Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-03-10
Snpatter S0Yereigntv.

The discussion, not long since, in the Senate
between Douglas and his Democratic enemies,
Mason, Slidel and Davis, respecting the true
intent and meaning of the stump speech in the
belly of the Kansas Nebraska bill, was signif-
cant, if not entertaining And it authorize
lively proclaims, what is, hereafter, with the
Northern wing of the Sham Democracy, to be
the recognized squatter-sovereign doctrine.
AS near as we can gather 1t from Mr. Doug
as'sspeech the squatter sovereign plank is this:
Congress is to abstain entirely FROM intermed-
ding with the domestic affairs of Territories,
and the laws of the territory are to be supreme
within its limits, except when the laws arr un-
constitutional; and unconstitutional laws are
to be declared void only by appeal to the Su-
preme Court. This seems tolerably explicit,
and on the face of it is fair enough, with a
righteous Court-but as doctrine for the free
States, what does it amount to?
In our judgment, it amounts to simply this
The people of Territory shall be allowed, if
they choose, to enact laws excluding Slavery
from their soil, and these laws shall stand I'M
less declared unconstitutional by the Supreme
Court. But Douglas can say, and will say to
the South when it becomes necessary, that he
had rather trust the Supreme Court on the
Slavery question than the Executive, in the long
run. A majority of that Court, he well under
stands, have thoroughly submitted themselves to
their Southern lords and masters, and will,
without any doubt, decide the first Territorial
law excluding Slavery, that comes to hand un,
constitutional, He has had experience of the
temper Of that Court in the bred Scott decision
and understands very well that there is no free
soil on that judicial ermine. That Court, like
Mr.. Douglas, trusts in God there never will b.
such thing as a colored citizen. Ii recognizes
no :. black brothers" 1t has already put itsel
upon the record as of the opinion that SLAYER,
cannot be excluded from tho Territories, tina
the Constitution carries with 1T wherever i
goes over the entire Territoriesof this Republic
the inhuman, demoralzing, unchristian ,despoti
idea that a man, erect, In the image Of his Crea
tor, whether black or white, no matter, if de
scended from a slave mother, may benothin
iaorc thana chattei, and can never be citizen
And it is to that Court that Mr.. Douglas woul
refer all the laws regulating the 4 domestic in
situations = Of the Territories And that
squatter-sovereignty. That is allowing tn
people to regulate the g domestic institution
Will Mr.. Douglas be good enough to tell tn
world how Free Labor is benefited by that il
depreciation? how Slavery suffers by it?
The fact that the Southern extremists, Davi
Slidell and others, were not satisfied with tbs
interpretation, shows quite conclusively no
much the South demands They are not sati
fed with the right to go with their slave PROF
erty into the Territories. They demand, att,
they get there, Federal bayonets and Feder
protection. They are not content that SLAYER
can 60 there under the sanction of the Constit'
ton and the Judgment of the Supreme Cour
They require pledge of the po,cer of the Go
eminent to protect it. Shall they have it.
L IL A.