The Nevada journal., 1858-01-22
For the Nevada Journal.

starting off with considerable of hus-
ter, and thereafter Immediately fzzling
outs fit symbol of the history of
that political fre-wOrk ycleped Squat
ter Sovereignty" which was let off
short time since by certain boyish
statesmen at Washington city.
The case with which the masses were
bamboozled into believing that the Kan
sas bill gave to the people of Kansas
the right to make their own laws, was
astonishing from the first seeing that
fully one half of the powers of the Ter
ritorial Government was exercised by
agents of the United States, while the
Government itself was created by
power foreign to the Territory. But the
most astonishing thing of all in the pre-
misses, is the fact that bewildred men
are now claiming that the recent 'pow-
ertul argument" of Senator Douglas is
an unanswerable defence of the great
principle OF squatter sovereignty. Mr.
Douglas, III fact, is now drawing into his
tram great many of the sycophants
who have been cringing to President
Buchanan, and the chances are that the
kennel will be divided into two packs.
Now, l cannot understand how any
intelligent man can read Mr.. Douglas
late speech without coming to the con-
clusion that he has abandoned the whole
principle in question. Squattcr sover-
eighty simply means that the people
the squatters-of Territory are SOW
ereign; that they, in their own right,
have supreme, irresistible, absolute, un-
controlled authority-the jura sammi
imperil-and that they alone have the
right to legislate for themselves. But
how do the sentiments of the recent
powerful argument" conform to this
principle? ? Why, Mr.. Douglas goes
back and adopts the doctrine enunciated
by the Attorney General during Jack
sons administration, which is simply
this: That the people of a Territory
cannot exercise any powers except those
which are given by the general govern
ment; they cannot change the govern
ment which has been made for them );
and they cannot form a constitution until
Congress authorizes it Mr.. Douglas
says:
ga territorial legislation possesses
whatever power its organic law gives it,
and no more. 1t is to legislate for the
territory under the organic act, and in
obedience to ii. 1t has the power to
protect it, the power to execute it, the
power to carry it into effect; but it has
no power to subvert it, none to destroy !;
and hence that power can only be OBJ
tanned by applying to Congress.
Oh d! glorious sovereignty which ap-
plies for authority to legislate! Oh |!
blessed privilege of making our own
laws-provided a foreign power allows
it! The Legislature of a territory, then,
does not derive its authority from those
high and mighty sovereigns, The squat
ters, but through the organic law made
by Congress; and if Congress should
be niggardly in granting power, and pass
a stingy organic law, the poor squatters
would suffer irreparable damage. What
Court could enforce their "divine right
of sovereignty And what is the cor
ganic law" itself, but the highest and
most important of all laws?
Thus fzzles squatter sovereignty, and
we return-wiser and better men it is to
be hoped-to the doctrine of Jackson,
and the old fogies. SO far the Kansas
agitation has produced nothing but evil.
There is, however, a divinity that
shapes our ends" and when the storm
is over, we will notice this one great
good accomplished; the old, rotten, pi-
ratical, and God -forsaken hulk, Democ-
racy, will never again be seen above
the waters. S. d. d.
BANK BILLs.-The Democracy have