Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-09-13
1lulitital Rea1ing,
The Cincinnati Platform.

| He, therefore, ought 10 know whs
is in it. Ee made a speech in WASH
Iington on the night of the 25tI
June, and here is what he said abou
Squatter Soyereignty:-
| l E.ay say here tonight that
made all of the Cincinnati Platform
which bears on this question, ant
therefore / think ! understand j
and have some little right to ex
pound it. And affirm OF that
platform that it has not, nowhere ii
it or under it, BY line, sentence, ol
word, or construction, or possible
conception, one word Of "squa.tel
sovereignty"
Squatter sovereignty, if it have
any meaning, means that the legis,
laturs ola newly organized Terrific
ry, at its FIRST session, can prohibit
and destroy the right of the citizens
of all the States 10 come into that
Territory with their slave property
But the Cincinnati platform de.
nles that power in the most explicit
terms. After announcing "NoN-IN-
TERFERENcE" by Congress as the rule,
lit fixes the precise time when alone.
and not before, the PEOPLE Of a Ter
ritory can intervene and act upon
slavery; and that is when forming a
construction for State. Itsums up
The whole power Of the Territories
over slavery thus
"Resolved, That We recognize the
right of the PEOPLE of the Terrific
ries, (not the Lsgislature) whenever
the number Of their inhabitants justi-
fiss it, to form a Constitution. with
or without slavery, and be admitted
into the Union upsn terms ofperfect
equality with the other States
Thus it is defined that the right of
the people Of a Territory to settle
the status Of slavery begins only
when they begin to form a constitu-
tion, and not before. That is the
Cincinnati platform, clear and palpa-
bic. and in no Nise liable justly to a
doubIeface construction. a nd it
fixes this sovereign power OF de-
stroyipg or impairing property, at the
time of making a Constitution. for
very sound reason. 1t is this:-A
Territoria! Legislat ure can raise no
revenues from the people, but is IT.
sell merely the paid agent and SER
want Of the General Government and
therefore Can have no power to take
property from citizens, because it
has DO power to compensate them
for taking away their property
When it becomes State it has that
sovereign power, and may justly ex-
ercise it, because it will provide, as
in all State Constitutions, that pri-
vate property shall not be taken
away without adequate compensation.
But plain as the Cincinnati plat.
form is, it has been subjected to
misinterpretation, and squatter-sov-
ereign:y, instead Of popular sou
ereiqnfu. has been attempted to be
ipttrpolated in l.. THIS was one
ccmmon-sense reason Why it should
b e fairly explained. Moreover
when the Cincinnati platform wa'
made, there was judicial question
not decided as TO the precise time
when the people ola Territory shoul'
determine the slavery question io'
themselves under the Constitution
Now the Supreme Court, since th'
adoption of the Cincinnati platform
has decided that the power does no
begin ill the Constitution beglns.-
Hence the single question Tor tn
Convention at Charleston was, wheth
or they would make an explicit de
elara,ion on this point explanation.
of the true intent and meaning
North and South, of tae Cincinnati
platform ia this respect.
Tell me, was not that just an
reasonable demand, that itshonid D
explained and put upon record ue !,
/ yonl doubt or cavils Such IS ID
Uniform practice in all del'oera!.on ,!,:1'
Of principles in seligion or po'',lc:
That was required touching 'n'
question Of territorial power ovt ',
the individual property rights OF 10
settlers in a Territory beiore 1t OF