Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-09-19


thorough knowledge Of the public and pc.
litical history of our country, which his
review of Mr.. Davidson's speech so clear.
ly evinced, and for which, although un.
embellished by any impulsive rhetorical
tropes to warm the fancy and excite the
enthusiasm of his attentive listeners, he
received the applause due to high learning
and intrinsic merit. In this little episode
departing as it were from the line Of
remarks to be expected-he exposed the
utter ignorance Of Mr.. Davidson upon
questions of national policy, and record
ed facts and occurrences in the public and
statistical history Of the country, the
knowledge of which is not only indispen-
sable to a public man, but without which
he must be looked upon as ~singularly ig-
norant-which reflects upon his constitu-
ents, and which makes him Supremacy
contemplate in the eyes Of his peers and
the public. He proved from Mr.. David
sons own words-"Congress had no con-
troll over the Territories"-that he was
actually advocating the heinous doc
trine of Squatter Sovereignty, without
Lnoaoing 1t, while in~veighing against it;
for Mr.. SIGUR, commended, in combating
the principle Of Mr.. Davidson, that " Con-
gress has no power over the Territories, .
that the right to acquire induces the right
TO govern, and if the Government comes
into possession Of territory, she is bound
to govern it under the constitution, i. e.
to protect the common interests of the
people Of each State to emigration and re-
ceiye protection that, consequently, this
hypothesis excludes and destroys all prin-
eiples of Squatter Sovereignty, as the lat
ter recognizes the people Of the territory,
in their territorial form, to shape the
laws ofsuch territory and intoxicating dec
trines operating to the prejudice Of some
Of the States, and effectually excluding
from aiding in its political completion,
those from other States whose property
is Objectionable. That this is dangerous
doctrine will be readily admitted by all re-
flecting minds-and it was certainly o dan
gerous and ridiculous error for a Southern
man to make in the Congressional hall
of Congress.
Mr.. Davidson said Aat Virginia, in
ceding the North Western Territory to
the Confederacyr inserted The condition
precedent that Slavery should not exist in
said Territory. While Mr.. sIGUR showed,
from Curtis on the Constitution,) that
no such clause or condition was ex-
pressed or embraced in said deed Of CO.
sion-but that it appeared in the act of
the Confederacy Of 1887; and that in
stead Of this cession being made in the
year stated by Mr.. Davidson, it was done
in 1884.
In this manner, and in much else that
our memory fails us, Mr.. S1GUR showed
how very contemplate and impotent must
Mr.. Davidson appear asa Representative
in Congress, when guilty of such igno-
n of the most common events Of u
past history.
He animadyerted withjust severity also,
upon the assertion of Mr., Davidson, who
with presumptuous ignorance and imPu-
dence had ascribed the session Of the
North West Territory to the Gonfederacy
by Virginia, to the miserable motive of
fear and the paltry consideration of gain;
while Mr.. SIGUR demonstrated that Vir-