The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-05-07

The Washington Constitution, of April
30th, gives new phase 10 the seemingly
interminable question of State and Terrific
rial sovereignty. The article is carefully
prepared, and looks as though it had receiv-
ed its finishing touch at the hands of the
great trimmer, al b. himself The edi-
torial starts out with the assertion that much
confusion exists in the public mind with
regard to popular and squatter sovereignty
and then defines what the editor conceives
to be the difference between the two
phrases. Popular sovereignty, "as he defines
it-recognizes the exercise by Territorial
Legislature of every power consistent with
the provisions of the Constitution, but it
does not recognize the exercise of any power
inconsistent with the rights Of the people
OF the States, in whom resides the ultimate
sovereignty over, as well as the ownership
OF, all the common territory of the United
States"
On the other hand squatter sovereignty
recognizes the right of those men what
ever may be their number) who may have
squatted on the public domain in advance of
the public surveys, and without the owner
ship of one acre of the soil, to elect legis-
lature which shall undertake TO prohibit
Slavery within a Territory, and thus prac-
tically deprive nearly half CT the partners in
this confederacy of States of the right of en-
igrating with their property TO any portion
of their vast and extended domain" Hav-
ing settled on his definitions to has o,cn sat
isfaction, the editor hastens to his conclu-
sions. He says while the Constitution will
eesr (the italics are our own advocate
popular sovereignty, it will wage an eternal
war on squatter sovereignty. One is main
tanned as just constitutional, and consistent
with the equality of States, the other is de-
nounced as unjust, unconstitutional, and in
violation Estate rights; one is held to be
the doctrine Of the Democratic party, and
the other is pronounced the doctrine of the
disorganizers and boilers, who seek to divide
and destroy the Democratic party, and with
it the Union
The Democratic Banner is on the outer
wall says the Constellation and the princi
pies emblazoned on it are "Non-interven.
tion, by Congress or by Territorial Legisla,
lures, either to establish or prohibit Slavery
in the Territories, and the protection of slave
property therein, as long as the Territorial
condition shall remain, by the Judiciary, un.
der the Constitution Of the United States
Let US look at this q little more carefully
The plain meaning of the whole thing is
Congress cannot prohibit slavery in the ter
ritories, and the Territorial Legislature
deriving all its powers of legislation iron
Congress NOT from the people who cleo
them" cannot, and should not attempt t
establish OF prohibit slavery in the Terri
tories. In other words, Squatter Sove
reignty is unconstitutional, and popula
sovereignty mere sham up to the forma
tion of the State Constitution. The grea
doctrine of permitting the people of th
territories to regulate their domestic institu
tons in their own way" is whitfield dow
70 this Thus do we behold Mr.. Douglas
Oantling of Squatter Sovereignty -whic
ne exhibited with so much success through
paign, throttled and CONTEMPORARY fun
1t his feet VIII ne try 10 resuscitate
and carry it with him to the Chsrlesto
Convention, or will he shed few penitel
tial tears over the unhappy fate of his ia
ling, and tall to esressing its slayers2
But suppose the people of territory
differing from the Organ, in their cOnceI
rions of Squatter and Popular Sovereign
should pass laws, through their constit
sionally elected Legislatures, prohibitir
slavery, what will be the result? The Pre-
ident hastens 10 inform It's. !" Ii will be Il
duty of the Judiciary to set aside any al
friendly legislation which is calculated to d
stroy OF impair any right of property
The President seems to have the same del
cacy in using the word slave, AS did Il
trainers of the Constitution We give belo
tue Democratic platform, as it will doubtlc
be in 1860, and with the single remark tn
it is intended to trim By striking down NJ
Douglas doctrine OF Squatter Sovereign
on The one hand, and 10 stife the ne
Southern demand for the enactment
Congress, OF a specific Slave Code for 4
Territories on the other, we have done
We, therefore, GTe forced 10 say the 20
st.tutiOs Rh,Iits ne several Territorial lie
'sidtasre. from dboltshing property m STARE
and The same prohibition appiies to The Pr
TIE Or TERRITORY MI they come 10 form
CcnsntgtioH preparatory 10 their od,e,ssi
iai0 this UHioH.
II the Northern Democracy will tame
submit TO this construction of their favor
Goct;ne, a construction that stsbs it to
heart. We have no cause to object.
~, IA indignant, not intelligent sla1
holder. whose corns had been someht
trodlen upon by the Ironton, No. FarnO
writes TO the editor of that paper as follow