The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-04-15
The New York Journal of Commerce enume-


rates the following, among other things, which
il couceives he decision by the U. States su
irene court on the bred Scott case to embrace:
That it is not in the power TO congress 10
legisate slavery into any S,ateor territory, nor
1torxclude it therefrom,' but that the cons'''u-
ton vests that power in the people OF the States
oua territories alone, who "are perfectly tree 10
! form and regulate their domestic institutions ~
their own way, subject only to the provisions OF
the constitution of the United States
The Journal of Commerce is evidently ex-
tremely anxious to rescue the language, It not
The principle, of the democracy's hobby OF
..souater sovereignty" from the force OF the
sweeping decision of the supreme court; out us
evident solicitude will amount to nothing. Inc
Deople of the territories. under the decision Of
the supreme court, hare no more poper to esta6-
Hsh or abolish slavery than congress 1se.f hds'
since they derive all tie pouer they have from
couoress, and congress, of course, cannot CONFER
,rbat Il does not possess This is the identical
position that was taken by every American
journal in the Union during the recent pres'-
Dental campaign; and the very doctrine "n'ch
the leading democratic organs north and south,
attempted to controvert. The supreme court
has undoubtedly plucked up, by the very roots
Cass, Douglas & Co.'S favorte doctrine OF
souatter sovereignty. The supreme court de-
cidcd: l. That negroes are not citizens OF the
United States 2. That slaves are property
8. That congress has no power whatever over
the subject of slavery in the territories 4. That
congress cannot delegate power which 1t does
not possess to any territory. 5. That the
southern man with his property (includIng his
slaves has the same constitutional right to set
tie in any of the territories Of the Union as the
northern man with his property. The south
must plant herself immosably upon this plat
form. the only rule of action and the only con
dition ofthe union of the States. Those south
erners who so eagerly embraced, and SO We
hemently defended, the insidious dogma OF
popular SOVEREIGNTY or, to speak properly
"squatter sovereignty have merely displayed
their total ignorance of constitutional law, and
willingness to sacrifice the south on the shrine
of party.
CR1ME-A writer in the Albany Evening
Journal draws vivid picture Of the popular et-
tects of great crimes, the perpetrators OF which
are now allowed to stalk through the land, al
most without receiving rebuke at the hands of
Justice The author enumerates three stages
of excitement over great crime: LIST. The
blood thirsty, which is for Selling somebody on
the slightest suspicion, and stringing him up to
the nearest tree; crit is forpoking him into the
FIRE with pitchfoks, because changing is too
good for him. This lasts till the culprlt is ull-
der lock and key. This class, though rather
bigotted in their views, would fam have the
laws executed and the country cleared of ras-
Gals and crime Cd. Then come the compass
sionate, when jurors sign petitions for his par
ion, and Judges regret the severity of the SEN
tence; when turkeys praise his genlemanIy
manners and the clergyman bis repentent spir-
it; when boys obtain his autograph and women
treasure up locks of his hair. These are the
times that try the souls ofgovernors. Sd. Then
| the contemptuous, which, if dead, sneers over
his coffin; if living, bids him go starve out of
the way Of honest men, and rails at the cxecu-
tive and judicial clemency which it just before
bcsought in favor of the criminal. This is the
history Of every murder, from Abel down tc
Burdvll The public always hates criminals
before conviction, pities them when convicted
and scorns them when set free. We do no
quarrel with human nature for its tickle phases
, we must take it AS it is. But it should be thu
watch(ul care of the ministers of the law tina
they are not hurried by the first, cajoled into
false philantrophy and clemency BY the second
or hardened by the third.
FLoRIDA.--An important fact is announced
in the Carolina papers in relation to the ever
gladcs of Florida. They report that the water:
of that immense reservoir have recently fount
an outlet through which they are dischargins
themselves in great volume into the gulf o
, Mexico. An area, embracing many millions O
! acres heretofore submerged, will thus be con
verted into dry land, and if so, it will probahl
be found to be much the largest body Of rcI
l land in Florida, and extending several degree
: further south than louisiana No other portion
of the Union will compare with it in adaptation
to the culture of sugar cane and other tropica
Il products. Under the swamp land grants mad
u by congress all of the everglades belong 70 til
Il State, and by The internal improvement law c
c Florida, it has been pledged as basis Of cred
for the seveial railroad enterprises. Not tn
J least important of the consequences likely t
Il follow are the facilities it will afford the geners
government to get rid Of the Seminoles, wh
: have heretofore lived in the almost inaccessibl
! everglades.
: >-~-><-~l~-~---~~~-~-~y~-~-
u OFF Go THEIR HEADs!-Mr. Hatch presider
: Buchanan's newly appointed collector of Gus
toms at New Orleans, has already set his gu
o lotlne to work. The first decaplta'ions wer
- Messrs. Jules Cairo and Thomas j. Burke-th
former nephew Of the hon. Pierre Soule, an
: statcsrights democrat fthe most ultra dye
the latter an old line democrat of the most CT
thusiastic stamp. Messrs VIM. L, Porter. Z