The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-08-12
WASHINGTON, D. C.
THURSDAY AUGUST IL, 1853.
PoPULAj. SOVEREIGNTY.

sory ~ou egreeu ADaOhg themselves ou tno SUI
ject of " Popular Sovereignty" which has been
catch phrase with many of them for several
years, in connection with the Territorial policy
Of the Government. It is a well-understood and
generally admitted truth in this country, that
the people, and not the Government are the
source Of power. In other, and especially mon
archical countries, it is otherwise; for there it
is held that the Grown or Government is the
fountain-head from which power flows. But this
with as is an exploded doctrine, though prac-
tically for some years, and never more than at
the present time, the Federal Administration
has, BY an abuse of its authority, made offensive
war on popular sentiment, while protesting
Difference to Popular Sovereignty. 1t would be
difficult for any one to define the exact position
of the present Executive on this subject of Pop
ular Sovereignty in the Territories, and, indeed,
no one of its advocates has ever presented a
clear and satisfactory exposition of what is in.
tended by the Administration when using the
term.
We have in this country Federal Union of
sovereign States, and in each of these States
the popular will ia the controlling sovereign ele-
ment of power and authority. They make and
unmake, alter and apend their Government at
pleasure, elect those who shall make and ad-
minister the laws in their name and behalf, and
edo all other acts an things which independ-
emit States may of right do" except 80 far forth
as they may have surrendered certain of their
4 tha oantra1 for he
tual and common berA6t and welfare. But the
Territories are endowed with no such sovereign
authority-the peopls,Sf Territory are not per
mitted, nor are they liza condition, 10 form their
organic law or Consb u,ion, until they have be-
come homogeneous, ID possessed of sufficient
numerical and pecuni ny ability to sustain their
Government. Until hey have arrived to that
condition, sovereignty is not in the Territory,
but in the Federal Government, on which they
are dependent. They.sre not allowed to elect
their OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES have not been per-
mitted to elect their TERRITORIAL Council, as was
the case in Louisiana, which had French and
Spanish population, Tat was not to be trusted
on the esssiou of that Territory.
The limits of any Territory may be enlarged or
diminished at the pleasure of the Federal Gov
ernment-there is no 3 pular sovereignty in the
matter.
Bat the Federal Gesarnment cannot alter or
modest the boundaries. af a sovereign State, ap-
point its Governor, or Solarge or diminish its
authority or jurisdiction. That is power be-
longing to the State, when Popular Sovereignty
prevails. These modeto attempts to place the
States and the Territories on footing of equality
has not elevated the territories, and cannot,
to strange misconceptions in regard to them
and their rights. No genuine friend of the
rights of the States has sver given his sanction
to the absurdity, and berce one source of dis
cord among the supnor 40 "r The Aluminium
ton. Some strange int, nsistencies have been
exhibited by men in prominent position, who,
while protesting to be State Rights men, have
shown by their acts tbat they really were GEN.
tralists and consolidate aists. Among these are
to be included the Pr. dent and most of his
Cabinet.
When the present Sc rotary of State, in the
autumn of lS47, invenfG popular Sovereign.
ty" for the Territoriel and made it known
through the Nicholson 'etter, every one under
stood it as an equivocas lodge by trimming as
pirant for the President nomination the follow
ing year. He had previo ely earnestly advocated
the Jefferson proviso, fered by Mr.. Wilmot;
but Mr.. Buchanan, hay ag made bid for The
South in his Berks COZ lty letter, surrendering
all south of Sc 3O/ to Iavery, his rival outbid
him, with the PROPOSE ON that the squatters
were sovereign and aTht rized to establish or
to exclude Slavery. It gas the only subject on
which even he nretendea they had sovereign au-
thority, and, at later day. the unhappy old gen.
tleman failed to sustain his own doctrine, when
Mr.. Chase gave him tbs opportunity. At the
time it was enuncisted, there was no one in the
country who responded 70 the new discovery.
To do so, was to stismstize, not only them.
selves, but every AGn 'nistration, every Con-
gress, and the membars of the Federal Conven-
tio9. as wanting INTEL and as having been
engaged in series tf Nlupders and errors in
governing The Terrii Of ss and even the dis
tinguished inventor ii lself bad been in the
darkness Of ignorance { the subject of Popu-
lar Sovereignty" uhti the month of August,
at least, of that year q which he made the
remarkable discovery. Had not the Presi-
Dental election beeo approaching, and the
venerable official snxI pus for promotion, his
faculties would not b. We been so sharpened
as to have discovered lie new theory, by which
candidate, DESTROYS > please all and serve
all, could escape responsibility on a new and
controverted question q at was dividing public
opinion. But it was sne of those successful
eacivocations that ss netimes prevail over
sense, reason, and Judgment, from its very
abaurdity. The Demreratic party was in a
state of demorazal,si and DISCRIMINATION, in
consequence of the ad5estment and disposition
of the financial conu s'ersy which had origi.
mated and given it vit,ity-its members were
divided in opinion 4 action On the new
political questions tast were superseding the
old issues-there was : natural and excusable
anxiety on the part Of bose who for years had
been associated toget,er as one party to &C.
compEsh a specific OBJECT, TO endeavor to still
adhere together if pos, tDle, and ..y to cont;nus
their organization, apt make it serv,..able in
carrying into effect tlher and different ,b.
jects. 1t was an imp Acticable scheme, being
nothing more or less sllaan an attempt to sub
stituts party discipliD. FOR political principles
in the investigation, D. cussiou, and settlement
of new and importai issues, on which old
parties of every descr; sion were divided.
In this emergency and thus divided, tn
equivocsl absurditY the Michigan Senator
that Squatter Severe snty in the Territorie
was paramount, was esorted to by the party