Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-08-27

d every ~ Rs6assicsd su;1 ssssy. northeI
fiend sf Mr. Fillmore, except tvA geHng for Ift
end evfry Democfat in the House soutns
ssn Nlsnd Of Nm Ffupss, excepton& RIDING nganss /.
t. II seems from this vote that the southern Know
Nothings then thought the repeal Of the Missouri
compromise neither :. unwise, !" unjust, nor in-
furious" Yet in less than one month thereafter,
the National Council deaounces the Democratic Adj
nihistration for the passage of the Kansas and Ne
braska bill, and these same southern Know Moth
fhgs are heard singing hosannas to the Platform.
The Kansas and Nebraska bill perpetrated no
wrong. If the repeal Of the Missouri compromise
was wrong, the wrong was perpetrated by the
compromise of 1850 signed and approved by Mr..
Fillmore, and constituting the main ground on which
his friends claim for him the confidence and sup
port Of the South. 1t no sectional measure it
vas tribute to the Constitution, pledge Of peace,
offering to the great principle that the people are
capable of self government and entitled to manage
their own affairs in such manner as they deem best
But if it was q wrong, it was wrong in favor OF
the South, and that section, at least, cannot com.
plain of the injury.
1t is further objected to the Kansas and Nebras-
ka BILL that it establishes those Territories what
is called "squattei sovereignty" That phrase, IN
connection with the politics OF the country, orlglna-
ted from the admission of California into the Union
The people of that State, shortly after its acquisi
ton from Mexico, in advance of the establishment
of any government by Congress- and without its au-
thority consent assumed to organize govern
piled for admission into the Union. This unauthor-
lied assumption of soreregn power by the squatters
on the public land denominated sQu1tter soueT-
eghnty. 1t is the only instance in our history in
which such thing has been done or attempted
The "squatter sovereignty" was recognized, and
the State thus formed was admitted into the Union
by an act of Congress signed and approved by Mr..
FIilmore.. In the case OF Kansas and Nebraska, no
such thing has been done attempted, and, as in
most of the other counts of their indictment, they
charge against us what their candidate has done.
But it is said the bill allows the people resident
there prohibit the int oluction of slavery before
their admission into,tbe upion. 1t contains no such
feature. The thirty -seconsl section declares its in
tent to be to leave the people thereof perfectly free
to form and regulate their domestic institutions in
their way, subject only to the Consultation Of
the United States" II the Constitution allows them
to prohibit slavery, then the bill permits it, if the
Constitution does not allow them to prohibit slavery,
then the bill does not permit it. The power of the
people during the existence OF their territorial gov
ernment is JUDICIAL question to be settled by the
courts, if question should ever arise involving the
question and whatever Congress might have said
in the bill it could not have altered the Constitution,
nor taken the question ont of the hands of the
courts. Whatever may be the decision of the
courts, l will be content; for | regard the great
main feature Of the bill as infinitely transcen-
ding in Importance any of the minor questions that
can be raised under it. And would rather trust
the question the people of the Territory than to
such Congress We now have, and are liable to
have at any time in the future.
The next specification in the indictment is. that
unnaturszcd foreigners allowed to vote at the
first clcctiO in Kansas and Nebraska.
do not approve such provision, and would not
vote for it, unless compelled to take it in order to
get what regarded good provision of greater inn
portance. certainly would not have voted against
the Kansas and Nebraska bill account of it
When the Kansas and Nebraska bill was introduced,
rin
freesoiers and aholtonists-the enemies of the COM
promise Of lS5O-because it proposed to carry out
the provisions Of that compromise. 1t was impor-
tant, in order that fair issue might be presented
between those who were in favor of sustaining the
compromise Of 1850 on the one side, and those who
wished to deny to the South the most important
boon granted to it by that compromise on the other,
that the bill should be made strictly conformabe to
preccdents in all its other details. Otherwise, the
friends of the compromise of 1850 might be divided
about details having bearing on the main issue.
The bill for establishing territorial government
for Washington Territory had then but recently
passed, and had become a law By THE APPROVAL AND
SIGNATURE OF Mr.. FILLMORE. 1t was taken as the
precedent on which to frame the measure. place
side by sde for comparison the sections of the two
bills, in regard to the qualifications Of voters:
Aunsas and Nebraska6HL Washington BILL
"That every free white That every white
male nhabtant above the male inhabitant above the
age of twenty years, age of twenty-one years.
who shall be uaI Who shall have been a
resident Of said Territory resident of said Territory
and shall possess the quail the time Of the passage
ications hereinafter pre- of this act. and shall pos
scribed, shall be entitled sess the qualifications
to vote at the first elec- herein # err prescribed,
ton and shall be eligible shall be entitled to vote at
to any Office within the 1.-THE first election, and shall
, said Territory but the be eligible to any office
qualifications ofvoters and within the said Territory;
OF holding office, at all but the qualifications of
subsequent elections shall voters and of holding Of
be such shall be pre-. flee, at all subsequent
scribed by the Legislative elections shall be such as
Assembly: Prorided That shall be prescribed by the
| the right of suffrage and Legislative Assembly
of holding office shall be Irocided That the right
exercised only by citizens Of suffrage and of hold
| of the United States, and ing office shall be exer-
those Who shall have de- cised only by citizens of
| clarcd on oath, their in the United States above
| tention to become such, the age of twenty-one
| and shall have taken years, and those above
oath to support the Con. that age who shall haye
| stituon of the United declared oath their in
States and the provisions tention to become such,
! of the act."-Statutes at and shall have taken
La'ge, VOL 10, page 285 oath tn support the Con-
Istitution of the United
/ States, and the provisions
! Of this act."-Statutes at
| Large, vol. 10, p, 174.
Comment is unnecessary,
But not content with letting unnaturalized for.
| egners vote for which there some excuse, as
they had voluntarily come to country, and for
mally declared their intention to cast their lots
among us. Mr.. Fillmore approved and signed tho
bills for the admission Of Utah and New Mexico,
both of which contained the following:
"SEc. S. Every free white made inha6itant above
the age of twenty.one years, who shall have been
resident of said Territory at the time of the passage
of this act shall be entitled vote at the first cleo
ton, and shall be eligible to any office within the