The Placer herald. [volume] (Auburn, Placer County, Calif.) 1855-1991, 1859-11-26
[ From the Pottsvillc Pa) Democratic Standard. ]
Popular Sovereignty.

ic faith which has been more abused by our
opponents, or absolutely condemned than
the doctrine of popular Sovereignty. The
first time this word found its way into the
political world, was during the discussion of
the Wiimot proviso, when this right of the
people to control their own domestic instilu
tions, was advocated against the arbitrary
tyrannical provisions of the Wimot Pro-
viso. There has existed some difference of
opinion as to the time when the right is to
be exercised. BY one party it is claimed,
that the people of a territory may at any
time, by themselves, or by means of the ter
rioria government determine the complex
ion of their institutions. BY another party,
which is by far the majority of the Demo
cratic party, it is asserted that only when the
people have resolved themselves into a con
venion fer the formation of constitution
previous to their admission into the Union
as = State can the character of their social
institutions be definitely sealed This we
believe to be the true doctrine, and entitled
to our respect as being reasonable and just
For, in the first place, it is low conceded ON
all sides, that Congress has no right to inter
tere in the territories, in the settlement of
that question, and that all restrictions upon
the people of our territorial possessions,
whether in the shape of ordinances or com
promises, are illegal and bind not territor-
ial governments are dependent on Congress
for their existence, by Congress they are REQ
ulated controlled and modified; Congress it.
self not having power to interfere, cannot
delegate such power to its creatures. What
Congress cannot do directly, common sense
tells us Congress cannot do indirectly. But
we shall be told, may not the people Of the
territories settle this question while they are
yet under q territorial government? All
power is inherent in the people, our Consti
tuition says: but when speaking of the peo-
pie in regard to the formation of govern
ment, we do not mean Il half dozen, nor
thousand nor two thousand; so that if, rs
some hold, the people of territory have a
right to settle tins matter at any lme two
thousand settlers might fix the institutions Of
States destined to contain twenty or thirty
times that number of Inhabitants Would
no. this be njust and wrong! 1t would be
like taking snap Judgment, or condemning a
man without hearing. Again, it may be
said, if the institutions created by the people
under a territorial government did not suit
the majority Of the people, in after times a
change could be made. That is so, but there
are two obiections:-trst, institutions to
which people have become accustomed, and
which are once established are not so easily
changed, and often are not changed without
considerable commoton. 1t is much easier
for few to defend an established institution,
than for many to establish another in its
stead The second objection is that the eXis-
tence of il power somewhere, ,i,"U 4,
wrong does not justify the commission OF
that wrong, especiaIly.f if injury and damage
may result to others before the remedy can
be applied For these considerations, the
Democracy with few exceptions, have de-
MED the right of the people in the terrilor-
are about to apply for admission into the
Union as a State. This is the doc
trine of the Cincinnati Platform, as un-
delstood bv most Democrats, as understo ood
by james Buchanan in his "lnaugura Ad.
,hess," as understood and acted upon by the
Democratic party through the campaign of
1856 and ever since.
This Interpretation has been repudia'el by
the States Rights Democracy, and yet they
must have known in 1856 that this right
was abridged and limited to the time OF ap
plica.ion for admission as a State by the
Cincinnati convention, VIII ch is the tairer
doctrine? Which is the more equitable that
A few squatters determine the institutions o
a State, or the people at the moment preced
inc the time when they assume the sover
eighty of a State, in Convention assembled
Is there any time by which it can be deter
mined more pesccaby than at that time
If determined before, it will he decred a:
unjust, and our territories will never enjoy
peace and quiet until admitted as States.
Under the Constitution Of the United
States, the territories are the common prop
ertv of the whole country, as soil purchased
with the blood and with the money Of the
people Of all sections, is free alike to all
The property Of the southern citizen, what
ever it be, the property Of the northern
citizen, whatever it be, are equally protected
in Il territory, and no power IN tie territory
while it is such, can prohibit the inlroduc-
ton of that property, or deny it protection
We have the Democratic party odng the
following positions:
Congress has no power to inter
fere with slavery in the territorial dominlons
either for its abolition or establishment, eli
ther directly or indire tly.
SrcoSp-The people alone have that
power when about forming their State Con
stitution.
TnIRD.- Congress guarantees to the cill
zens Of every portion of the Union, to mi
crate to the territories, with their propert,
of all kinds, and also guarantees the protec
ton of that property, through the courts es
tablishel in the territories.
.lI. ..,ct ,yh, or, II, h,