturalized
citizens of the United States permanently re-
siding in any Territory thereof, to frame their
constitution and laws, and to regulate their
domestic and social affairs in their own mode
subject only to the provisions of the Federal
Constitution" &c.
No man can question, that this 18th section,
affirms the principles on which the Utah and
New Mexico acts were based, indeed we may
add, that zoe know that this section was pur-
posely made to conform to the provisions and
principles of those acts, which, it will be read
ily admitted, had received the sanction and
approval of large majority of the citizens of
the Union, as they were not only founded in
justice, but had given quiet and repose to the
country 1t will thus be seen, that Willard
Fillmore stands upon the doctrine of estate
equality" as demonstrated in his oaon official
approval of the Territorial legislation of 1850,
and as maintained in the 9TH section of the
American platform.
He stands thrice pledged to this doctrine of
Estate equality first by his own official
approval of it-second by his general adoption
Of the American platform, and thirdly by the
solemnity of his oath to support the Consttu-
ton Of the United States; for that Constitu-
ton is based upon the equality of the rights
Of the States, and it can endure no longer than
this equality ofrights shall be observed.
But we asked, in our article of YESTERDAY.
what are the opinions of Mr.. Fillmore on the
question of squatter sovereignty :" And we
referred to the legislation of 1850, and to the
American platform, for answers to this inquiry
The legislation Of 1850, on the Territsrial
questions to which we have referred, presents
a pleasing contrast to that of 1854, when this
odious and detestable doctrine of 'squatter SOW
ereignty" was inaugurated.
BY reference to the Utah act of 1850, vol. 8,
pages 1915, section of United States Stat
utes at Large, this provision will be found,
to wit:
AL the Taos passed BY the Legislative Asse,,,-
bty and Governor (of Utah shall Be su6usitted to
the Congress Of the United States, and, IL disap-
proved, shall Be null and Of no efect'
The very same provision precisely is con-
tanned in the New Mexico act Of the same
session.