Pointe Coupee Democrat. [volume] (False River [i.e. New Roads], Parish of Pointe Coupee [La.]) 1858-1862, 1859-10-29

q State, and cannot be withdrawn from the
hands of the trustee and vested in the people
of a Territory without the consent Of Congress"
The report which he made in the same mentll.
from the Senate Committee OH Territories. is
equally distinct, and rather more emphatic
against his new doctrine:
This Committee in their reports have always
held that q Territory is not q sovereign power;
that the sovereignty OF a Territory is in ahcy-
ancc. suspended in the United States. in trust
for The people when they become a State: that
the United States, rs trustees, cannot be diVest-
ed OF the sovereignty, nor the Territory be in
vested with the right to assume and exercise it,
without the consent Of Congress-. II The propo-
sition be true that sovereign power alone can
institute governments. and that tie Sovereignty
! of a Territory is in allegiance, suspended ii the
United States, in trust fol- the people when they
become a State, and that the sovereignty cannot
be- Invested from the hands Of the trustees with
cut the consent Of Congress, it follows. as an i'll
eyitable consequence, that the Kansas Lcglsla-
ture did not and could not confer upon the lie
compton Convention the sovereign power of Or
daining a constitution for the people of Kansas:
in place Of the organic act passed by Congress.
The days are passed and gone when ill. Doug
las led the fiery assaults Of the opposition III The
LCCompton controversy. Then II was ms OBJECT
to prove that q territorial legislature, SO far
from being onnipotent, was po#erless even to
authorize an election OF delegates to consider
about their own affairs. 1t Was asserted that a
convention chosen under II territorial law could
m.ke and orlain no constitution which would
be legally binding. Then a territorial govern
ment was to be d~espised and spit upon, even
when it invited the people to come forward and
vote upon a question Of the most vital import
ance to their own interests. But now all things
have become new. The L2compton dispute has
gone glimmering down the dream OF Things
that were.'' and Mr.. Douglas produces another
issue. bran-new from the mint. The old opin-
ions are not worth a rush to his present position:
it must be sustained by opposite principles, and
reasoning totally different. The Legislature OF
Kansas was not sovereign when it authorized a
convention OF the people to assemble and decide
what sort Of a constitution they would have, but
when it strikes at their rights of property, it be-
comes not only a sovereign. but a sovereign
without limitation Of power. We have no Idea
that Mr.. Douglas is not perfectly sincere. as he
was also when he took the other side. The I'M
pulses engendered by the heat Of controversy
have driven him al different times in opposite
directions. We do not charge it against him as
a crime, but it is true that these views Of his, IN
consistent as they are with one another, always
happen to accord with the interests of the oppo-
sitioa, always give to the enemies OF the Colstl-
taGion a certain amount of laid and comfort"
and always a little to the rancorous and malig-
nant hatred with which the abolitionists regard
the government Of their W country.
Yes; the Lecompton issue which Mr.. Douglas
made upon the Administration two years ago Is
done, and the principles on which W. were then
opposed are abandoned. We are no longer re-
qnired to fight for the laWfulness of q territorial
election held under territorial authority. Bat
another issue is thrust upon us to disturb the
harmony and threaten the integrity" OF the par
ty. a few words more, (~perilaps Of tedious re-
petition by way Of showing what that new is
sue is, or probably viii be, and we are done.
We insist that an emigrant going into a Tede-
raj Territory retains his title to the property
which he took with him until there is some pro-
bibitier enacted by lawful authority. Mr.. Doug
las cannot deny this in the face Of his New Or
leans speech, and the overwhelming reasons
which support it.
It is an agreed point among all Democrats
that Congress eanTob interfere With the rights OF
property in the Territories.
It is also acknowledged that the people Of a
new State. either in their Constitution or in an
act of their legislature, may make the negroes
within it free, CT hold them i'll a state Of serFi-
tude.
We believe. more. We believe-in submitting
to the law as decided by The Supreme Court,
which declares that q territorial legislature can
not. any more than Congress, interfere with the
rights Of property in asTerritors-that the set
tiers of a Territory are bound to wait until the
sovereign power is conferred upon them, Win
proper limitations, before they attempt to eyer
else the most dangerous Of all its IlnctionsI Mr..
douglas denies this, and there is the newissue.
Why should sucn an issue be made aHsuch a
time? What is there now to excuse any friend
Of peace for attempting to stir up theIbittef wa
tiers of strife ? There is no actual difficulty about
this subject in any Territory. Theie IS no ques-
ton upon it pending before Congress or the
country. We are called upon to make 9 con
test. at once unnecessary and hopeless, with the
judicial authority of the nation. We object to
it. We will not obey Mr.. Douglas when he COM
mands US to assault the Supreme Court Of the
u United States. We believe the Court to be right
hand MrlDoaglas wreng.