Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-04-23
n NASHVILLE:
THURSDAY, APRIL %, 1857.
The Kansns-Nebraska Issue-SQuatter
Sovereignty.

ton established by the Kansas-Nebraska
bill, and the decision Of the Supreme Court.
respecting the constitutionality of the Mis-
souri, Compromise, there is principle which
turks in that bill from which we unquaI-
ifedIy dissent. That is the principle of
squatter sovereignty. This is distinct
question from that of slavery, and, in OPP
posing that feature, we do not oppose the
main principles of the bill, and thus bring
it back as an issue. We do not mean to
be Misunderstanding will not be. One is
subject Of difference between the North
and South, the other is question purely
OF national policy. The one, the non-inter-
ference doctrine, has been settled, and by it
the whole question Of slavery in the terrific
ries, has been banished from the halls Of
Congress-the other has been recognised
and adopted as an article of the democrat
ic creed; one gives peace and quiet 20 the
country-the other fills the territories with
a floating irresponsible population vastly to
the prejudice of the whole Union, much
more and Immediately to the rights and in
terests of the South. We are prepared to
sustain and uphold and, if need be, defend
the one; and we are equally prepared to
oppose and denounce the other. While
therefore, we resist with all our heart and
strength, this most odious tenet of the de-
mocracy, and refer to the construction
which they have placed upon one particu-
lar section of the Kansas bill, we do not
array ourselves against the bin as a whole.
The principles of non-intervention and
squatter sovereignty are as distinct as are
the earth and sky-the one does not de-
pend upon the other, nor can they be
blended any more easily than oil and water.
We are thus explicit because we do not in
tend to allow ourselves to be placed in a
false attitude upon this subject, either by
misappreheDsion or misrepresentation. The
American party has been heretofore ar
rayed, by its opponents, against the Kan
sas Act as whole-whe since its pas
sage, the objection is to the disgusting fea-
ture Of squatter sovereignty.
The 9th Section of the Act confers on
the Territorial Legislature the right Of leg
islation on all subjects, not excepting sla-
very. While the bill was under discussion,
this squatter sovereignty was held up as
reason why it should not become law. 1t
was contended on the other hand, that the
provision meant something else The de-
mocracy themselves acclaimed, at that day
against any such Interpretation, as uurea-
sonable in fact and most odious and unjust
to the South In this opposition, there
were none more warm and out-Spoken than
our neighbors of the Union and american.
They profeSsed then to be as much opposed
to the Sixth Section, thus understood, as
we now are. 1t was bitterly denied that
the Act was susceptible Of any such con-
struction; and that it was ever intended to
operate as a measure of alien and squatter
sovereignty.
But the times are changed. Their Gun
certain humors" have brought the democ-
raey Of the South to Fright about" The
Cincinnati platform, Mr. Buchanan's letter
of acceptance, his inaugural address, the
appointment of CAss and ToUoEY to places
in his Cabinet, who are the valiant cham
pions of this principle, have wrought a
change-we will not say wondruuS change
upon the opinions aud feelings of the
more modern democracy. The entire par
ty of the South, great and small, is now
coolly commanded to swallow down the pill,
and have no grumbling. They are told that
ut is really sound principle" that it has
been uniformly acted upon by the govern
ment; and that every thing that may be
said against it is a contemplate "know
nothing humbug:" these are the paliatives
We now charge that the sixth section was
written ard inserted in the Kansas-Nebras.
ka bill with the idea, and for the purpose
of inaugurating the principle Of Squatter
Sovereignty, as an article in the democratic
confession of faith; and as such understood
by every democrat from the North who
voted and made speeches in its favor,
headed by CAss, DOUGLASS, and ToUcEY.
Each OF these gentlemen stand, confessedly,
at the head and front OF the democratic
party; and they have in open Senate, de-
clared this to be the meaning of the sixth
section of the Kansas Nebraska act, as un-
derstood by them. While it was covered
up and concealed in the body of the bill,
the democracy declared that it had no ex-
stence in the bill. and the people were de-
luded by it. When it was recently pre-
sented to Congress in its naked deformity,
il shocked the common sense Of many of the
Southern democratic Senator's, but was Wig
orously sustained by CAss, DOUGLASS, DoDeE,
JONES, etc, national democrats from the
North, by whose aid it was Incorporated
in the Minnesota bin and passed. We now
present the naked question to the people Of
the South, and ask them whether they will
aequiesce in the abominable doctrine that
aliens shall beshipped to the fair territories
Of the West. upon the moment Of their ar
rival upon tbs American contineat, 10 form
and fashion their Institutions and laws, TO
the total exclusion Of the native Southern.