Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-07-09
For interesting news, ,elegraphic, &c. see outsd
Squatter Sovereignty.

10 the Dounlr Bs" The special felicity OF this idea
is sufficiency patent party 10 distinguished ior
it's Janus face ought TO fly at its masthead some
motto or device significant Of its dupcity As skill
fu "a it's candidates have been in the successful
employment Of all the lubricities Of language, ss
manifold the meanings OF their Kane letters
and internal improvement resolutions they have
perhaps displayed their most exquisite art, their
mos, fascinating ambdextertes, upon the subject OF
Squattcr Sovereignty.
During the canvass Of lsls, General Csss, who
was then what Mr.. Buchanan is now, the bright and
conSummate flower of perfection, represented
on the North of Mason and Dixons line, the spe
cisl friend and advocate of squatter usurpations.
For this comfortable assurance to Northern Adolf
tioniss the express authority of his famous Nichol
son letter most confidently cited In that cleo
toneering missve the General declared that the
ton Of Congress, in relation territories,
should be limited the creation of proper govern
ments for new countries acquired settled, and to
the necessary provision for their eventual admission
into the Union--leaying, IN the meantime, To the
people inhabitiRg them, regulate their internal
concerns in their own way. THY GAIA
BIZ OF DOING So PEOPLE OF THE STAfSS." The
internal concern particularly referred to the
institution of slavery. .-- --
In Virginia, the contrary, where different doe
trine popular, this Interpretation indignant
ly discaimed, being the fraudulent suggestion of
INSCRIPTIONS Wing magnants. The Richmond En-
Quirer, and the Democratic Electors, who followed
it, cue refined with great subtley Of speech upon
the constitutional import Of the word people, and
proceeded to prove, with quite deal Of neat argu-
mentation that to regulate" Signifed - to make
rules for and necessarily involved the preserratiOn
and not the destruction OF the institution Of slavery
in the territories. Therefore they LUMINOSITY in
ferred in jubilant strain of exutation and many
of bitter reprosch for those who deemed other
wise that Cas- the great antagonist Of Squatter
Sovereignty and the unering exponent of political
orthodoxy.
The noise and confusion of the election passed
away General CaSs threw off the obscuring veil ;
rebuked the deusye gloss placed upon his letter and
declared in language more nervous than courtly, that
but fools could understand it in the sense for
which Southern Democrats commended
In the present crisis when this soothing and tram
QUILTING administration has invested the subject
with the utmost Importance, Mr.. Buchanan is also
presented to the extremes Of the country under
different aspects according, to the demands Of
tional opinion. Now as in lS4s the Enquirer az
SertS with its usual vehemence of manner that its
candidate directly "repudiacs the doctrine (o Squat
It's opposite a. the lTuc
principle Of the constitution
With its usual intrepdty, it grounds this positive
assertion upon sentence in his speech delivered in
ls4s portions Of which recently published by
us. under the influence of what it kindly deems ("
laundering policy and inexplicabe perversity of
purpose" Now do not affect to vie with that
paper in the diplomacy of polite journalism; but it
remains TO be seen if laundering" be not altogether
its peculiar function.
The sentence which the Enquirer parades with such
determined glee and forth two OF three times,
with all the emphasis Of capitals being in itself
decisive fths question, is as follows
All ADMIT THAT TmI PEOPLE on A Tr,mToRY As
" sEsELFD CONVENTION To FRAME \ STATE CoNsrI-
rrroS, POSSESS run SOFA, The EXCLUSIVE POWER TO
DfITENiNE WHETHER SLAVERY SHALL or SHALL No1
" Exist wTHIN ITS LIMITS"
We take issue with the Enquirer and aver
that this sentence, which ii claims to he decisive.
doe not relate 10 come within huntsman' s
haloo Of the doctrine Of Squattcr Sovereignty IL
refers n that odious doctrine which has ALWAYS
been the subject Of dispute and deaidi. hut to an
other and distinct one, which as Mr. Buchanan pro
Perly says, "dH admit" In its ntterance lac cxhi.
bits no courage, hazards no popularity, aud only
echoes the universal thought Of all the American
people Mr.. Cass himself the great patron Of squat
ter usurpaton, subscrbes to the very words Of thi
Wanted sentence. lie that The people Of 4
territory, during IT. territorial sassal,tge be that
term long short possess The sole and eJcIusis,
power 10 determine whether slavery shall OF shall
not exist within its limits in other words hc a.
'erts the doctrine Of Squatter Sovereignty but far
Their he sfrms that the people in a later state
Of being, when assembled IN convention 10 frame a
State constitution, still "posEess the sole and excln
sive power 90 determine - the same question In tn,
last proposition he aud everybody else agree with
Mr.. Buchanan does Mr.. Buchanan agree with him
in the forlers Tothis question we aver, I'M oppos.
ton to the Enquirer, that bOastod sentence ir
nishes no reply. The veriest Abolitionist wil
scarcely deny that the sole aud exclusive power
An absolute and unlimited dominion over IA,
whole subject results to a territorial convention en-
gagged in framing State constitution, with view 4
admission into the Union /; but this opinion by M
means rePudiates the hercsy, which proclaimS tina
before the assembling Of the convention which ab
serbs the political functions Of the people Of a terri
tory, the same absolute powers may be welded " Il
ne meantime by ordinary legislative or othe
popular assembly
We will not be so uncivi a. TO enquire too cur
iously what Mr.. Cass would now say 10 our neigh
bor's exposition. We will ouy observe that the Eu
quirer might as wei deny that " the Directory" a
one time. possessed all executive power in Franc,
because al later period. Napoleon became its sol
and exclusive depository as 20 infer denial Of p,
litcal functions to the people Of territory, DARN
one stage Of It's being, because fhey are UNIVERSAL
allowed to exercise them At another.
80 lsnguishes grows dim and dies the glory
t,s world and " ends the EbquHer's '' bIundei
ing attempt 10 establish the orthodoxy Of its favo
lie. on disputed point by sdversing 10 his opino
on another. which (" I'll admit"
hut the violence Of is attachment to Mr.. Buchana
Is evidently commensurate with tho suddenness
its onset When an nconsolable widow announce
the death Of her husband in many q fearful line
Talleyrand his whole response was Alas madam
a month snerwards when she informed him Of h,
second marriage, his only felieitadou was Ho be
sssdam" The Enquirer, having survived the lAmer
49, A, ~