Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1858-05-20
The Territorial Question.

Tines, has, in the following article, placed
the real position and the genuine principles
of the Dmocratic party on this greatly
mooted question in the clearest possible
light Hear him
"The Bill OF the Conference Committee,
providing for The conditional admission of
Kansas into the Union, passed both houses
of Congress and became the law of the
land, on the last day of April. May
young and beautiful-robed in flowers and
sunshine, opens her smiles upon a tranquil
country. The suspense of nation is re-
lieved. The battle has been drawn-an
armistice agreed upon. Few will rejoice
in settlement so temporary. History
will wreathe no laurels fol he actors in the
compromise. 1t give us time to re-
fleet, but establishes no RUE for the regula-
ton of the Territories of our country. The
relations of the citizens Of the Territories
to the citizens Of the States--of the gov
ernment of the Territories to the govern
ment of the Confederacy, are yet underlined.
The Territorial question is yet unsettled.
Let us hope that the victory won to great
principle, by the virtual reference of the
Kansas Constitution to the people for
whom it was framed. may lead to the final
adjustment of this question on fair and
liberal basis The subject is yeta new one
to the American people. 1t is not easily
disposed of. In a monarchy, where the
right of the few to govern the many is gen
orally conceded, the question is plain
one. Not SO in a Republic. The people
here are the source of law. By the theory
of our government they are the sole basis
OF power. But the people of the Terrific
ries have been discarded. With no le-
gitimate example before them, that furnish
ed by the history of England was followed
by our earlier Statesmen. Congress con-
trolled The Territories of the United States
as Parliament the Provinces of the mother
country.
From the very day, however, OF the ac-
quisiuou of Louisiana. to the adoption OF
the Missouri Compromise, the annexation
of Texas. and The conditional admission OF
Kansas, this usurpation by Congress upon
the Inherent and inalenable rights Of the
people, has involved the country in trou-
ble, and threatened the destruction of our
government In England the struggla be-
tween the people and despotism was long
and arduous. Step by step they advanced
upon receding power. Link by link they
broke the chain which fettered their l;ber-
ties. AT length, maddened with a sense
of wrong. they arose in their might and
wrenched from an unwilling despot the
Magma Charta of British rights. In this
country. the Battles of the Revolution deci-
ded the independence of the States. But
the public domain was held as the spoils Of
war. Its inhabitants were protected but
their rights as freemen were ignored. To
control the Territories has been the end
struggled for BY the twc great sections OF
our country. Congressional Sovereignty.
involving the right and duty of Congress
to control the institutions of the Terrific
riss-was generally recognized. The peo-
pie of the Territories were forgotten--yet.
the story of their wrongs has been an
swered. Justice battled their oppressors.
Principle has won them victory. Year
by year the battlements of Congressional
Sovereignty have crumbled. The Mala-
koff of Congressional tyrany was stormed
when the Missouri Compromise was re-
pealed.
Its Sebastopol was taken when the Lecom-
ton Constitution was sent back to Kansas
to be breathed into life or buried in death
by the act of the people. Wrecked in the
North by the Kansas Nebraska Act; rout-
ed in the South by the bill of the confer
ence Committee, which makes the admis-
sion of Kansas dependent on vote of the
people, there is no place left in our country
where Congressional Sovereignty may now
find Judgement. Popular Sovereignty
has triumphed-but the question is yet
unsettled. 1t remains for the Democracy
to discharge this duty. That they will be
equal to the task we have never entertained
the shadow of a doubt Yet, it is difficult
OF performance The line of DemarkatioH
between despoiism and Republicanism
mus be Distinctly drawn. General laws
must regulate the government of the Terri
tories and define the relations of their peo-
PIE to the government of the Confederacy.
In Territories where the population is be-
low an established standard-whcre legis-