Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-07-02
Mr.. Buchanan and Squatter Soser-
elguty In mas.

Washington city after the state elections IN Penn
sylyania in the Fall Of 45. the following languag"
/. found: IAN admit tina, the people Of tina, Tel
ritory, fCalifrrnis) when assembled in Convention
TO frame state constitution. possess the soe.'he
exclusive power 10 determine whether slavery
shall or shall not exist within its limits The En-
auirer crows over this language loudly aud lu-ii-
lybut makes most material alteration oft. Mr..
Buchanan said ,All admit that the people OF that
Territory. when &C." The Enquirer quotes him
as having said ''A admit that the people OF Ter.
ritory, when &c.r The materality OF the Enqu
rers alteration grows out Of this fact: California
had no Territorial Legislature She was under
military Covernor--by whom Convention was
called. The proceeding regarded informal
by all. and by many illegal II gave rise 10 much
opposition in the South. and was one If the main
grounds Of objection to the compromise measures
Of 80. Ii was that convenon.th rregplarly ere
eted that MrBuchanan said had the sole and excu-
siye power 10 determine the question If slavery
for California. Many Southern Politicians denied
the power Ia that bndy But the paini to which
We wish 20 direct attention Is this la the chsc
Of California Mr.. Buchanan referred the power
Of determining the slavery question exclusively
sla,iye body that assembled in the Territory
If there had been legislature there, as - usual
in Territories. non consiaf but that he would have
referred the power to tina, body. la laying down
the principle Re seems carefully IN have confined
il 10 that Territory y The Enquirer makes
him apply it to "a (any) Territory" he differ
ence is vital. aud cannot fail to be observed by
the reader. A. the Enqurer's defence Of MIR.
buchanan against the advocacy of squatier Sow
ereiguiy is based upon this misleading OF his Ian
euage the defence therefore amounts TO nothing |
and Mr.. Buchanan stands as he stood before, /.
in the bad attitude Of having promulgated, in his
letter of acceptance, doctrine justly pronounced
by Southern Democrats to be "as indefensbe in
principle and as odous in practice as the Wilmot
Proviso."
But we are not left to inference and deduction
10 determine the import If Mr.. Buehanan's Ian
guage. in referring to the California Convention /
the power to settle the subject of slavery FOR that
Territory. In the year ls4s. the Democracy of
Alabama, in State convention. adopted resou-
tons to the effect that Z" Congress has right !
10 Interfere with slavery in the States and Terri. |
tories. and that the inhabitants Of Territory have
no right to do So until they meet in conuention /
to form a State Constitution. These resolu-
tions were endorsed by the Democratic State
Convention Of Virginia, held the SHINE year. After
the Baltimore Convention of That year, and its
nomination of Gen. Cars, Hon. VIM. l.. Yancey,
a pfominen, democrat of Alabama who had been
member of the convention, published an address
to the people Of the South in which. he set forth |
how he had labored in vain 10 induce Gen. Cass.
Mr. Buchanan, aud others, TO take their stand /
on that platform. In that address, he says:
"Mr. Buchanan had told me that he could not ap- |
prove The oppressed resoi4f,ons- he had
taken his position on the Misses Compromise, and
could not now change it.
Mr.. Yancey also states that Mr. Moore report
ed to him conversation he had nad with Mr..
Buchanan, in which the latter sald
That he could not come up 10, endorse the 1la-
6daa platform"
The following official statement of tho posi-
tion OF Mr.. Buchanan, being his response when
the Alabama resolutions were submitted to him.
may be found in that address
WAsnNoros, hay Is, '4e
Hos. WN L. YAScEy Sir / received your favor
Of the I'd inst requesting answers To the different
propositions contained i'll the 9th, 10th, nth. 18th
18th and l4th resolutions OF the late Alabama Dem
ocratic Convention on the subject of slavery.
Dn the zotn OF August ihst afier much reflection,
! addressed letter to the Democracy of Berks coun-
iy, Pean on this important aud exciting question in
which expressed the opinion in favor OF the extern
sion Of the Missouri Compromise to any territory
which we might acquire from Mexico. had enter
tanned and freely expressed this opinion from the time
the question was first agitaed; and every days ex-
perience since the date of my letter has but seemed
to strengthen my conviction that the hissour Com
promise the best, not the only mode of fnaiiy and
satisfactorily adjusting this rered and dangerous question
/ al, I'll.
position which hare thus de6sraieig and CONSCIENTIOUS
~ taken, and assume any other thai be preseated
have the honor of transmitting you a copy of my
Berks county letter.
With sentiments of the highest regard remain
yours, sacerely JAMES BUCHANAN
Such was the position of Mr.. Buchanan, in
May. ls4e. He had deliberately and consoien-
tiou.y" taken his position on the Missouri com.
promise, and could not abandon il for anu
other" He could not come up to and endorse the
Alabama Platform, which declared that neither
Congress nor the Squatters on the public domain
could exclude the South from the territories!
Mr. fancey, in his address, examines the opin-
ions and position of Mr. Buchanan and deliberate
ly comes to the following conclusion:
ITO Mr.. Buchanan, therefore, is due the credit of
first giving the go-bye 10 the Wilmot Proviso as a
means Of excluding the Shareholders from our new
Territories but at the time, of pointing out to
the North how much more effectuay the great end
OF the provisoisthe Keeping of these Territories ereu-
srety for TIE settlement Of Northern emgrants-coud
be obtained by advocating the doctrine that The
anhatdns o. ne~ Territory 9he yet It's territorial
state could preren The emigration iter ofslapeholders
Not only therefore did Mr.. Buchanan refuse to
give his assent tothe Alabama resolutions repua
isting Squatter Sovereignty, but, acco,d ding to
Mr.. Yancey. (who is now a democratic eector at
LARGE for the state of Alabama) the credit wa. dn