Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1856-07-09
Tbe Stan1ar1>
RALEIGH. WEDNESDAY. july 9. 1856.
Mr. Milier,s speech-ss Squatter Sovereignty


Mr.. alilier's Speech-s' Squatter Sovereignty
Henry W. Miller, Esq. late Wing, but now H. n,
dcliyered speech in the Court House in this City,
on Friday night last before the Fillmore and Donel-
con Club. from which we make the following ex.
tracts
.Mr NJ denounced strongly, the doctrine of "aen-
souaer sovcrcigntyas wrong in PrncPle,as dangerous
rinous in practice to the South. The
t perms all who become residents of the erritory-he
verv moment they resdentsaliens, foreigners VINO
have been laturazed as well as native porn ezens
IN r-to hoI office The l4h section Of the act declares
that it the intent and meaning OF this act not 10
cg slate slavery into any Territory State nor to exclude
il thereorm but the People Mereg perfectly 1ree
to FORM and REGULATE their domestic nstateoHs IN Me
opu acay subject only to the Co1stitMtiom Of the ?nttea %
form Mr. Buchanan in his letter of acceptance endorses
it in express He says, and Mr. NJ invoked attention
TO his language-his legislation is founded on pncpiesas
ancient as ITSELF and in accordance with them
has simply declared, that people t TERRITORY @Se Mose
of dte shoud decide for Themselves WHETHER SLAVERY
SHALL OR SHALL NOT WITHIN THEIR LIMITS Here
then unequvOcal endorsement OF the doctrhe hat
residents Of TERRITORY, Including ahens persons VINO
have never naturazcd under the laws OF Congress-
have the right exclude by legislative enactmen the slave
property of the Southerner from the territory
Now, let us see how this is.
The Democratic National Convention resolved,
among other things. that the people of all the Ter
rtories, including Nebraska and Kansas, acting
through the fairly expressed will of the majority OF
actual residents, and aohenecer the number OF the"
Inhabitants justifes 1t" have the right "to form
Constitution aciM aoitout domestic staUery, and
be admitted into the Union upon terms OF perfect
equality with the other States" Weagree with Mr.
Miller that g Mr.. Buchanan in his letter of accept
ance endorses" the Cincinnati platform I" in express
terms" In his oral acceptance at Lancaster, he
saws he intends to "square his conduct accordngt to
ioso nO now
plank nor take one from it." In his letter of &C
ceptance he says t" to this platform intend 70 con-
fine myself throughout the canvass for, ne adds
81 have right to present new and different issues
before the people" In that portion of his letter
quoted by Mr.. Miller he says, "that the people OF
Territory, like those of State, shall decide for
themselves, whether slavery shall or shall not exist
within their limits" Now, what does MIR. Buchan-
an mean and what has he substantially declared!
That the people of Territory, before they assume
sovereignty, can establish abolish slavery? BY
no means When, then, can they do this? The
Cincinnati resolution, above quoted, says, "aohen-
erer tile number Of their Inhabitants justies it,
the ansas-Nebraska act says, "aohen admitted as
a State or Stutes" Mr. Buchanan says, "the peo-
pie of Territory, like those Of q State"-meaning
clearly, that when they proceed to establish or abol-
sh this institution, they must possess all the requi-
sites prescribed in the KansasNebraska act, :nclu-
ding sufficient population to form State, the au-
thorty of Congress thus to form State, and all the
actual attributes of sovereignty, saving and except
ing their admission into the Union. Is not thai
clear? How can they do it State before they
really become State? Mr.. Buchanan, therefore
the expression, "lke State" for the plalr
reason that they will be Territory, and not State
when the act is performed, and up to the moment
their admission into the Union. bill is now be
fore Congress to authorize the people of Kansas
whenever the number of their inhabitants justife
it." to form State Constitution They have al
ready recognized slavery in the Territory, and ar
regulating and controlling it. That is all they Cal
do at present. and all they propose to do. If the.
had established or abolished it, would not the Gin
cinnati Convention and Mr.. Buchanan have referre
to it accordingly? Again: Look at Mr.. Buchanan
record on this subject.
In 1888, on Mr.. Buchanan's motion, the Senate q
the United States resolved
"That any attempt of Congress abolish slavery in
Territory of the United States, which it exists, woul
create serious alarm and just apprehension in the State
sustaining that domestic institution would lie violato
f good faith towards the inhabitants of any such Teri
tory wo haze been permitted to settle eoi and hold sao
therein because the people of such Territory have
asked for the abolition Of slavery therein and becaus
When any suc Territory shall be admitted into tile Union
aSta the people hereof my be entitled to decide that que
ton ercLusirely for Themselves"
In 1s4s, while Secretary of State, he declared i
a speech in Washington City, that {" all admit ths
the people of that Territory california; aohen a.
sembled in Convention to form State Constitution
possess the sole, the erclusiue pooer to determi'
~hether slarery shall or shall not erist soithin I
limits" 1t is also we'll known that Mr. Buchana
approved of the compromise" Of $780, as Who'll
including this principle of popular sovereignty
applied to Utah and New Mexico, and the fugitiv
slave law ;-and these measures, he emphatica
declared, were call the South got' by that con
promise" Mr.. Miller asserts that the Kansas-N
braska act, involves departure from the principle
OF the compromise" of 1850, and "a violation
Solemn pledges ;''-but Mr.. Buchanan, Judge Dou
las Mr. Badger, and all the Southern Senators whe
the act passed, but two, and all the Southern Re
iesentatlves, but seven, declare that the KansasN
oaska act continued in practice and carried out IL
st"cpies OF that compromise" of 1850. "