Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1860-05-26
POPULAR SovER ElGN expression

POPULAR SovERE,GNTy.-Ibi, expression
is very common among politicians just now
saws the N. O. Bulletin, but We dou"t if its
origin and its meaning are we'll understo' d.
1t is used in reference to slavery in the Ter
ritories of the United States, about the gov
eminent of which there is so much diversity
of opinion. The Republicans assert the doc
trine that Congress has entire power over
the subject, and may Iegislate slavery into or
out of any territory. The Southern men AVID
some Northern Democrats assert that Con-
gr-ss has no such power. that a Territorial
Legislature, estahlishe! BY Congress. canno.
have any higher power than Congress, aud
that consequently there is no power to affect
slavery within a Territory until a State gov
erament is being formed. Senator Douglas
aud his friends agree with neither of these
notions. They saw that Congress has no
such power, but that a Territorial Legisla-
ture has the power and the light t, do SO,
and this they call Popular Sovereignty.
while by its opponsnts it is nick"am-d
Squatter Sovereignty. In the Dred Scott
case, Chief Justice Tanev, ia delivering the
opinion Of tn Court, did decide that slavery
was in the Territories nv virtue Of the Com
stitutlon, that Congress had no right TO legis-
late about it, and added, land if Congr.ss
ea~aot do this-JH is beyond the poorer confer.
red on tie Fed<ral Covernmcsi-it mW be ad-
united, ,e presume. hut it could not authorize a
Territorial Gorernment to rrercise Mem.' The
opponents Of this doctrine Insist that, as that
was not the point expressly decided. they are
not bound by the views of the Court, and
that a political platform need not be con-
troIled by judicial decisions. This is the
brief, yet full statement Of the question Of
Popular Sovereignty.
THE ACT OF S~EcEssioN.-Tue Louisiana
Democrat. (AIexandria) of the 9th instant,
speaks as follows of the Louisiana delegates
from the Charles on Convention:
1t is. however, not yet proved 10 our entire
satisfaction, that the seeding delegates might
n 1 have remained in the convention con>is-
tently. With a little more patience. il APP
pears to us that a Reorganization Of the princi-
pie contended for, I'm n modified form and
extremely moderate terms peihaps,l might
have been obtained. By the remaining, too,
they would probably have secured the defeat
o. any very Objectionable candidate.
The Democrat is correct, and the same
view Of the matter is trkfn by at least two
thirds Of the people Of this State, and we
conscientious!y believe, of every Southern
State. There was certainly more hope Of
etfecting the great object Of the South in The.
Convention than oct OF il, but the programme
of operations of the Southern Administration
Democracy would have been materially in
terfered with had they remained in after
they conl.! not defeat the < eat object of
their hatred-DouGLAs A little concession
on both stiles would hive settled the dif6cul.
a firmly organized national party in the field
against the sectional Black Republican. AS
it is, We must hope, tor the best aud trust to
see the Democracy reconcile their differen-
ces at Baltimore. II it is not lone their doom
as a party is sealed
--
TIE CnlcAGo NoM,sEEs-The Memphis
Enquirer seems to have a very poor opinion
Of the Chicago nominees, as who has not
and thus in a very small space condenses vol
nmes Of criticism upon those gentlemen
Says the Enquirer. in our opinion, the nom
ina:ion Of LINCOLN, as it was intended, takes