The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1859-08-31
Popular Sovereignty.

Popular Sovereignty.
This term has become hacknicd. Speeches
and newspaper articles by the cord have beer
delivered and published UPON it, and yet, like
Shakspeare's plays, there is continual newness
in the subject Some, in discussing it, use the
term "Squatter Sovereignty Ms equivalent
to Popular Sovereignty, and proceed to explode
the " Squatter" part of it; while others are
so extravagant in their admiration for anarchy
or no government at all as to insist that Con
gressional control cannot be relaxed or ignored
in any degree without a deep dive into the
beauties Of squatter government. Gen. Cass
Nicholson Letter took the ground of Terrific.
rial independence in the regulation Of its do
nestle affairs, and his views were derisively
called of the "Squuttcr Sovereignty order
The General, in speech, some time after, &C.
ccpted the nickname rs near enough right, and
since that time it has been applied, though i'm,
properly, to the genuine doctrine Of Territorial
or Popular Sovereignty.
Let us make the distinction: The United
States possess tract Of country numbering
many thousands of acres, and containing less
than 100 whites or citizens of the Republic.
1t is not necessary that they have any distinct
rules for their government, and for general pro-
lection they look to Congress, because no other
government is in existence there than the Fedc.
raj Constitution, and Congress is its only agent.
Squatter Sovereignty, in its ridiculous or alb
stract sense, claims for these 100 people the
right to set up sort Of independently, to elect
Governor, Judges, Councilmen, &c, &c.
This article no statesman that is worthy the
name has yet dealt in. );
In time the Territory settles up as we
say out West, the population grows to thou
sands, business interest and political import.
ance requires territorial organization, and
Congress being willing to discharge the people
from tutslage, organizes government for the
territory, defines its limits, appoints its Govern
or, and tells it to proceed to the regulation Of
its own domestic affairs. Formerly, Congress
authorized the people to exercise certain pow
ers /; the proposition now advocated with such
success is to accord to them all the powers which
belong to selfgovernment, and this is Popular
"The difference may be consid-
cred about this: The first applies to the people
of unorganized territory, who may or may not
be capable of selfgovernment and the last to
the people of an unorganized Territory, who
need local government and are conceded to
be fit to conduct it safely and judciously.
The Kansas Nebraska Act was intended to
enlarge the power of the people. A universal
clause in bills organizing Territorial Govern
ments required the submission of Territorial
acts to the Congress but in the case of Kan
sas and Nebraska, tits clause was omitted
The debate was based upon the idea that the
act was designed to invest the Territorial Leg
islature with authority to exclude or establish
slavery at any time, subject to the Courts, OF
course, but not subject to any other authority.
Mr. Bigler, who is the organ of the President
in the Senate, and who distinguished himself
in the Lecompton debate, said" agree with
the Senator from Michigan (Mr. Cass) that the
Territorial Legislature has entire control over
the SUBJECTS competent to establish, abolish,
or protect it." Mr.. Buchanan, in accepting the
nomination, used this language: s"
This legislation 1.-THE Kansas-Nebraska Act, is
founded upon principles ancient free government
ITSELF and in accordance with them has simply declared
that THE PEOPLE OF A TERRITORY, LIKE THOSE
OF A STATE, SHALL DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES
WHETHER SLAVERY SHALL OR SHALL NOT
EXIST WITHIN THEIR LIMITS. This principle
will surely not be controverted by any individual OF
any party PROCESSING DEVOTION TO POPULAR COW
ERNMsNT. Besides, how vain and illusory would
any other principle prove in practice in regard to the
Territories
MIR. DOUGLAS, the author of the bill, under
stands it to have covered the ground now con-
tended for as " Popular Sovereignty."
AS the Little Giant !" himself has pubffsh-
ed in Harper for September, EIGHTEEN rAsEs Of
argument on this much-talked of subject, we
drop it here, in the expectation that his article
will be laid before the readers Of the Times.