Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-08-04
STATES RIGHTS IN TERRITORIES.

The National Democratic Platform, upon which
Mr.. Breckenridge is found, contains the following
declarations indiSputabe in truth, aud founded upon
visible and unluesti0nable justice:
"That the government Of :itory organized by
act Of Congress L. provisional and temporary and during
its existence all citizens Of the United States have
equal IN settle with their property In the Territory,
without their rights either Of person or property being
destroyed impaired by Congressional or Territorial
legislation.
THAT it is the duty the Federal in all
its departments, protect, when necessary the rights
If persons and p"rty the Territories and wherever
else its constitute NAL authority extends"
Tint is u say citizen ot slave State, 0s well as
the citizen Of free. has equal ownership in the com
mon Territories belonging tn the United states. nc
quired from the common treasury or by victorious
war in which Southern rs well as Northern States
participated. What, then, should hinder the emf
grant from Alabama from carrying with him property
recognized as such bv the ConStitution 10 terri
tory belonging to all the States and in which he
has us much Of ownership the emigrant from Mass
achuSetts. who takes therein his abolition library.
his Sharpes Rifles and antisluvcry pres, eS, and for
all Of which he claims protection! The Democratic
party claim privileges for the South which Is not
accorded to the North; but it d"es claim equal JUS
tice for both. II is like this father owns thou
sand acres Of unimproved land upon which he per.
miis his two sons 10 settle with the properties Of
their several avncatons. The one has herds, the
other is tler ofthr soil. Here says the father,
=" is some land which you Gun occupy I'LL rec uirc
remember that the land is mine, Ii shall not be di
vid@l I'LL my death; aud until then you must live
peaceably together, one clciming no more owner
ship than the other. but directly the sons quarrel
the older aud more powerful who tillS the land. says
TO the other, "you shall not bring hithcr vnur pred
atory cattle for they may break over and tramplc
:hy fields il you want tn stop here, ynu must follow
occupation like nv own; else shall drive yuu away"
The father mud owner Of the lind isappealcd to- and
he saws. "My Older son may take thither his plows
and harr0ws ind | will protect him in his rights ;
but have no power tn protect the other lthGcan I
protect himself let him leave True gave the land
hut guess I'll let EN- fight il out except that the
older Une shaH stop there with his property, any
! way" What would his neighhnrs say Of IA father
who, in his patcrna relations had exhibited gross
/ injustice, 80 contemplate Partially!
Mr.. Douglas Sq'mtter sovereignty doctrine is that
the older brother should get rid Of the younger
by vnrri,ady hyis!afiyRi That Is, the .w0 dispu-
ting brothers may regulate their territorial affairs
lin their own way = the older one having more dc
pendants and power may refuse to observe OF PUNISH
predatory lnrOads On the property OF the other who
| will, consequently, soon become impoverished and
have to give up the whole estate to the more pow
criul-Rlthough bOM by solemn declaration Of the
thcr, have r9nII right 10 the estates. Is not such
monstrUus doctrine Abonlinablc to every mind not
Frustrated By servile man Worship But this is Mr..
| Douglas squattcr sovereignty, and it is poorly
disguised plank in the Platform upon which thus
ambitious "litle Giant" intended Ia drive the Dem
OcraIc party before he would accept If their nOm-
nation From the first construction OF Human laws,
when has II been possible to devise more unjust
and oppressive policy, one more repulsive to Demo-
cratic equality, more likely to provoke domestic
strife aud appalling fratrcidc Sierra Citilsn.