The Van Buren press., 1860-06-22
Douglas and Squatter Sovereignty


Douglas and Squatter Sovereignty.
A very large proportion Of the southern
press and southern politicians, says the
Memphis Appeal, have studiously endeav-
ored to keep people in the dark as to the real
meaning of squattcr sovereignty, and the
position of MIR. Douglas. Many have gone
SO far as to say that he held to the doctrine
that the first handful of horse thieves or
highway robbers who might enter upon the
public domain, had u right to exclude the
southern holder, with his property,
thercfrom. a grosser pervcrsion OF the
truth was never pcrpetrated, and ranker in
Justice was never done a public man.
In the recent debate in the Senate be-
tween Messrs. Davis and Douglas, the lat
ter gave an exposition of his views on this
subject, which we append below. Will the
papers in the South, who have studiously
perverted Mr.. Douglas on the subject. give
the extract a place in their columns?
Mr.. Davis.-I ask the Senator from H.
linois to define what he meant by non-in-
tcrvcntion.
Mr.. Douglas-I understood him distinct
ly to ask me to define squatter sovereignty
Mr.. Davis.-I said you treated non-in-
tervention as synonymous with squatter-
sovereignty, and asked you several times
to define Intervention.
Mr.. Douglas.-I treated them as synony-
nous merely because tho Senator had used
them as convertible terms, and l replied in
the same sense, and only in that. But, sir,
in regard to this dogma of squatter sover-
eighty, that is a nickname that has been
given in derision, not by its friends. AS
first chrstened, so far as l know the de-
bates of this body, should have no objec-
ton to it. When the people of Oregon
found themselves without any government
when this government failed to extend
its laws over the Territory-they, on the
principles Of self defense, erected Il govern
ment of their own, provisional, temporary
in its character, and governed themselves
for many years wisely, justly and we'll
Mr.. Calhoun called that squatter sovereign
| ty. He said these people were there with
out authority of law, without any title to
the land, without any permission to so
there that they had set up government
without any authority from Congress under
the Constitution. They went by squattcr
right, and held by squatter title, and enact
ed laws by squatter sovereignty. That
was the origin Of it. 1t was defended then
only on the principle Of sell-defense, which
principle the Senator to-day has recogniZ-
ell and in the Oregon bill, to which he
has referred, there was provision when
we organized the territorial government,
that the laws then in force in that territory
by the authority of the provisional govern
mcnt formed by the people thereof, should
remain in force for certain time, unless
altered or repealed by the Legislature.
One of those laws was a prohibition of
slavery in the Territory.
There was the idea of a squattcr govern
ment under squatter authority excluding
slavery. Itexistcd by the same authority
rs a provisi iOnal government now exists in
Dakota the same authority as one now
exists in Nevada and exercises unlimited
squatter sovereignty over everything be-
cause there are no courts there to appeal to
by which their legislation can be annullcd.
If you arc opposed to that squatter sover-
eighty, why do you not bring in your bills
to organize regular Territories, abolish
these squatter governments, and institute
regular governments in their places You
have not an excuse that the chairman Of the
committee on Territories does not represent
your views. If these squattcr governments
arc such bad things, why do you not cor
rect them? l called the attention of the
Senate to it several weeks, if not months,
ago. Every man in Pixies Peak is there
in violation of law every man of then,
has incurred the penalty of 81 900 fine and
six months Imprisonment for going in vi
olaton of the Indian intercourse law, and
seizing, without authority, npon land to
which the Indian title is not extinguishcd
The Government looks on and sees the
laws violated, these people rushing in in
violation of treaty and law, establishing a
sGnatter government, setting up legisla-
turc anu governor of their own, passing
laws for laying out towns, selling town
lots, taxing property, and selling it for the
non payment of taxes. before the Indian
title is extinguished. There you have got
squa:tcr sovereignty. Why do you not
correct it? l have been calling your At
tention to it all the winter in the hope of
getting it corrected, but cannot do it.
Besides, the squatter government at
Pixies Peak is there in actual rebellion
against the regularly constituted territorial
government of Kansas. A squatter govern
ment has been set up inside of the terrific
rial limits of Kansas, in defiance of its au-
thority. a legislature has been sitting
there in defiance of the Territorial legisla-
ture, and the people there have superseded
the authority of Governor Medary, whom
you sent, by Governor Steele, whom they
elected in his place. There is squatter SOW
ercignty. l am against all that. l am for
the great principle of popular sovereignty,
of which President Pierce spoke in his
message; that is to allow the people of an
organized Territory to exercise all the
rights of selfgovernment according to the
Constitution, and no more. That is what
| am for, that they shall be held in subor-
dination to the Constitution and if they
violate it, their act shall be declared null
in the same way that the acts of a state
legislature are-by the courts. Then the
void acts, being SO declared, are void with
out any repeal, and you want no interven-
tion at all in that case
CMNA.-Later advices received from Chi
ma, state that the Chinese authorities have
accedcd to the terms Of the demands made
by the English and French in their recent
ultimatum. The Chinese agree to pay the
IexnenseS of opopinO Cb;roeo