Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-11-08
Squa1ter SoVereignty---T Right
Of Slave Property to Protection.


ure Of local law, and that where
here is no law authorizing or pro-
-eeting slavery. there can be 70 sla-
very. Many Of Mr. Douglas Southern
followers do not like to swallow bis
doctrine, bat he forced it down them
from every stump. This heresy
of Mr.. Douglas is in direct contra
diction to the true Democratic doc.
trine, that the Federal Government
was formed, among other things, for
the protection Of our property Of all
sorts, and as there was no discrlmln-
alton made against slavery When
the Constitution was framed, no one
has tight to discriminate against it
now. To show what the great men
of the past generation thought about
this matter, re refer to one instance.
10 1888, the brig Enterprise called
from the District Of Columbia for
Charleston, S. c. She had slaves Oh
board. She Was forced by stress Of
weather into Port Hamilton. Ber-
muda Island, where the slaves on
board were foIcibly seized aBd de-
tanned by the LEGAL authorities.
The owners Of the slaves applied
to the British Government for re.
Enumeration, which Great Britain re-
fused under Judge Douglas Squat
ter Sovereignty doctrine, that slavery
was the creature Of local law, and
that there being no local law in
Bermuda Island authorizing or pro-
tec,ing slavery, therefore, the mo-
ment the slaves landed on that Is
-land they were free.
Mr.. Calhoun brought the question
before the Senate in the following
resolutions which he drew up for the
occasion:
s".ReS0lycd, That a ship ora vessel
en- the high seas in time Of peace
engaged in lawful voyage, is, &C
cording to the laws OF nations. under
the exclusive jurisdiction Of the
State to which her aag belongs, as
much so rs if constituting part OF
her own dominion.
"Resoleed, That if such ship or
vessel should be forced by stress OF
weather, or unavoidable csuse, into
the port Of friendly power, she
would under Tie same laws, lose none
Of The rights appertainios to her on
the high seas; but N the contrary
she and ner cargo and persons on
board, with their property, and al! the
rights belonging to their personal re.
lations, as established By the laws Of
the State 10 which they belong, would
be placed under the protection which
the laws Of nations extend to the
unfortunate under such circumslan.
ces.
"Resoired, That the brig Enter
prise hich WAS forced unayei'iably
by stress Of weather into Port Ham.
ilton, Bermuda Island, wbin on u
lawful voyage Oh the high sea from
one port in The Union to another,
comes within the principles embraced
in the foregoing resolutions; and that
the seizure and detention OF the ne
groes on board by The local authority
Of the Island was an act in violation Of
the laws Of patiOns, aud highly IN
just 10 our own citizens to whom
they belong"
The resolutions were referred to
the committee on foreign relations,
which reported them back with some
slight alteration. not affecting or i'm
pairing their force, and in that form
they were unanimously adopted by
the Senate. Although there was no
opposition to them the importance
Of The occasion Justified a record Of
the vote; and they were accordingly
taken by yeas and uays-or rather
by yeas, fer there were no nays
This was one Of the occasions Oh which
the mind loves to dwell, when on
question purely sectional and South
ern and wholly in the interest of
slavegproprrty. there was no division
of sentiment in the American Sen.
ate.
What becomes nos Of Squatter
Sovereignty or the doctrine that
slavery is the creature of local law?
n