The Nevada Democrat., 1858-02-03

oQuATTER SoVEREI0NTr.-We give IN our col
umns to-day long communication on Squat
ter sovereignty" in which the writer gives his
views on the Kansas question as it stood before
Congress u. our last advises from the East.
We disagree in man y particulars with the views
Of "Democritus," some Of which we shall en-
deavor to point out.
The theory that the wishes of the people can
be ascertained by the acts of their delegates, IL
correct only to limited extent. And for that
reason it has been the custom for many years
past, in order TO ascertain more clearly the
popular sentiment. to submit the organic laws
Of the several States to q direct vote. States
were formerly admitted into the Union BY Con-
gress without such submission; but es long ago
az l845, the Constitution of WisconsiR. which
was presented to Congress without having been
voted on by the people, was sent back; or in
other words, Wisconsin was admitted on condi-
tion that a majority of the people voted in favor
Of the Constitution. The result was, that the
Constitution was voted down, and that State
was kept out OF the Union two years longer
In the case o! Kansas, however, the "represen-
tative' argument is wholly at fault. we agree
with "Democritus," that those who neglected
their duty as citizens and refused, through
spirit Of factiousneSs, to vote for delegates,
have no right to complain. But II must be
borne in mind that nearly. if not quite half of
the people of Kansas were not even allowed the
privilege Of voting for delegates and that
through the fault OF the Territorial officers.
The Sheriffs and Judges, whose duty it was to
register the names Of the voters, in nineteen
counties, refused, or neglected, to attend to this
duty, and the people Of those counties were
consequently disfranchissd. In some Of these
counties the people attempted to remedy the
the fault Of the Territorial officers, by subse-
quent census and register, but their delegates
were refused a seat in the Convention.
To compel the people Of those counties to live
under Constitution which they we're not al
lowed to take part in framing, would be treat
ing them as despot would be expected to treat
the people of conquered province. IfKansas
is admitted under the Lecomptsn Constitution,
1t is doubtful whether the people of the Terri
tory will ever suffer 1t to 60 into operation, so
great is the prejudice there against the instru-
ment. For We do not for . moment imagine
that the General Government will think of
keeping up an army in Kansas in order to CO.
cree the people into submission to Constitu-
tion which had been forced upon them without
their consent.
1t is an erroneous idea to suppose that the
opposition to the admission of Kansas, on the
part Of the Democracy, is to be attributed
alone to Senator Douglas Long before the
meeting Of Congress, nearly all the Democratic
papers in the North. western States, had taken
the same stand which Mr. Douglas has since Ia
ken in the Senate, aud he is bat following in
the wake Of the party in those States. All the
papers in Ohio, Michi an, Ind;ana, Illinois, To-
wa and Wisconsin, which supported Mr.. Bu-
chanan for the Presidency, with two or three
exceptions, have taken firm position against
the admission of Kansas, unless the Constitu-
tion is first submitted to the people and we
cannot doubt that those journals represent the
sentiment Of the entire Democracy Of that Sec
tion. It 10 to save the Democratic party, by
making 1t stick to itS principles, that has caused
Mr. Douglas TO take his present position. The
party is under the solemn pledge to give the
people of Kansas an opportunity to form their
own institutions. II is only by carving out
this pledge in good faith that the party can
expect to retain its Ascendency in the national
councils.