Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-10-01
Stephen A. Douglas.

Soutb face to face and avows his object, IS bet
ter than Douglas who, under the guise oi
friendship, would stab the South in the dark,
and we did not do it, as the Findacator mag
ines. without reflection. There are some polltl-
clans in all parties upon whom We lnstnc1Neiy
look with suspicion, and Mr.. Douglas Is one OF
that strine. Whenever we see q man at the
North protesting to be the peculiar friend OF the
South and her peculiar institution, we set him
down as unworthy of confidence. The expert
ence of the past justifes our distrust OF all
Northern men with Southern principles" and
the more artfully their true character is conceal
ed amid profuse professions of devotion to the
rights and interests of the South, the more thor
ouphly are we satisfied of their duplcity and
hypocrisy. 1t is precisely because Stephen a.
Douglas is too loud and brawling in his profes-
sions, that we doubt his sincerity and decline to
trust him.
Nor are we without evidence, satisfactory to
our mind, that Mr. Douglas is merely friend OF
the South By procession. The Vind'cator ad-
duces his defence of the Kansas Bill in proof OF
his devotion to the South, but fails to tell us
what Interpretation Mr.. Douglas himself gives to
the language of the bill. Does the Vindacator
think q defence of the doctrine OF "Squatter
Sovereignty, proof of devotion to Southern
interests or does it, in common with the whole
Democratic party OF the South, hold that doc
trine in utter adherence, as more odlous than
the Wilmot proyiso, gross violation OF the
Constitution and an outrage upon the South 2
Well, Mr.. Douglas has declared in unmistakaole
language that he considers the doctrine OF
ssSouatter Sovereignty" to be the doctrine OF the
Kansas Bill. The Hindicator defes us to the
record here it is:
On the End July last, Mr. Trumbull, the col
league of Mr.. Douglas, an open and avowed
Freesoil Democrat, introduced the following a
mendment to the Kansas bill:
lind be ii. further enacted, That the provision
in the 'act to organize the Territories OF NeDras-
ka and Kansas" which declares 1t to De "the
true intent and meaning" OF SAID act mot 10 leg
isate slavery into any Territory or State, 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
only to the constitution of the United States,
was intended, and does confer upon, or leave to,
the people of the Territory OF Kansas full power
at any time. through its Territorial Legislature,
to exclude slavery from said Territory, or to re-
cognize and regulate it therein. "-(ARp. Con
Globe, p. 1862
Mr.. Trumbull explained that the object of this
amendment was to ascertain the true intent and
meaning of the act The bill had a Northern
and Southern look, and he offered this PROPOSE
ton which stated distinctly that the Nebraska
bill was intended to confer on the people of the
Territory, through their Territorial Legislature
the right at any time to exclude slavery or allow
it, in order to settle the question whether thi:
was the true meaning Of the bill. Mr.. Trum
bulls amendment, then, laid down the doctrine
of Squatter Sovereignty in the broadest possible
terms, and what did Mr. Douglas, the great
champion OF Southern rights, say aboutits Mr.
Douglas replied to Mr.. Trumbull as follows
"The reading of the amendment inclines my
mind to the belief, that in its legal effect at q
precisely the same aoith the original act, and al
most IN the qcorCs Of that act. Hence | shoult
have no hesitancy in rotingto at, except that il
lis putting on this bill matter which does moi
belong to it.
He further declared that the Kansas Act die
''confer upon the Territorial Legislature author
lily to legislate on all rightful subjects OF leglsla
ton, not excepting slavery )" that he voted a
gainst the amendment only because it was un
necessarily and improperly attached to the bill
because ut is Just achat the act declares, and er
pressed ats true meaning" Here then Mr.
Douglas avows in clear and emphatic terms
that the Kansas Nebraska bill-in sits legal eff
feet" and according to sits true meaning" con
tains the odious doctrine of Squatter Sovereign
Ity.
That Mr.. Douglas did do and say these things
the indicator may be satisfied by reference tx
the Appendix to Congressional Globe, 1918
Such devotion to Southern rights may confirm
our neighbours admiration for the sincerity ano
candor of Mr.. Douglas, but it cannot be imposed
upon us for the genuine metal.
In response to the Indicators call we have
shown from the record that Stephen A. DoIga:
has avowed in Congress the doctrine of squat
ter Sovereignty"-moreo dious in the eyes OF the
Southern Democracy than the Wilmot proviso
In return for it that paper promises to show ter
instances of Willard Fillmore's opposition to the
South. We defy our neighbor to show one in
stance in which he has ever endorsed the mon
strous dogma of Squatter Sovereignty.
| Wise Movement!