Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-02-06

lnose Oh our reauers WHO nave CaIefuAS 60
amined the Message of the President upon Kan
sas affairs, must have been somewhat surprised
a. his definition of .squatter Sovereignty
the great principle contained in the Kansas bill.
He says:
The act to organize the Territories Of Nebras-
ka and Kansas was manifestion OF the iegisia.
tive opinion of Congress on two great points oi
constitutional construction: One, that the desig-
nation Of the boundaries of a new Territory, and
provision for its political organization and admin
istration as Territory, are measures which OF
right fall within the powers of the General Gov.
crnment; and the other that the inhabitants OF
any such Territory, considered as an lnchoate
State RE entitled, in the exercise OF sefgoyern'
n1ent, to determine for themselves what shall be
their own domestic institutions, subject only to
the Constitution and the laws duly enacted by
Congress under it, and to the power of the exist
ing States to decide, according to the provisions
and principles of the Constitution, at what time
the territory shall be received as State into the
Union. Such are the great political rights which
are solemnly declared and affirmed by that act.
twill be seen that the right of the Territories to
determine for themselves what shall be their do
mestic institutions" according to the President,
is 'tsulject to the Constitution and the ldTs d"ty
enacted by CONGRESS- under it,! Now, with this
distinct assertion of the power of Congress to
enact laws for the Territories, what becomes OF
the great humbug of ''Squatter Sovereignty" !
Where is the great principle of which we have
heard so much? Where is the right of the in
h.oitants Independent of Congress9 No one, OF
course, ever assumed that Congress could make
law in opposition TO the Constitution. No one
has contended that an act passed in contempt OF
the Constitution could possibly be law The
President, then, either means to affirm the right
of Congress to legislate for the Territories, and
to deny the assumed and pretended principle of
the Kansas bill-the great democratic principle
about which so much has been said, or else he
did not know nhat he was saying when he pre-
pared this important message! If he intended
to affirm the right of Congress, he stands where
we stand on this question, and where practice
and necessity, old opinion and Interpretation,
alike require reasoning men to stand, and in d.
rect opposition to the supposed principle OF
"Squatter Sovereignty! If he affirm the right
of Congress, then there was nothing Of principle
in the Kansas Bill more than in any other act OF
Congress. 1t was a mere declaration of what
was erpedient in the opinion of the Congress
which enactedit. 1t ignores all principle, and
sinks into the insignifcance Of an ordinary act
Of Congress in it's character, though not in its
results. If the President did not know what he
was saving, his supporters may make the best OF
it.
The fact is, we suppose that "Squatter Sover-
eighty" don't work as well for the Democrats as
was anticipated. Southern politicians have dis
covered that instead of gaining everything by it
they are likely to lose ALL. The President has
caught the cue. 1t won't do to talk any more
about the principle! 1t is not agreeable to the
''Fire.eaters"! So he crawfshes forthwith. He
must be as compacent as possible to his masters!
"Mr. Hall is undoubtedly clone star'-at all
events, it is certain he carries as shining a face
as the brightest star to be found on the floor of
the House !"-[ Hawk-Eye.
$50 long as the Hawkcye shall derive its idea
of the intense brightness of Mr.. Halls face from
the contrast which it presents to the sOoty COM
plexion of that papers black republican repre-
sentative, Thorington, We shall not quarrel with
its TASTE Gazette.
We have pretty vivid recollection of the
'intcnse brightness of Mr.. Halls face" but we
confess we never had, as the pundH of the Ga
zette probably has, an opportunity of smelling
his dref" We, of course, do not expect the
Gazette to admire our "Republican representa-
tive" As Pierce democracy is the opposite of
all kinds of Republication, we certainly shall be
disappointed if 'TuE ORGAN" should grind out
any music to the tune of freedom and equal
rights! The advocates of negro-slavery can
scarcely have a very accurate idea of the genu-
inc spirit of Liberty.