Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-07-18
For the Enquirer.
SoUATTER SOVEREIGNTY:

resolutions adopted by ;ha Stauu!nn l"!Er ,b
points 10 the kansas-Ne Nebraska act, us cohtai,, =. nm,
niinus doctrine; the kich,u"nd wing, Sass 1T ~.
9nivucally set forth in Mr.. Buchanan : . c,c, apc
c-ptanre, and Senator Tho;nps'i;;' o. IN rh. Ious.
the Lone Star of the Virginia deieS",'j; in the Cinriu
boldly proclaim its distinct recoS;";,b As Nj. Buc
us't DeoIasnatrn 90 "a .urs.erycdly accepts amu ~
dorses the platform and Glvesn'S .h1n.ks act, contu
10 IN. PRINCIPLES Of the hansono.i,iuns ,uuncia,cc
lng himself e1c!u', s snparent to every reasonable
III lneu, " : =" his letter sactions aud approves equat
- MS..r.i,uty, III" same dnclr'ue nus 70 $500
u,hs nJatform and Kansas. >eoraska o.i, -, ,aEJcn
W t,f,r,n does no more than recite' ALMOST to''ae"
Ihe ,ha principles Of the act, We propose 10 counn'
,nrseIyes to a vindicstion OF the act it mi nun u
n.s rbarge Illuminated 1T Staunton. Inc 'eFes, "
SluaIter Sovereignty may Dc otoaa'! - i,ns nre
rith, of the people Of a territory a. arg t'ms po
viuus to taking the initia;ory steps 10 orroue . o., ,".
AZ prescribed BY the constitution OF the Ih'teu "tn't
to exercise all the functions OF an in"rPenue"t !"
polite, and necessarily includes Inc po"e. w 49,
or establish slavery as the will OF the mhJor"! Hm!
determine. Now, we defy human ingenuity ~ us
corn the faiutsst scmblance vi such d vi .nn
kansas.N Nebraska act. Aye, We cna".' . ~ all hi.
Of the Richmond "tis, VIZ @" the
spells. sorceries and incan'Gtions, ~ e,oae ~
5rin, genius of Soua,ter Sovereignty. rom .ue
hojv Of the "Act to organize tho Territories VI nan,
Has and Nebraska" Let US examine 10 Pa. ,b.
relative to this subject. Section = e"".; T.rr;,nrv
legislative mower and authority oil sa'" iet'"!y
X snsas, shall be vested in the Governor anu aleg1s'
ia,iye assembly, which assembly sha' cnnste. VI q
Council and House vi Representatives, u u nam.
b,rs shall be elected by the qua!ih1u p'' ~ vas"
district and county. Ii the people oi me Iel',oIJ
can nrnv;nus m The formation Nf u State Constltu'
tiou, iubibit ur establish slavery, my hlus' 10 81
through the asency 0! the Territorial uo'oan"eu''
but the Territorial Government 10 nv etea.ae u
Congress, erected for certain we!l-dehned on)eets' ana
J.r;S.s ira ant;re mowers from the act by when II IL
ordained, Nothing is clearer than that Congress can
not delegate to it a power ~hica II uoGs no' SCI =.
sess. Section IA declares the prlhclPle VI ~" aj
yeutiou by Congress with slavery IN the STATES anu
T.rritories In ia most la,itudinous sense. II follows
therefore,. that the Territorial Government cannot IN
,erfere With slavery. The deduction Is ih9,Hao y,
tina, us long as 4 Territory is under Tue !, ia :" .,s.
Congress, unit! il has the requisite population 10 e'aI
HE L 10 form u State Constitution, the Prople 'nefeoi
are not sovereign, aud have no power 70 frame An Ut
gSnic law. .Lo ,ereral
nriuciple OF the act, without its llmltations, hiiInhhhs
! ina, the people of a territory, like those "i d Ht"'e'
SHALL ultimately decide upon the character .. "ne"
domestic Institutions; which Is made 10 rea" Nv 'r
1 Wing, The people ot a territory my ~ az?
&c. But wha, is the language OF ms piii ! Gee. ~!
80, ,rIsn admired ~ a State or States, such trrri-
tory. or any portion thereof. shall % reee'feu Wv" w
Union, with or wi,hou, slavery a. ,neT c"ms'"'u'sa nG
NAV prescribe at the time OF their auhi'sS'"n. NV
spc. II "It being the true intent and meaning Q I's
st NOT TO leg;slate slavery into any territory nor 10
.rcIud, il therefrom, but to leave Tue peoP'e 'ie'eo'
PERFECTLY free 10 form and regulate thelr uonea'lc IN
| stiiutious in their own way, subject |" u N'-'''"
ton of the United States.
