Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-09-16

pa To evudc the force of Douglass squutter
sovriegnty, the Memphis Appeal takes the singular
position that it means nothing-amounts to moth
ing for the reason that the Territories are all Or
ganzed and and there is nowhere to squat and be-
ing organized, the doctrine can have no application
to them. This begging Of the question is tanta-
mount to the assumption that organizing Territory
makes it practically State, and though nomnally
Che common property of all the the States, it is an
Independent sovereignty. Now this assumption
which the Appeal sets forth as settling the question
of the non-applicability of sqIatter sovereignty to
the Territories is the very point of the controversy.
Nobody--not even Douglass-ever contended that
the squattcrs upon the public lands have the right
to exclude slavery. To exclude implies certain
defined bounaries within which the thingexcludedis
not to be admitted, and the power to exclude is
derived-if it exist at all-from some act Of or
ganization. Then before squatter sovereignty can
take effect there must be an organization by Con-
gress, defining the boundaries of the section of
country to be erected into a Territory coufering
certain legislative powers, and giving a name to
che organized district 1t is grossly absured argue
that settlers upon the public domain in the absence
of Executive, Judiciary and Legislative officers
have the power to excue any sort of property that
other settlers may think proper to take with them
into the same unorganized district, and the Appeal
gives the first intimation that such dodge NAV he
resorted 10 10 hide the enormy of the doctrine adj
vocated by Douglass When and where did squat
ter sovereignty first manifest its existence and its
power? To the Kansas-Nebraska bill it owss its
existence and in the organized Territory of Kaasas
II first manifested its power to wrong the South
Yet the Appeal with the confident air of one speak
ing what he knows to be true tells the country that
there can be no such thing as squatter sovreigntv
IN an organized Territory. Did it ever hear of
squatcr sovereignty outside of a Territory? Has i,
reared its monster head in Arizona, Jefferson, or
anywhere else where no Territory exists under the
meaning Of the Constitution and the laws? With
ont organization, there can he no Territory. in n
political sense, and in the absence of organization
there can he no political power, inherent or con-
fered, So plain proposition needs no clucidation
and did the extract, below, come from any but
democratic paper its abSardity would BASS il off q,
hoax. Yet to shield Douglass from ccnsurc and
white-wash his hCrcsics-to avert suspicion from
ITSELF ms knowingly advocating a man and a doe
trine alike hostile to the interests of the South m,
Appeal perpctratcs an absurdity so papablc that i
must fail deceive even the most guube and od
vances arguments falling below the dignity Oft
use Its own words-"learned nonsense" But reo,
The article from the Appeal and judge for YOUR
sells
we nave sald before, in these columns tina
moro learned nonsense has been cxnend,l ON,
more senseess fools have expended moro r,,b =,
this subject OF sqaatter sovereignty than any otbe
that ever engaged public attention Mr.. Douyla
is denounced for his squater sovereignty notions h,
every lltte crosS-roadS politician in tho country
ASK him what sqmitcr sovereignty IT, and h,
knows Just rs much about il as hus dops obor
Christmas.
Under present circumstances, there can be M
.1'h thing as squatter sovereignty for the simnl
Icson that the United States do not ,oSscss siy,I,l
Ioo' f unorganized Territory upon which 4 fellow
Sh swat Every inch Of the t, rrtory now hcIono
rug .' United states, is duly and legally organic
ea WIN 'orial governments executive. lCgisla
y i've ah1 'yial. They have all been erected nt
9sganl]sn GO 'luinties by the Government of II.
SniSu So uid are OF course capable of atten /
ing '" hei' n aflairs-of giving cyurcssion Il
their wants anu lecesslties their lil - ,pd disjt
II these Terr'orl are not States thcy are nj lo,.
qtsst StateS seiteN hv INTELLIGENT rrni,r,r,s a.,
tne states ahd their wishes and opiniou, are n
eAst entitled " ont buort Abnya all thcv ar,
not lawless squaiters bun ,, reason If Ir ro,,,,;
ton nv 0ut fiovemnent .n,, mr.. b.It ,ru, No.,
hers OF our Federal Union. NV"
Aud a half way member NJ our rcdor,, I-ri,.,
can reject Accept slavery Lone r ins,i,,,io,
sIey chooee9 Is that IL p