The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-08-29
WHOLE NUMBER 79l
Ihe Origin of the Doctrine OF
Popular rSOvereignty-The Com
u"entaf Congress ara tho KAN
sas1Nebfaska Bill. 81 y =. y

The Declaration OF Rights put forth bv
the Continental Congress, Oct. 11ib. IF7a:
contains en- explicit and emphs 10 declsrS..
'ion OF popular SovereiRntvD II theas
words: That the people Of the several Col.
onies "are entitled to FREE and exclusive
power Of legislation in their several btovln.l :
icy" & ~ ~ ssssI.s g
The Kansas Nsbsaska Bill endorses he
same in these words. ssIt being the lrna Ins
tent and meaning Of this act moi "a iecIelata
slavery into nHY State or Territorg. nor u
exclude il thefeffom, but to leavs fke nss,;Is
taerect perfectly FREE 70 form and fssuiafs
tAssr ~, dImestlc institutions their own way.
The same Identical principle was asserted
ey nearly every Colony. when sending s6.
Grsaentatsves % The Congress which voted
~ tseci fati9s Ut tndsPs sadencs and framed
tne-art fiess e CQniedefatipTt - -
Pennsylvania, whsi she caaseIted 10
send representatives. iOf tho purs sse of form.
leg confederation instructed tIiem BY the
following resolution: ii
"Reserving 70 the people a thls colony
the sole and exclusive right offeeulaiing the
Internal government and policyofthe same.'
And III subsequent instruction, in refer
ence to suppressing the British authority in
the colonies. Pennsylvania uses the fol-
lowing emphatic language:
"UnaOimously declare our willingness to
concur in vote of the Congress decl ariug
the Uhlted Colonies free aud Independents
States, provided the forming of the govern.
ment, and the regulation of the internal DO.
lice .; this colony, be always reserved to
the people OF the said colony" "s Az
NeW Jersey instructed her representatives
in the following language:
"a ways observing that, whatever plan Of
conlederacy you enter into, the regulating
the internal Police of this province is to be-
re e-erved 10 the colonial legislature"
Maryland gave her consent to the DecIa-
Tatlon o Independence upon the condition
cont'ined in this proviso:
"And that said colony will hold Itself
bound by the resolution of the majority Of
the United Colonies in the premises, provi.
dad the sole and exclusive right Of requla.
ting the Internal government and police of
th't colony be reserved 10 the people there.
Of
New Hampshire annexed this proviso to
her Instructions to her delegtes to her vote
to- indao orndsnce.
"PfOvlded the regulation OF our Internal
police under the direction Of our own as.
semby." 'f -7s-sss !,
ConngcIicut, in authorizing her delegate
to Vote tor the Declaration of Indedendence.
attuchsdt' it the following condition: 7t
"SiV.ng tn t the administration Of govern.
ment, and the power of forming govern.
ments or, ami the regulation of the inter.
nal conce rs and police of each colony,
yu!ht to be let and remiH with the respec.
tive cohInIrl legislatures"
Virginia annexed the following condition
to her distractions TO vote for the, Declara.
tionot Independence:
's4'rovidtd, hat the pswer offorinina noy.,
er"ments tor; and the regulations " the In.
ternli Concerns OF the colony, be leEf TO
the respective colonial legislatures"
So dear was this right, the right Of the
people to form and regulate their domestfc
nstutions in their own way, that OUT reyo.
lutionnry f,thets would not surrender III;
40. not even t. free themselves from the
tyranny OF the mother country.
The Tories ol the revolution took the OPP
pOSte sid. They con,ended that George
trs Third, and the Parliament of Great Bfi.
tin should control and dictate the legisla---
tion ., The C,Ion'es. Our Black Republl-
c'n friends are now espousing, and moving
neayen and earth to establish precisely the
same dJctrins ot the Old Tory party.