The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-06-15

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the Legislature by whose votes these gentle.
men were elected, and by numbers of PROM
inent Democrats, who were present at the
capital from all parts of the State. 1t was
an elaborate afiair-ample time having been
allowed for the preparation of sentiments and
ofspeeches in reply. The third regular toast
of the evening was one addressed to Mr..
RI cE, in which he was complimented as "the
Champion of Democratic principles in Min
nesota-THE FEARLESS ADVOCATE
OF SQUATTER SOVEREIGNTY-the
Pioneer of Western civilization" We hap
pen to know that the sentiment of the toast
which we have capitalized, was embodied
therein at his own desire-though he was
not, of course, responsible for the compli.
mentary style of its phraseology. He de-
sired the mention of his connection with this
principle, as the basis for speech in its IA
vor, which, then at the threshold of his Sem
atorial life he there made, and in which he
gave prodigal protestations of his past, and
pledges for bis future, devotion to "Squat,
ter Sovereignty" Thus much for the posi-
ton of the Democracy of Minnesota, and of
HENRY M. RICE, in the campaign of 1857,
which resulted in his election to the United
States Senate.
To the doctrine embodied in the State
platform of 1857, the Democracy of Mime
sofa have remained unswerviugly faithful.
At the State convention of August, 1859,
the party reiterated its principles Of 1857 in
the following language
We, the Democracy of Minnesota, by our Del.
egates in Convention assembled, do affirm
and resolve:
FIRsT-That the States of the Union are SOW
ereign and equal; and the powers not express
ly delegated to the Federal Government are re-
tanned by the people of the States.
SECoND-That the people of the Territories
are justly entitled to the undisturbed regulation
of their local affairs, free from Intervention by
Congress or by any State, and subject only to
the Constitution of the United States; that, on
attaining the number of inhabitants equal to
the ratio of representation in the lower house
ganize State Government, and demand ad-
mission into Federal Union; and that, in the
organization of such State Government, the
People, by the will of the majority, fairly ex.
pressed at the ballot box, have the exclusive
right to adopt any constitution which does not
conflict with Republican form of government.
THIRD-The Democracy of Minnesota reiter.
ate, and fully endorse the National Democratic
platform adopted by the National Democratic
Convention at Cincinnati. in 1856, and further
declare that the institution of slavery, under
the Constitution of the United States, can only
become pertinent political question within the
State or Territory where it is proposed to es-
tabsh, retain, or abolish it; that the citizens of
| such State or Territory, respectively, have ex.
elusive jurisdiction of the subject matter within
its own limits; and that, therefore. Congress
has no power to establish or protect slavery in,
or to exclude slavery from, any of the Terrific
ries of the United States.
These doctrines, thus enunciated in 1857,
aud reiterated in 1859, constitute the plat
form of the Democracy of Minnesota on the
slavery question, and the rights of the PEG.
pie, in the Territories as we'll as the States
To this Democracy, as the source from
which he received bis position, Senator
RICE owes his allegiance. He is bound, by
every consideration Of personal and political
honor, to interpret their will or to resign
the Office which he holds at their hands,
How he has fulfilled these obligations, or,
rather, how he has utterly and inexcusably
violated them, is shown in his endorsement
of the DAVIS pro-slavery resolutions in the
federal Senate. These resolutions, which
we have repeatedly published, are, to all
practical intents, the same as those pre-.
scented to the Charleston convention by the
YANCEY school of disunionists, and for the
rejection Of which the slaveecode delegates
seeded from that convention.
We need not comment on this act of
political prostitution. The simple fact fur
nishes both the argument and the moral.
But there was one incident connected with
its preparation, which is curious as reveal
ing the extent to which Senator RICE, when
he had once compromised his honor, was
willing to go in his servility to the South,
and in his treachery to the North. After
the fourth of the DAVIS resolutions had been
passed, declaring the right of slave property
in the Territories to protection at the hands
of Congress, Mr.. CL1NaAAN, Of North Car
DINA, offered an additional resolution to the
effect that no present necessity existed for