The Yazoo Democrat., 1859-09-24
ABUSE OF PRIVILEGE.

1hN Na0AANt Va COuHtJ Nltnlu lH6 u6ilNtTy U
the Post Office of Yazoo City has been lately
flooded with transient copies of the Cincinnati
Enquirer-under the frank of George E. Pugb
U. s. Senator" from 0hio-and we presume other
Post Offices in the State, and the South generally,
have heen similarly and as abundantly supplied
Many of those who have been thus gratisly fur
nished With newspaper by the distinguished
Senator from Ohio, will wonder to what fortune
they are indebted for the compliment. Their
wonderment will cease, however, when, upor
opening the paper, they frd that it contains al
great length, speech of Stephen Douglas
together with speech of the generous and dis
tinguished donor, the honorable Senator himself.
These speeches, it will be seen, were delivered in
the Senate of the United States in February last,
and were made for the purpose of maintaining
the doctrine that Territorial Legislature can
expel slavery from Territory by enacting un.
friendly laws, or by refusing to enact any laws at
all for its protection, and that Congress has no
right nor power to intervene against such Terri
torial legislation. The doctrine of these speeches
is, in short, nothing more nor less than what is
understood as Squatter Sovereignty" in its
most offensive form, and as such, is obnoxious to
the Southern people of both parties.
What right, we ask, has Senator George E.
Pugh to frank as free mail matter, and to bur.
den the mails Herewith, numberless cepies of
the Cincinnati Enquirer, containing nothing but
the speeches alluded to, and a variety of adver
tisements of private business and persuits.
Can the Enquirer, with such table of con.
tents, be called "Public Documents :" All
publications or books that have been or NAV be
procured or purchased by order of the house of
Congress, or joint resolution of the two houses
shall be considered ms public documents and en-.
titled to be franked as SUCH" Thus reads Sec.
1S, of the law of Sd March, ls47.
Let us look further into the law of the subject
Sec 3, of the act of lS45, reads =" Each men,
Der of the Senate, may, during each
session of Congress, and for period of Mirty
days before the commencement and after the end
Of each and every session of Congress, send and
receive through the mail, free of postage any
etter, newspaper or packet, not exceeding two
ources in weight" The Sd Sec. of act of lst
Murch, 1S47, says: -"All members of Con-
yress shall have power to send and
receive public documents free of postage during
heir term of office, and to the first Monday Of
December following the same" The same act
flows members of Congress to receive and send
Ill letters and packages, not weighing over two
'unces, free Of postage for the same length of
ime.
Now, it is evident that these numberless copies
# the Cincinnati Enquirer alluded to, were frank
d and mailed in the forbidden interval between
he thirty days before and after a session of Con-
,ress, and that they are neither "letters," 'pack
ges" nor "public documents" What can be
he object in thus scattering broadcast through
ut the South such heretical doctrines as are con.
aimed in the speeches Of Senators Douglas and
ugh?
1t is well known that Senator Douglas is a
ormidable asplrant for the nomination at Charles
on in 1860 and that George E. Pugh is his fast
riend and well. wisher in the matter and that the
My bar to bis success is the opposition in Mis-.
lssippi and other Southern States. The object
! then, obviously, an electioneerng one. Sena-
Or Pugh takes it upon himself to violate the
AVIS of his country in order to advance the pres
cots OF Judge Douglas for the Presidency, and
convert the United States mail into an cleo.
oueering agency.
We hope that Postmaster General Holt will see
it. that neither Douglas nor any of his minions
re allowed to abuse their privileges. and use
10 mails as an agent to disseminate their dan
erOus, reasonable, revolutionary documents in
Is South, at least 4