The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-11-26

he Territories, the incipient co-sovereign
States Of this Union, TO grow up from such
source. A sovereignty which should be
the fruit of so noxious paren.age would
not be fit for association with that sover-
eighty of the State of this Unioi, Of which
we are so justly proud and so Justly boast
Where, then, does the rightful sover-
eighty or supreme suthority in the Terrific
ries reside during the territorial condition
of the infant community? Let ussee.
We first hear Of the Territory as new
purchase by the federal government fiom
some other ownership. If ii be inhabited
by citizens Of the alternating nation at the
time of purchase, the treaty of p rehase
expressly stipulates that these Inhabitants
are to enjoy all the rights, privileges and
immunities of the citizens of the United
States Thus, the very act of acquisition
negatives the idea Of the territory subjec-
Tea to the sovereignty of residents, whether
citizens or the savages or adventures Who
are the pets Of the red-republican theory.
The next acts we hear of in the history
o the new Territory relate to the estab-
lishment Of land Offices for the sale of its
lands by the federal government, all re-
serving the right OF eminent domain ex-
pressly in the federal government, with re-
version to the State into which it is in the
future to mature. Here, again, is an EN-
phatic negation of the red-republican no.
ton of the absolute individual sovereignty
of the squatter* in the new domain.
Whose right there is none to dispute
From the centre all round to the sea.
The next step we sec taken in the pro-
gress OF the territory is its organization in
TO q territorial government, within pre-
scribed territorial metes and bounds, by act
ot Congress. Here again is an emphatic
negation of the sovereignty of the individ-
ual squattcr Congress, of its own au-
thority and right, preseribes the form of
government, and the territorial mctcs and
bounds of its authority, with utter indifI-
ercneo to the prctentions of its "severeign"
occupants. Moreover, it not only delegates
in express terms to the new government
the specific power which it is authorized
TO exercised and to the territorial lcgisla-
ture the specific subject on which it may
legislate; but it expressly res rves to itself
veto upon all the acts Of the government
and legislature and all powers in the Fer
ritory not expressly delegated to these sub
ordinate tribunals. Thus the squatter has
no voice in determining the form Of the
government under which he lives, or the
area Of the territory which is to limit the
new community OF State which he has en-
tered, or the subject matters of jurisdic-
ton delegated to the new government.
which is erected over him by foreign
agency. Thus up to this point in the his
tory of the Territory we find that he has
had no voice i'll affairs whatever, except
in the election Of members in the terrific
rial legislature body ofnarrowly-d efncd
pQYeys, every act-of- Which is subject to
CONGRESSIONAL veto.
For indeed, in tho organ cation of some
Of the car icr Territories, did the squatter
enjoy sny voice whatever in selecting leg
ls.ators! The governor and his council.
composed of the judges Of the courts, Gall
appointed by the federal exccutive,) con-
shutting the Legislature Thus there was
not aD elective Office i'll the whole economy
of the territorial organization.
Here then we have seen an utter CON-
plete negation Of every shadow of individ-
ual sovereignty, authority and right what
soeyer in the squatter, from the time of
the territorial purchase, through the whole
period Of territorial adolescence, up TO the
time Of the erection Of the TER tory into
State.
And even at this evcntful period, and
in this final act which closes the existence
Of the Territory, the squatter is not the
actor, but Congress alone. For Congrcs IS
usually by enabling acts, prcscribes the
time, place, and circumstances of holding
the territorial convention for the framing
oi a State constitution--designating the
places for taking the polls aud the officers
and Judges ofthe election, and prescribing
the qualification of voters. 1t is only az
the framing Of that instrument, and its
ratification by the inhabitants of tn Ter
ritory, that this discretion of Congress is
limited by the constitution; for, the in
cipient proceedings having been all rcgu-
lar, Congress has, then only discretion to
decide whether the form of government
provided for 10y the convention of the pro-
posed States is republican or not TX it
be republican, all other proceedings being
regular, then the sovereignty, not OF the
squat. ers individually, but Of the new ag-
gregatc community, appears for the first
time, emitting the new sovereign Sta to
be acknowledged aud recognized by Cen
gross a. such, whatever be the organic
provisions incorporated in its constitution
Thus we have explored the source of
the dogma of squatter sovereignty; and,
tracing the progress of each Territory of
this Union, we have seen that dogma ne
gatived in every act of its history We
have seen. that sovereignty in the Terri
tory cannot come from the individual
squatter We have seen that it does come
from and does reside in, during every