The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-12-24
What Popular Sovereignty has Come to.

;
What Popular Sovereignty has Come TO.
"The harp of thousand strings" upon
which Mr. Senator DOUGLAS plays, is
strung with the threads to which popular
sovereignty has been reduced in four years
campaign. II is the same old tune that
he plays all the time, and as the peripatet-
ic organ.grinder gyrates the same air of
on the banks Of East River that he did
upon the SUMMER Arno, so Senator DoUd-
Las, on his wonderful harp, performs the
same old tune at the mouth of the Miss
issippi that he did upon the shores of Lake
! Michigan. If there be any credit in say
ing that it is the same old tune, we give
him that credit 1t was his distinction TO
have been principal CONTESTANT on the
side Of the Nebraska Bill, which first en-
bodied in legal form the doctrine of pop
ular sovereignty lie has not got over
doing himself honor for that distinction,
o. unfolding the beauties of That wonder,
full doctriue, and probably never viii
After slj That is this sublime doctrine rs
Mr.. DoUGLAs understands il? Let us
take hi, latest speech at Nee Orleans,
which is the seven hundred and seventy
ninth repetition of the same old speech,
aud see whS,c It's amounts 10. In speaking
Of the Lecompton Constitution, Mr.. DorG-
r.AG said
" Now, if don't mistake the southern
character and Southern patriotism, you
would never have submitted patiently and
calmly to such an attempt to violate the
great principles of self-goverpment. lam
not going TO enter upon a discussion as to
whether this Constitution was the act of
the people of Kansas 1t vas not their
act then was right In opposing it; if it
was their act, then You can draw your qwn-
viii, rrayIr, dC'rs-
was sent back to the people Of Kansasun-
der the provisions Of the English Bill,
which submitted the question III an indi-
rect manner, and rejected by vote Of
eight TO one. Under these circumstances
who can say that it ever was the act of the
people Of Kansas? But | am not going
to reopen that question. 1t is now set
tied. Let the asperities growing out Of
the controversy die with the controversy.
az I ask is, that IN future we recognize
the right IF the people Of u Territory TO
form Free State, or n Shouc State, as
hey may choose, and come into the Union
on an egualdy nth the other States"
We call attention to the portion in ital-
les as emphasizing Mr.. DOUGLAS under
standing of popular sovereignty at this
time. 1t will be apparent to the close OBJ
server Of the discussions Of this subject
IN 1854 and 1853, that whereas at the for
me. period, it was everywhere and on all
occasions, asserted that the "peopc of a
territory" could form and regulate their
Institute us-teyritorio of course, for the
people Of a territory" have none ether
now, We see that it is the right Of the pee
PIE Of a territory to form free or slave
S:uts, which is thoroughly dclusiyo and
false, as to fac,s, 10: ITO domestic iastitu-
ti)ns ola territory give tone aud character
t. the State and as we shall see iminedi-
qt,lyo the most important OF possible ter
rito,ial institutions, the pcepic hare no
choice at qR
So-Y'c pass 70 another feature Of Seua-
tor norGLAs' speech. He says 10 the
! Louisiana Shareholders "The constitu-
ton gives you the right 70 go into Ter
ri'ory and carry your slave property with
you. 1t does, oh! Then why does not
Mr. DorGLAs say on some occasion or
other Of his many speeches, that the PEG.
pie Of a territory have no popular severe
ignty for the reason that is stated in this
extract. For, as he understands it, prior
to the formation OF a State the Territory
may have any amount Of slaves forced up
on it, and so far from the people of the
Territory, having as he asserted in 1854, |
n right to "form tier domestic insttu- |
tons, the institution Of slavery is forced I
upon them, they may be in a territory ten
years and all the tine in slave tcrritory.-
This being 50, all that was novel or origin
al on the modern doctrine of popular SOW.
crcgn:y takes it, departure. 1t simply
amounts to this, that community Of PEG.
pie when they set ready to live under a
permanent orgaaic law, have a right to
say what provisions that law shall contain
Did any other practice ever prevail? No
Has any intelligent man ever expressed an
opposite opinion? VI. Did Popular Sow
rt,igpt, moan 4alg mi in lSjl. when