Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-01-16

pREsIpENrs MEssAoE.
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
SPEECH OF HON. JACOB COLLAMER
or VERMONT
Deiirered il, the United States Senate, Dee. 9, 1856
(CONCIUDEpO

origin and progress of this topic of difficulty.
] shall not go at this time into particulars in
relation TO the manner in which the second
act Of aggression that ! have mentioned, wPs
accomplished Time win not permit M to
do so but perhaps ! ought in iustic-, before
! sit down, TO pay attention 90 some of those
little topics which ] consider have been made
rather by-pay-attcmpt as ! think, 20 de
vert public attention from the true issue-to
lead it off with political riddles and political
oatchwords for effect The FIRST is the topic
of popular sovereignty. What is true popu-
lar soyereigntyi take it TO be the exercise
Of power by the people, or the representatives
Of that people, who own the country over
which the sovereignty is exercised IL IS pop
ular sovereignty for the people Of Virginia TO
make their laws. TO regulate their institutions
within thcir own State. through then repre-
sentativcs. Now, 20 whom do the Territories
of the United States belong Here ! do not
wish TO be cntanglod with the catch upon tho
word "territory.' as used in the Constitu-
ton / am sensible that territory has
general and o political meaning The ter
ritory of the United States really means all
that country belonging 20 and within the ju-
risdiction of the United States Government
that docs not fall within the jurisdiction of
particular State All that is out of the u-
rsdiction of particular States is within the
jurisdiction of the General Government, if 1t
belongs TO the country II belongs 90 the
whole country. II is not true that any state
as a State has anything 90 do with it, nor that
any citizen of the Unitod States has any rights
there, more or less, because ho belongs Co ono
or another State The people of the United
States own the territory. and IT'S whole iuris-
diction is In Congress. Ii is so by the very
terms of the ccssion. It is so by the very
nature Of things. II they had not jurisdic-
ton of it, there would bcno jurisdiction over
H.
Some gentlemen tell us that in the clause
of the Constitution giving Congress power %
make an nccdml rules and regulations con-
corning territory or other property belonging
to the United States, the word "torrit0ry
means land and therefore. they say. II means
nothing else. That argument win not do.-
Il is true. the United States own tho land.
and this provision of the Constitution covers
the use and disposal of the lands. but it is
not true that therefore il covers nothing clsc.
The Territories which the United States own.
they have the jurisdiction Of and eminent do
main over. They have always exercised this
power. Another Specification is that 30 Terri
tory means AN organized municipal corpora
ton, created by am act OF Congress. just as a
state creates q municipal corporation for a
city. town. or borough You talk of the
Territory of Minnesota. the Territory of Kan
sas-what is it: II is but part and pare ol of
the United States territory and the creation
which it has as a distinct identity and ndi-
viduality different from the rest, is altogether
the creature of an act OF Congress, entirely
subject 10 their control. 20 be changed modi-
fed. or repealed, whenever they please. The
manner in which the sovereignty OF the Uni
ted States Is 20 be exercised over Che Terrific
res of the United States was altogether a
matter of their own discretion. They might
never create any territorial government for any
part of IL. but make laws for it themselves
when they did create these corporations. the
notion that There was any Inherent right IN
the woods, for most of 1t was mere forest
inhabited 10y soyages. or anybody who might
60 there, is perfectly ideal.
The exercise of true popular sovereignty
, over Territory is tine exercise OF sovereign
power by Congress for the people OF the l nj
ted States who own the Territory That IS
the popular Sovereignty which they not only
had. but exercised for hity years During
that period the idea dId not gam @ ioothold
that sovereignty should be granted 10 the
3 people who might go to Territory now ma
ny or how few, OF at what time II they
have any rights. why do you not let them elect
or appoint their own Governor ona Judges
Why do YOU not let them direct all ther in-
sutuhons II there is right there by what
authority did Congress create government
such as l have already described, Tor Loulsi-
anr' without tine intervention OF any act OF MS
: people at all And yet u was an lnhaDlted
country there was very large oody OF IN
habltants there; but Congress created tor 1t
a government ma which that people had not
the least possible participation such DIS pop
= ular sovereignty i'm It's true sense. and proper
! application, according to the meaning which
IS has been given TO it by the contemporaneous
= construction of the men who had IT, and the
people who exercised 1t, for half century.
1t rs further TO be observed that TINS mat
= ter OF slavery is matter Of great national
interest and concern, entirely improper to be
made topic OF disturbance and controversy
IN the several Territories winch may be form
IS ed, and decided in different ways by mere lo-
d cal legislation. This was ever SO viewed UNI
/, til 1891; and the experiment now ON foot IN
Kansas is a sad commentary ON this new doc
+. trine and new experiment of the new detni-
!. tiOn of popuIar ,oyereiuntV.