Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1860-08-17
!. II. Tucker I'm 1856 and 1860.

which an inventive genius ever conferred
upon the human race, proves at the present
conjuncture of public affairs, a very sad mis-
fortune to the political consistency Of some
of those gentlemen who are sacrificing the
integrity and unity Of the Democratic Or
ganization, and jeopardizing the Union it
self, for the poor privilege Of asserting in
dividual belief on question Of abstra ct
principle as devoid of vitality as the bones
of old John Brown. The most rabid prop
agators of the theory of Intervention in this
year of our Lord 1860, cannot look over the
recorded events of their own past action
within the period of the last ten years, with
out finding themselves committed to the
doctrine of Congressional Nom Intervention
"a commitment which ink and type have
stamped upon paper-an enduring testimo-
mial of their present gross and palpable in
consistency
OF the many political gyrations enacted
in the political arena by the prominent ad-
vocates Of Intervention, that afforded by the
Attorney General, j. R. Tucker, has
been the most complete and successful. =
We find Mr.. Tucker engaged during the
Summer months of the present year, "sweat-
ing" through laborious and tedious can
vass in the Valley Of Virginia, the bitter
and uncompromising enemy of Congress
sional Non Intervention.
We find by reference to the proceed
ings Of the Virginia Delegation in 1856, to
the Cincinnati Convention, that j ohm Ran
dolph Tucker offered the following resolu-
ton in the Virginia caucus, to be presented
by Virginia to the Committee on Platform
of the National Convention
"That the Territories belonging to the u
nited States are and of right should be o.
pen to the full and equal emigration of the
citizens of all the States of the Union, with
such property as may be secured to them
by the laws of either; and that there is no
authority which can restrict such emigra-
ton, except that of State, which may be
constituted under the authority of law of
Congress or by the people of the Territory
in conformity with the laws of its local leg
islature, established by the action of Con-
gress."
There certainly can be no two inter pre-
tations given to the words and sentences
embraced in this resolution-its meaning is
unmistakable Mr. Tucker, as if be con-
sidered his reputation for cogency and lu-
cidness of manner involved in the framing
of this resolution, concentrated the whole
energy Of his nature to the effort, and sue
ceeded in producing one of the finest speci-
mems of 'Squatter Sovereignty" express
sions and illusions tae kindling eye of a
backwoodsman ever gazed upon.
| We invite especial attention to the latter
portion Of the resolution, that there is no
authority which can restrict such emigra-
ton except that of State which may be con-
stituted under the authority of a law of Con-
gress. or by the PEOPLE of the TERRITORY,
in conformity with the laws of its local Leg
islature, established by the action of Con-
gress.
Mr.. Tucker has most successfully fore
closed himself from claiming his meaning to
have been when the Territory has formed
its constitution and admitted as a State
he specifies this exception, and then pro-
vides by an exception for the preservation
of Territorial Legislative power. He re-
cognizes two sources of authority capable
Of restricting the Importation Of slave prop
erty. or all property, into Territory-1st,
that of State constituted under the au-
thority of a law of Congress End, that Of
the people Of Territory, in conformity
with the laws of its local legislature, estab-
lished by the action of Congress. And yet,
with this squatterism fastened upon him
as tight as the shirt of Nessus-with the
resolution itself staring him boldly in the
face-with every loop-hole Of escape from
its conclusive Specification closed down shut
by his own vigilant jealousy-John Ran
dolph Tucker, the ADVOCATE Of Squotter Sou
ereignty,as demonstrated by that resolution,
in 1856. has the temerity to denounce Ste
phen A. Douglas as unsound because of his
position on this question, and to invite the
honest Democracy Of the country to break
up its organization in mere favoritism to his
present bantling of Congressional interven-
ton. 1t is slightly possible that knowl-
edge, recollection of the acts of 1856, in
the parIor of the Burnett House, Cincinnati,
in which he participated SO fourishingly,
was another reason why Mr.. Tucker de-
clined discussion on the political questions
of the day, and preferred monopolizing the
whole time himself, when before the peo-
pie of Rockingham, Oh the 3rd day of Au-
gust.
Mr.. Tucker, we concede, had the power,
the right, to change his views upon this
subject. He had the power to entertain
popular sovereignty views in 1856, and an
tagonistic sentiments at the present time
but to lash himself into boisterous fury, and
affect virtuous horror by all the attitudes
and mannerism Of oratoric grimace, whilst
contemplating the subject under the reign
and rule Of William L. Yancey's ultimatum,
we submit, was scarcely respectful to law
loving law abiding people-scarcely in con-
sonance with good taste or good sense.
We shall recur to this subject again, in
connection with the action of all the mem
bers of the Virginia delegation to the Gin
cinnati Convention on this resolution, and
shall at the same time take occasion to re-
fer to the action of Virginia in 1913, in the