Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-09-08
[From the Century.l
Mr. Douglas On Popular Sovereignty


ductiou of doctrine of rights appertaining TO
the territorial. a s distinguished from the other
populations. This is termed the doctrine Of
q Popular Sovereignty in the Territories
Popular Sovereignty in the Territories can
not differ from Popular Sovereignty IL State
or in the nation Men do not acquire new
Fights by changing the ground they stand up
on. The rights in the man, and not in the
soil. Mr. DOUGLAS, therefore, in laying
philosophical ground for territorial legislation
laws one for the entire people
The eXpounder o. the new doctrine hith
erto known only as Senatorial and popular
orator, has sought to Influence public opinion
in favor of his political dogmas, through the
pages of Harpprs' Hoathiy Magazine, chan
mel by which he is much more likely to impress
the intelligent classes, than by the Stump or
the Rostrum. Mr.. DOUGLAS, presenting him
self as candidate for public confidence ad
dresses the intelligence of the nation directly,
through one of its accepted and favorite media
In doing this he does more, he comes forward
as O champion in logic, philosophy, and states
manship he challenges the intellectual powers
the masters of the mind and pen, to a trial Of
weighty conclusions.
Altho' the application of his doctrine is only
we will do him the Justice to suppose that he
intends the derivation of his prnsiples from the
original sources of law, and not from any ex-
treme or accidental position or emergency of
territorial bodies If these bodies are to be
the founders and inauguratorS of permanent
governments, they must proceed from principles
identical with those which originated the Con
stitution. Territorial Sovereignty must, there
fore, mean original or popular sovereignty, or
it means nothing.
The governing power of a Territory is either
in the people that live thereon, or it is in the
Federal Government. If the Territory is a
wilderness, with only a tranSientaud movable
population, it is not necessary to prove that
the control of it is in the Federal Government
Let US suppose that in the centre of Ter
rltory one man, squatter or preemptiOnist,
has begun to cultivate the soil, builds himself
a long cabin and " takes root If the doctrine
of Popular Sovereignty is ultimately and un-
qualihedly true, this Que man. on his quarter
section, is the real sovereign of as much as he
can govern if the power has passed over from
the Federal Government to him and he can
Immediately proceed to establish a Constitu-
tlon. lie is, in fact the monarch of all he
surreys," or has surveyed for him. But let
us suppose there are t1oO men one, negro of
uncertain sntecedentS The territorial sove-
reignty being derived from the individual and
not by the new dOctrine) from the lalcS of any
other State or nation, our first settler, being a
Southern man, and in want of laborerS to work
his land must frankly and suddenly abandon
his doctrine of individual or original sovereign
ty which is clearly as good for the runaway
negro as for himself, and adopt a despotic
code
If there IS an original sovereignty of man
hood in the settlers of Territories, it must
supercede the laws of all other States aud the
slave taken thereto, is free and the equal of his
owner, as soon as he shall have passed within
the boundary of Territory
The expounder of the new doctrine wishes
US to believe that the Constitution neither
establishes nor prohibits slavery any where
leaves the people of each State and Territory
entirely free to form and regulate their domes-
tic affairs to suit themselveS. without the in
tervention of any other power whatsoeyer'-
Now, in some of the States, the word pco-
Pile" requires defuitiom-t means either the
white population alone, or all the population
These definitions cease (bv the new doctrine)
on the boundary of the Federal Territory
Law goes back to first principles, and every
man is a sovereign and peer, merely JccqUSe
he IS a man. A negro enSIaved by the laws of
Missouri ceases to be a slave when he enters
new territory for in q Territory there is no
law except such as may be grounded in the will
and reason of all the human beings collected
there.
The logical Impetus of the new doctrine car
ries its originator whether he will or no. into
the ranks of the Abotionists If the Federal
Government can nat establish slavery in Ter
ritcTies, is Georgia or Virginia able to establish
it /? BY no means, since the Territories are
not under the control of States. and derive
their fundamental law from the will of their
inhabitants inhabitants meaning all the
people for now there is 20 law, nor legal DE-
fnition of slave or free, but only Popular
Sovereignty" SLacery IS q creature If lalr,
and exists only under the protection of Gov
ernment remove that protection and it ceases.
Much more, then, does it cease in Territory
administered by theory of original and 'Popu-
lar Sovereignty" which abandons all laws.
goes back to first principles, and derives
constitution from the body of human beings
who first occupy the soil.
If the doctrine of Territorial Sovereignty is
merely a realhrmation OF the constitutional and
accepted doctrines hitherto maintained for the
separate organization of new States concern
ing which there has been little CONTROVERSY
the reputation of Mr. DOUGLAS Iapses into that
of very earnest teacher Of what everybody
knows-a ridiculous reputation But if there
IS a new thing that he brings, it is this-tAqt
the people Of the Territories, 1oifa0@ regard 10
a"n'Jers cf Boundaries hare an abstract and
lndefeaslbLe right-derived not trom aay State
nor from the Constitution, but from the indi-
vidual manhood for the inhaJitant-to establish
laws for themselves. If this latter positi IN is
maintained By Mr.. DoUGLAs, he is radical
Abolitionist
Rnt llolr Il is not maintninnd thn ,,rianr f,r |