Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-07-17


to their intent, the people of the Territory, who
are authorized to- form constitution previous
to its admission into the Union, are not an I'M
organized mass of squatteys, as in the Topeka
convention, but are the people acting through
the fairly and legally expressed will of the ma
jority of actual residents, whenever the number
of inhabitants justifes it," Now, when is this
will Of the majority legally expressed? Clearly,
when expressed according to law and, as the
territories are under the pgpilage of Congress
during their territorial infancy, that will must
be expressed in accordance with law Of Con
gress. But it must also be expressed only
when the number of inhabitants justifes it.
| Who shall decide when that number does
Justify such action? Surely not the people
themselves, for dependant can never judge
of the extent of its own power. This, too,
then, must be regulated by law of Congress-;
and thus, so far from the Kansas bill recogniz-
ing the doctrine of squatter sovereignty, it as
serts, IN the strongest terms, the doctrine that
the people can only act through the authority
of Congress, empowering them to throw off
their dependent condition, and fairly and legally
to assume a sovereign power.
And this brings US to a comparison of the
language of Mr.. BUCHANAN with the language
Of the Cincinnati platform, which he so fully
endorses. BY that platform the Democracy
recognize and adopt the principles contained
III the organic laws establishing the Territories
&c Il Ill. AZ.
only sound and safe solution Of the slavery
| question" And, then, in order that there may
| be no doubt as TO their construction Of these
principles, the convention proceeds to define
its meaning more clearly in the following lucid
| resolution:
THAT we recognize the right Of the people
of all the Territories, including Kansas and
Nebraska, acting through the fairly and legally
/ expressed will of the majority of actual resi-
dents whenever the number of their inhabitants
justiies it, to form constitution, with or with
out domestic slavery, and be admitted into the
Union upon terms of perfect equality with the
other States"
Take this in connexion with the language Of
Mr.. BUcHANAN's letter Of acceptance, and we
have another rule Of interpretation, that must
prove satisfactory.
"Inaccepting denomination need scarcely
say that | accept in the same spirit the reso.
lutions constituting the platform of principles
erected by the convention"
Now with this broad announcement of his
endorsement of the principles of the platform,
it was unnecessary that Mr.. BUCHANAN should
be as guarded in his phraseology, or as careful
in his qualification and definition of terms as
if his letter were taken independent of the
platform. No one, conversant with the able
career Of Mr.. BUCHANAN, can doubt for mo-
ment that he understood the meaning of the
qualification placed by the convention on the
words "people OF the territories accepting
this definition with the platform of which il
forms part, he deemed it unnecessary in the
: brief limits of letter of acceptance, to throw
the same guarded qualification on his language
as was used by the trainers of the platform
because he designed that his letter should be
taken in connection with the language Of that
platform.
Let US then reduce the language of Mr.. b.
cHAYAH which has formed the text for these
comments, to its equivalent, when taken in
connection with the resolution Of the conven.
ton, land to this no candid mind can object
and we arrive at his true meaning in relation
to this subject SO modified, his language will
read thus:
"This legislation is founded upon principles
as ancient as free government ITSELF and in ac-
cordance with them has simply declared that
the people Of territory acting through the
furry expressed UH Of tie majority Of actual
residents, and lcheneUer the number of their in
hdbitdnts justifes IL, like those of State shall
decide for themselves whether slavery shall or
shall not exist within their limits"
: We have thus candidly, and without preiu-
: dice, sought and found the true Interpretation
10 be placed upon the language Of Mr.. BU-
3 cGANAN's letter Of acceptance. We have com.
E pared it with other language contained in the
same letter, which shows what was the mean
! ing which he designed to convey by the word
D territory. We have compared it with the Ian.
/ guage Of the Nebraska Kansas bill, and shown
' that like that measure the doctrine of the let.
e ter is sound and conservative. We have taken
i it in connection with the Cincinnati platform.
! and the broad and satisfactory endorsement OF
!, that platform by Mr., BUCHANAN, and have thus
0 arEsyed at the conclusion that the opinion thus
D entertained and set forth in the letter OF &C.
! ceptance, is one which is perfectly consistent
, with the well established principle Of the Dem.
ocratic party, and the clear construction of the
Constitution itself.
THE DEsPOTIsM OF BLACK RE-
PUBLICANIsM-FREM LETTER
AND HIS PLATFORM.
Il is subtle policy of error to give itself a
good name, and involve great authority to sus-
tain i. The sacred name Of Republicansm