The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-09-08

Last IN the 0ruer or the alpHhbet Us tui
Douglas party, whose single cry1s "popula'
sovereignty;" iast also in character fol-
who can respect what We know to be deceit
The statesman POUNDS himself on principles
sometimes it il bic Office TO frame expedenis
bat popular sovereignty, as now put for.
ward, is not principe--oh, no not even
an expedient; il is nothing but device, o
pretext, ar evasion, a dodge, "a trick, q hoeus
pocus, in order to avoid the commanding
question, whether Slavery shall be prohibited
10 the Territories. That is all.
All hail to popular sovereignty in its true
glory! This is that grand principle first an
nounced in the Declaration Of Independence,
which IL destined TO regenernte the world.
1t ia embodied in those famous words adopt.
ed bv the Republican Convention at Chicago:
/ that among the inaIlenable rights of all men
4 are life, liberty and the pursuit Of happiness;
and that TO secure these rights governments
are instituted among men, deriving their
I Just powers from the consent Of the governed.
/ These are sacred words, full of life giving
4 promise.
I All existing governments, at that time
even The local governments OF the colonies
stood on POWER, without Limitation. Here
was new government, which, as it took it's
I place among the nations, announced that il
was founded on RIGHT, and claimed no SOW
vereignty that was not oonsistent with right.
Such is The popular sovereignty of the De-
claration of Independence.
And yet this transoendeDt principle is now
degraded into q dodge, and the sacred name
Of popular sovereignty is prostituted to COW
or a claim 10 enslave our fellow men. 1t is
urged that handful of squatters may right
fully decide this claim, and the time -bonored
traditional power Of Congress in the Terri
tories is denied, or voted down. To protect
this "yillany'-as John Wesley would call
1.-THE right of the people to govern them
selves is invoked, forgetting that this divine
right can give no authority to enslave others
-tbaa even the people are not omnipotent--
and that never do they rise so high as when,
recognizing the everlasting laws OF right,
they stoop to the behests of justice.
But though bearing the name OF Douglas,
and now pedded through the country by him.
this contrivance liz not OF his invention. IL
comes from an older head. 1t first showed
itself in the Nicholson letter of l848, by
which Gen. Cass, as Presidential candi- /
date, sought tn avoid the Wilmot prnviso.-
Leborious, stndioas, exemplary 10 private |
life, and fertile in presexts, this venerable /
has afforded the formula by |
which men hare voted for Slavery, while /
making professions for freedom. lie is the |
author Of the contriyance-re rejected by every |
slave master, aud rejected by every lover Of /
freedom, whose eyes are open--which, under
the nick name of squatter sovereignty, has
been the device Of doughfaees, enabling them
sometimes TO deceive the public, and some I
times even to deceive themselves. Owing to
tie peculiar condition of public opinion at
that time, not yet siiifened against the com
promise OF human rights, his very vacia. I
tion pot him in harmony with the public and
gave 10 him q commanding position. Once
for the Wilmot Proviso, which asserted the
power Of Congress over the Territories, and
then for pretended popular sovereiguty,
v hich denied this power, he became the pen
datum between Freedom ari Slavery, and,
thus swinging, impaired motion 10 sham
Democracy.
. be device next showed itself on the
passage Of the Kansas Nebraska bill. and
here II became trick, as appears by tho
open confession If one of the parties TO ID
and trick il has continued ever since liz
was proposed TO repeal the old prohibition
Of slavery in the Missouri Territory. estab
ished IS part OF the Missouri COMPROMISE.
But, instead OF doing this openly and pre-
,Ise ly-saytug in 90 may words that this pro-
vision was epealed--language was devised
By which 10 mystify the whole question:
Then appeared that "4tump speech in the
belly OF tie biii,o according to Col. Benton,
declaring that the intent VAS 60 leave tie
people perfectly free to form and reg nlate
ber domestic Institutions in their own way.
Subject oD!y 20 the Constitution of the Uni.
ed States As the fatal bin containing
hese words passed in the gray of the morn.
og, Gen. Cas-, rising from his seat re.
member well the eeene--e exclaimed, sThis il
be triumph Of squatter sovereigutvo The
'ld prohibition Oh Slavery was overthrow.
and bis Nicholson letter was yindieated.
And now note we'll the trick. The slave
masters who voted for these words rejected
with scoru the idea that the handful Of
'qualters could exclude Slavery. According
70 them, Slavery went with the Constitution.
md vas beyond the control Of the sQuatters
But the formal assertion Of the dogma would
1ave caused trouble, and it was accordingly
disguised 10 these familiar words, ssubieet
MY 20 the Contribution Of the United
states." Mr, Benjamin Of La, in his re- i
'enl speech, lets os behind the scenes. lie /
els vs. that at a caucus Of Senator'S .sboth :
sings o. The Democracy agreed that each {
'hould maintain lis particular theory before 1
~ F"V'fOV"l S'ue SUSTAINING sQuattDr
avereignty and the other protection to /
slavery in the Territories, but rledeing
themselves TO abide By the decision of the
supreme Court, whatever it might be. - :
such was the secret conspiracy concealed !;
or long time from the pubiib, and only re.
'ent'y revealed. and Mr.. Douglas was a !
laFty to il.
Had lhe popular sovereignty of Mr.. Doug.
as been reality and NOT sham; had i ,
'een sincere recognition of popular rights
instead OF trick 10 aYoid their recognition !
e could not have been party to such de-
eFiion. Bat this IL not all. While nrofess.
hg popular severe gutv, ahat does his hin
saiIy confer upon the people? Not thu :
lgbt 10 organize their own government ae
eFmlning for themselves its form and nh+~
steF Tor all this was done By act of Con. 3
ress. Nor The right u nhnnse Tic nrnan....