The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-09-28

in violation of law. That is what / cal
" Squatter Sovereignty"
ana now let me ask you what our Fed
eral Government has been doing while these
laws were being violated A.? IA voice.
Turning all our friends out of Office
Laughter. Why has not Mr. Buchanan
enforced the laws and kept these trespassers
OFT Indian lands? called the attention Of
the United States Senate, last winter, sew
eral times to this condition of things, and
demanded either that the President should
turn these settlers off the lndain lands, or
that Congress should pass law legalizing
those settlements. l called upon the chair.
man OF the committee on territories, who
had superseded me, to follow my example in
relation to Oregon, and bring in bill to
organize the territory of Pixies Peak-to
legalize the action of the settlers there, and
thus by law convert "Squatter Sovereign
ty" into " Popular Sovereignty" Tim
mense applause3 Here you find the dis
junction between those two terms. "Squat-
ter Sovereignty" is where the people 60 and
seize upon the public domain, and set up a
government in violation of law and in def
ance of the authority of the government.
Popular Sovereignty" is where the peo-
pie have settled in pursuance of law, and are
exercising all the rights OF self-government
according to the Constitution of the United
States. loud and long continued ap-
plause.)
l am in favor of Popular Sovereignty
CHEERS and l am in favor of either en-.
forcing the laws of the land against these
trespassers and intruders, or of legalizing
their settlement by giving them govern
ment according to the constitution and the
laws of the land.
HARD RUB FOR BUCHANAN
But while the President of the United
otates-his Cabinet-the newspapers in
his pay-and his federal office holders are
denounciDg' "Squatter Sovereignty" you
connot induce them to carry out their oaths
of office and enforce the laws against that
"Squatter" settlement at Pixies Peak.
(Cheers.) The President is bound by his
oath to enforce those laws, but be has al
lowed them to be violated every hour of the
day, and every day in the year, since the
first settlement OF that territory. fire.
mendous applause and cries of "Hear,
hear.") He thus stands by, sanctioning
"Squatter Sovereignty" aOhile making war
on me for maintaining "Popular Sovereign.
to-" Enthusiastic: applause.)
ANOTHER "sQUATTER" GOVERNMENT.
Fellow citizens, that Squatter Govern
ment at Pixies Peak is not the only case OF
the kind. Every newspaper mail from CAL
ifornla, brings you intelligence of the amount
of silver that has been dug from the Wa.
shoe mines. Now where are those fabulous
Washoe mines of which we hear so much?
They are situated on the eastern slope of the
Sierra Nevada, in the Territory Of Utah,
and with some portions extending into the
State of California. The miners in the
Carson Valley and its vicinity refused to
obey the laws of the Territory of Utah
which was established by Congress-; and
inasmuch as Congress failed to make q new
territory for them, they have gone to work
and set up government of their own, in
defanceiof the authority of Congress. This
government OF theirs is composed of legis
lative, a judicial and an executive depart
ment, and they are exercising all the powers
and functions of self-government. They are
exercising those rights and privileges out,
side of the Constitution, and in violation of
and in defiance of the authority of the Fede-
raj Government. And yet we find President
Buchanan and his Cabinet standing by and
seeing that act of rebellion against the Con.
stitutiOn and the laws, without using the
federal power to suppress it. l ask, then
why do not these men who have such an
horror of Squatter Sovereignty put down
these Squatter governments which now ex-
list in violation of law.
YET ANOTHER CASE.
l will now give you another case. A few
years ago Minnesota was admitted into this
Union as State. The State occupies jus,
One-half of the territory embraced under the
territorial government of Minnesota, and the
other half now remains without the protec-
ton of law. There is no government in
existence there, and no law which murder
or robbery can be punished, or worse still
a rape-or any other crime. Finding that
they had no legal protection, the people
have gone to work and established a gov.
eminent of their own-a "Squatter govern.
ment," formed in violation OF law and con
tempt of the Federal government.
Notwithstanding all these cases exist, the
Republican party on the one hand, and the
Federal Administration on the other, de-
nounce "Squatter Sovereignty" Why dc
not the Republicans who have majority in
the House of Representatives, pass bills, and
send them to the Senate, abOlishing these
squattern governments and establishing
lawful government in their place? Why
do not the President and his oficeholders
enforce their laws against those trespassers
In my opinion, it is the duty of this gov.
eminent to pass laws giving legal govern.
ments to those people. They should be
organized according to the Constitution
into political communities; the principle Of
popular sovereignty should then be applied
to them; and they should be left free tc
manage their own affairs in their own way
subject only to the Constitution of the
United States. l repeat, then, that the
distinction between squatter sovereignty and
popular sovereignty is, that the one is out
side of the Constitution and in rebellion
against the federal government the other
is inside of the Constitution and in obedi.
ence to the Federal authority. Loud con-
tinued cheers.
At the close of his able and convincing
speech, and after the applause with which it
had been received had somewhat subsidized,
Mr.. DOUGLAS again come forward, slip Of
paper having been handed up to him from