The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-07-21

Popular Soversagnty-AC hange Of Front.
The passage by Congress, of the Kansas
Nebraska bill in 1854, which referred the
question Of domestic slavery in the Terrific
ries, to the people interested, for its solution,
was the signal Of the organization in the
Northern States, Of party based upon the
one idea, that it is the duty Of Congress
TO interfere, in the organization Of every
new Territory, and by statutory provision,
prohibit the institution Of slavery therein.
The Republican party, at their Sectional
Convention, held in Philadelphia, in 1856,
resolved, that the Constitution confers
upon Congress sorUeign potor over the
Territories Of the United States for their
government, and that in the exercise OF this
power it is both The right and the imperative
duty Of Congress to prohibit in the Terri.
tory those twin relics Of barbarism-Poly-
gamy and Slavery" And the sentiments
contained in this resolution, as to the power
and duty Of Congress, were re-echoed in
every State and county convention of the
opposition in the North. The Democracy
assumed the opposite ground, and main
tanned that sound policy, justice, and comfy
to our Southern brethren, demanded that
the people Of the Territories should be left
entirely free to decide the question of slave.
~ in their own way, subject only to the
Constitution Of the United States. II, upon
the organization Of State government, the
people Of a Territory, by clear and IN.
doubted expression Of the popular will, de.
manded admission into the Union as slave
State, the Democratic party then held, and
does now, that such fact should be no bar TO
its admission. Upon that issue, thus pre-
sented, the campaign Of 1856 was conduG&
ed, and the great principle of Popular Sd
reignty so emphatically indicated by ~
American people.
We are glad to know then, that even at
this late day, the opposition party acknQtl,
edge the wisdom of that decision, and Of
the Territorial policy Of the Democratic.
party. At the recent State Convention OF
the Republicans Of Maine, they adoptedi
resolutions of the very best stamp" a. ourI,,
nelghbor Of the Tunes says. One of these
resolutions :" of the very best stamp" adds /.
the Tunes, supports the doctrine of popav
lar sovereignty the Democratic doctrine
Of popular sovereignty. To show how
marked has been the conversion of the men
who burned Senator DOUGLAS in efigy, for
the Kansas n Nebraska act, we
give the material portion Of the Maine
resolution:
Rs,oired, That we hold unequivoca ally 10 he
doctrine OF genuine popular sovereieIfy, IA
the night OF the people in every Ste31 ed Tsr.
ritory 10 establish their own institV - = 49, I;
own way, subject only to the 6tcaioutiesa1
morality. ~
There are other signs Of repentance and
too. In Pennsylvania, Chic and
Iowa, the Republican Conventions discarded
Congressional interference as one of the
dogmas of their party, and by quietly acqui-
escing in what is now the settled policy Of
the government, endorsed the Democratic
principle Of Popular Sovereignty.
Ii is horrible to think that our sanity
opponents should advocate the opening Of
the beautiful Territories Of the free west 70
the slave oligarchy." What riR become
OF Sambo?