Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-07-26
The CIncinnatti PIatGorm

r. F. HALLEr of Massachusetts, is the author OF
the Cincinnati Platform. He, therefore, ought to |
ougbt 70 know what is in it. We heard him make |
a sneeeh in Washington on the night of the 18th
Jrne and here is what he said about Squatter Sow
ereignty
nav sav here tonight that made all of the
Cincinnati Platform which bears this question
and therefore | think understand it and have some
little right to expound it And athrm OF that pat
form that it has not, nowhere IN II OF uhuer ~; "
line or sentence word, or construction, OF poss
ihle conception lone word of "squatter sovereignty
Souatter sovereignty, if it have any meaning
means that the legislature OF newly organizgu Ier
ritory at its first session. can prohlolt anu destroy
the right of the citizens of all the states 10 coie
into that Territory or live in that Territory with
| their slave property. But the Cincinnati platform
denies that power in the most explicit terms. AFTER
announcing ''NON-lNTERFERENCE' by Congress as lhe
rule it fixes the precise time when alone anu not
| before the PEOPLE of Territory can intervene anu
! act unon slavery; and that is when forming con-
stitution for State. 1t sums up the whole power
| of the Territories over slavery thus -
P.oled That recognize the right Of the rsorLE OF n
int the Lezislature) the number Of their
inhabitants juspiAes it, TO form aConstuuon, Win OF ~ S
slavery, and he admitted into the Union upon terms VI P
| 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 Constitution ana
I NOT before That is the Cincinnati PLATFORM cleaf
and nalnabe and in no wise liable justly to double
| faced construction. And it fixes this sovereign
mower of destroying impalring property AT the
time of making Constitution for very SOUND rea-
son f. is this:-A Territorial 1t gisature can raise
no revenues from the people, but Is ltseLl merely
the maid agent and servant of the General Government
| and therefore, can have no power to take property
from citizens because it has no power 10 cOmpeh-
sate them for taking away their property. Nhen
it becomes a State IL has that sovereign power ana
NAV Justly exercise it, because it will provide as
in ali State Constitutions, that private property
shall not be taken away, without adequate copeh-
saton. ..,1o,
But pain as the Cincinnati platform is, 1t has been
sube,ted to msinterpretatiOn, and squatter-soFer
eighty Instead of popular Sovereignty has been at
tempted to be interpOated IN It. Tins was one com
nonsense reason why it should be fairly explained
+! Moreover. when the Cincinnati platform was made
there was judicial question not decided as 10 'Lt
nrecise tire when the people Of Territory shoulu
determine the slavery question for themselves un
der the Constitution. Now the supreme Oour'
since the adoption of the Cincinnati PLATFORM, ma
decided that the power does not begin till the Con
stituticn begins. Hence the single question tor tt
Convention at Charleston was, whether they wOull
make an explicit declaration on tins point explah't
i tory of the true intent and meaning North aho
: | south of the Cincinnati platform in this respect
Tell me was not that Just and reasonable de
mand, that it should be explained and put 1poi
l. record beyond doubt cavl! Such Is the uniform
practice in all deliberations OF principles IN re
>, gion or politics. That was required touchlhg thl
question of territorial power over the lndlVluua
property rights of the settlers in Territory De1or
l. It becomes State; and how can any talr-mlnde'
man say that it ought to be kept open to douOI
- construction North and South? As honest men, w
= could net preach two opposite doctrines from IN
" same text in the same church, and, therefore, III
y Democratic party when re-constructing Its plat
= form to place a candidate upon it, were bound
. declare lust what they meant b. popular soVer
:. | eipntyn as applied 20 the Territories