The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1859-12-15
350lltlral.
Governor GhaSe's Speech at
Cincinnati.

THE DOUGLAS DOCTRINE ANALYZED.
We find the following thorough and
conclusive review of Douglas S Sovereign
ty professions in a speech delivered by
Governor Chase at Cincinnati. on the
goth of November ultimo, after the recent
Ohio election. 1t is worthy of careful
perusal-particulary by Douglas demo
Gratis:
The words popular sovereignty are good
words the idea they cmbody Is a good
idea. The bold assertion that the o-call-
ed democratic party are the champions,
and that the Republican party are the en-
emes Of popular sovereignty is the Gun
ungest device which could possibly be
contrived to cover up the propagandlSm
Of slavery and the u>urpations of the ave
power. 1t is the cid plan of stealing
the livery of heaven to serve the devil in" ."
We love popular sovereignty, for it is
the bu!wark Of human rights. We re
we're the power of the people, because We
see in 1t syery mans safest defence against
wrong
Our opponents were sagacious enough,
therefore, When they iterateG and reiter-
ated tt e cry Of popular sovereignty, and,
by bold and cIamorous assertions, sought
to create the belief that the Republicans,
in seeking to arrest the spread of slavery,
were sssaiIing the right Of the people to
govern themselves. 1t was the only course,
indeed, which offered the slightest posi-
bilrty Of success; for the defenders of
slavery, as the best relation between cap
ital aud labor. are yet in the free states,
even among those who call themselves
democrats. 1t is not to be denied that
many were misled by that cry and by
those assertions. We can never be oblig-
ed to maintain our Republican posltioG
under greater disadvantages than those
produced by the misconceptions thus ere
atcd.
There was, however, one great advan-
tage in all this 1t compelled a general
and thorough discussion of the position
taken by Mr. Douglas and his friends. 1t
led to universal inquiry, What is this pop
ular sovereignty which is so vehcmently
asserted? ? is it reality or a sham? Is
it the old doctrine handed down to US by
our fathers in the immortal Declaration,
or is it scme modern counterfeit, got up
to serve base party necessities?
We looked for the description of the
SPECIFIC given by the patentee himself.
We inquired-How does "my doctrine of
popular sove. eighty" described in ''my
Kansas Nebraska bill" agree with or diff.
fer from the doctrine of the fathers Of the
Republic embodied by Thomas Jefferson
in the nations creed of human rights?
We read Mr. Douglass Wooster speech,
and we found him positively asserting
" that he never uttered any such nonsense
as that territory was a sovereign pow
er." How, then, we asked, can there be
popular sovereignty in territory. When
there is no ''soyerei2n power" can there
be any sovereignty OF the people? Why
talk, then, of popular sovereignty in ter
ritory? Clearly it seems for no honest
purpose.
We sought to know what rights Nlr.
Douglas did claim for the people Of a ter
ritory. We found his own statement in
a Senate report, made by himself as chair
man of the committee on territories, and
quoted by him in that same Wooster
speech. 1.-The sovereignty of terrific
ry," he says in that report, "rcmains in
abeyance, suspended in the United States,
in trust for the people, until they shall
be admitted into the Union as state. In
the meantime they are permitted to exer
else and enjoy all the rights and privi
leges of selfgoyernment, to be exercised
in subordinaton 70 the constitution ana
in obedience to the organic law"
Here We have it. This is the Doug,
las doctrine of popular sovereignty-the
rights of self-government in subordina-
tion to the constitution and in obedience !
to the organic law" The people of a ter
ritory have no sovereignty II is sus-
pendsd-it is not very clear where but