" ErDrsssio uuins est c[rlaSio dAi"rS,' to thee pro
visions relative to tie subject OF slavery 'ahcn 10
seth.r, We are forced to The concl"s'"n aieauy 'e"en-
sd by q process q. reasoning Il pr!ori. VIZ tliht Tue
people of the territory csuno. prohi)i: or establish!
slavery until they cune to form L State coi'stItuti9n'
preparatory 10 admission into the un'oi!. /
Whilst al statutes must be- construed strictly, and
not in accordance with the intent and ucanirg ni
,h.;- SEQ our upharp sprl intent aud meaning are d. |
rectly a, variauce with the plain ana OBVIOUS import
If the language in which they are expressed Vel
when there is merely d patent ambiguity III thet
ubraseolopy We must have recourse TO e1tran.ous
sonrces in order TO deteriuiue their true qualification.
W.. therefore refer those whose minds are Occlouucd
with doubts aud cloggcd with difficulties IN regard to
the proper construction Of such portions oil me hau'
as-Sebraska act as relate TO the su!lrct OF ''a'eIy
and the real import uf Mr.. Buchauan's letter, 10 the
able and elaborate report Ut Judge Douglas, q. chair
rnau of tho committee ou territorles,t March l., 1901
and to the speech of Mr. Buchanan OIL the admission
of Arkansas into the Cnion-to his speech in Wash
iugtun in 1915. concerning the admission OF Callinr:la
TO his letter Oh the compromise measures 0t 1917
aud to the following Crpose from the Chicago Tribune:
4 Black Republican sheet:
"Buchauau's platform ls.. Congress has no pow
or 10 exclude slavery from any territory I'd. HE
people of Il territory have no power to prohibit slave
ry az long rs the territorial government lasts Sd
Squa,tcr Sovereignty is u %buinbug, aud no longer d
plank in the Democratic creed
Ii may O9 well 10 EiQES assurance unuUlS sure, ~
quote an extract from the care. OF Col. WIN. \. Rich
ardsun, published in the W ashIngtcu ln'on SOM time
last May rs he was one OF the waTnicst ana aoirs'
champions OF the bill, and The siauAch friend OF Sen.
a;or Douglas. His Interpretation U! tile act Is hItl'or-
~itative. aud sus,ajis the views We have above pre-
scented. My position then wa, and now is, that the
Kansas Nebraska act was based upon the true primer
pies Of the Constitution. III recognizing Inc riSht w
each State aud Territory, prtpIraioTHio rs Ha"iisSi""
into fbe Union, to turm and rrguiaie their domestic in
situations in their own way, subject 10 the Con-ll;n'
tiou of the United States, and ti!st | should vote for
the admission OF Zach new State with or without
slavery, as its own people should decide"
We shrewd!y suspect that, il the truth were known.
| a, least niue tenths Of these furious declainers about
the Suuatter Sovereignty feature Ut the hansab-Ne-
braska act, stand in the same category with II gentle
naA of acknowledged Intelligence and ability, whom
We heard the other day inveighiGg Justify against H.
and modrsIly acknowledging IN the same breath tha'
he had never seen the act, aud knew nothing oil Its
provisions, beyond what ne cou!d CLEAN from the
| bubble iuurnals-i. e. from the prolific columns Of the
Richmond Wing. lie reminded us Of Sir Frettul
P.agiary, in Sheridsn's Critic: The newspapers!
Sir, they are the most viilain"us, licen:ious, abon;la.
bic, micrnal-uut that | ever read them; no. sir. l
make il a pulut never Ia read Il newspaper lhe
| Kansas Nebraska act. Sir, II is the most infamous,
atrucinus, eyecrahle-nOt that ever read II; no, l am
no dirty, time serving politician, and therefore not
| presumed TO be acquainted with the LEGISLATION "i The
country. Tn. same gentleman defined SllHitcr
Sovereignty to be the right OF I'll unnaiuralizru tor
eiyucr to vote in the Territories, AMI said that n. the
| Missouri restriction gave the North all territory above
3D. 81 and tie South al brior ~, i;s repeal had
opened the entirs public domain, hnrh above and be-
low the line, to a ".c1erat $cru"6t"-s free fight:
! lEau9as Suma,xi Where ignorance ls popular, It's
fo!lv to be- ANYTHING but Il kEow Nothing!
Yours, &c, PETER PLiMLEY.
WE.rMuuELASp. 18th July. 1876.
! 10 the Editors nJ tie Enquirer:
Borpros, MEcKLExBrRG CoUSrY,i
July eth, 1896.
was appointed by the recent State Democratic
| Convention an elector tor this county. Acknowledge
ing 10 aNcgianc. 10 airy PARTY, | have Thought that
/ - Lnth ~, nn,r..lt nML In fMn nAr,N nnlirlrInNri The