Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-12-20
POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY APPLIED.

Senator Wilson has taken the advocates of
popular sovereignty at their words, in his mo-
ton to amend the Arizona bill, so as to provide
for the election of Governor, Secretary,
Judges, and other officers of the territory by
the people, for the term of two years. Whether
this movement shall succeed or not, it will serve
to give the Southern advocates for the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise, in 1854, an OPP
portunity to show their consistency, in defend
ing the Kanzas Nebraska bill on the score of
its guarantying to the people there the rights
of ''selfgovernment," the right to regulate
their own offairs in their own way" untram-
meled by the general government at Washing
ton
The radical change proposed by Senator
Wilson may or may not be in itself the wisest
mode for the government of the territories,
but one thing is certain, had it been adopted in
the case of Kanzas, all the long series of trou-
best here, arising out of the intervention of the
President against the popular will, would have
been avoided, and Kanzas been ere this SOW
erign member of the confederacy, and free
State to-boot. The local position of Arizonia at
ords the same ground comprehension which ex-
listed in the case of Kanzas; border rufian in
cursionistswill act in concert with Presidential
intermeddling, and general series of outrages
to the former, be renewed. For this reason,
the adoption of Senator Wilson's amendment
would be a great healing measure. But we
fear it will meet with the same fate of Senator
Chase's amendment to the Kanzas bill, which
was so summarily voted down, every demo
cratic Senator, including Douglas himself,
voting against it. Such is the consistency of
those who have cried popular sovereignty"
for the sake of misleading the people.
The Washington correspondent of the New
York Courier and Enquirer has the following,
in reference to the mooted question of "popu-
ar sovereignty" at the capital which we give
for what it is worth:
sit is proposed by a considerable portion of the
Republican party i'll the House to vindicate its posi-
ton on popular sovereignty, to correct mis-
apprehension on that important principle. Resolu-
tons have been drawn exposing the treachery of the
Democratic party on the issue referred to, and de-
scribing the true attitude of its opponents. These
propositions have been prepared by Judge Kellogg
Ihayer of Massachusetts, Mr.. Hoard of New York,
Mr.. Giddings, and other chiefs of the party in the
House. They affirm
/. That all Territorial officers should be elected by
the people.
2 That each actual settler entitled to one quarter
section of public land upon settlement and improve
ment for a stated period of time.
3. That Territorial governments should be self
supporting and, therefore, that henceforward no
salaries other expenditures belonging or Incl
dental to the local Territorial organizations shall be
paid out of the federal treasury.
f. That whenever any Territory shall have a pop
ulation equal to the then existing representative
ito, it shall be authorized to form constitution,
which, having been confirmed by the votes OF ma
joriy of the people, may be presented TO Congress-
with an application for admission as State"
Of course, in adopting this policy at the
present time, should it be deemed expedient,
there can be no necessity for the Republican
party to retreat one iota from its present posi-
ton, as to the power and duty Of Congress,
whenever practicable, to exercise its constitu-
tional authority towards prohibiting those
twin relics of barbarism, polygamy and slave
ry," in all the national Territories. This great
principle, the life and soul of the Philadelphia
platform, should be adhered to, in any emer-
gency, as the fundamental basis of our political
organization.