The Nevada journal., 1859-04-29
The Test.

the < lst anu among otnef laDOfS passed
the following resolution:
''That the committee recommend to
the County Central Committees the es-
tablishment of no test as qualification
for votes at primary elections, other
than ar adherence to the principles of
popular sovereignty, absolute non inter-
vention by Congress. and opposition to
Administration in its extravagant expen-
diture of the public moneys"
The Bee remarks "this platform is as
wide as the sea. Yes, and as incompre-
hensible too. First, we want to know
what the principles of popular sover-
eighty are, that we may knowingly ad-
here to them Scarcely any two of the
pretended believers in the doctrine de-
fine it alike. We want to know what
commentator to follow that we may know
to what principles we subscribe when the
test is applied at the primary elections.
Are we to take Davis, or Douglass /;
Pugh or Brown; Jones, Jenkins or John
son-whol Every man in the Demo
cratic party, seems to have his own Pc
culiar ideas of what popular sovereignty
is. and entertaining these views might
conscientiously present himself at the
primary elections, no other test TO inter-
fere. Second, we want to learn what is
understood by " absolute non-interven-
ton by Congress. If by this is meant
the recognition of the right of the peo-
pie to exercise sovereignty in the lar
gcst sense in Territories without any
check under any circumstances by the
federal government VIC apprehend there
are many hundreds in the State opposed
to the present Administration. who can
not subscribe to it. We are not one of
those who believe that when we pnrch-
ase populous country in which there
are no public lands, we do not purchase
the soverei gnty. What else do we pay
the millions for !? The inhabitants of
that country may prefer the government
under which they were raised and ed
ucated, or governmen of their own
to that of the United States. Do we
understand by the above resolution, that
Congress must not interfere to retain
and preserve our purchase in case the
people attempt to carry out the purest
popular sovereignty by doing just what
they please contrary to the interests of
the United States Thousands there
are who are willing to take the test if
applied to present territories, but will not
accede to it as a general rule, Third,
we apprehend there are many Demo
Gratis who act with and will act with the
administration wing ofthe party who are
opposed to its extravagent expenditure
ofthe public moneys. Are these to par
ticipate in the Anti-Lecompton primary
conventions =! What is to hinder
They profess popular sovereignty as
earnestly as their AntiLecompton
brothers. They claim too that they are
the non-intervention advocates par er-
cellencc. The action of the Administra-
ton party upon the Lecompton consti-
tuition is put forth as carrying out the
purest doctrine of non-intervention by
Congress.
We see nothing in TIE above resolu-
ton that will prevent any Democrat
from voting al the Anti-Lecompton pri-
mary elections. There is not one who
will not publicly say he is opposed to
an extravagant expenditure of the pub
lie moneys by any body. There is
scarcely one who does not profess de-
termination to adhere to the principles
of popular sovereignty, and the great
est virtue a Lecomptonite claims for
himself is a strict adherence to the doc
trine of non-intervention by Congress.
1t does not become us to question the
business fthese professions. Sufficient
is it that the conscience of the Admins
tration Democrat is satisfied at the Anti
lecompton primary meeting, whether he
acts with the opposition afterwards or
not.
But there are some insupcrable OBJ
iections in the resolution which rise to
turn anti-Democrats from the primary
polls. We do not believe in the new
tangled principles of popular sovereign
ty to begin with, and cannot be expect
ed to give in an unqualified adherence
to what we cannot conscientiously be-
lieve. WeGo not accede to the doctrine
of absolute non-intervention by Congress.
The only part of the test we can take,
therefore Internationally is that in rela-