The semi-weekly mountain Democrat., 1860-09-15
No "squatter Sovereignty" In the
Cincinnati Platform.

vocates Of the Douglas heresy are contin-
ually asserting before the country that
their doctrine Of "Squattcr Sovereignty"
is the fundamental principle and ground
work of the Cincinnati Platform, still no.
where in that instrument is there line
or sentence or word that, by any legiti'
mate construction, can be unde,ptood to
favor such doctrine.
"Squattcr Sovereignty" says Mr.. Hal
lett, of Massachusetts,, who, in u speech
delivered at Washington City last June,
tells us that he made all Of the Cincin-
natl Platform which bears on this qucS-
ton, and therefore has right to under
stand it," Squattcr Sovereignty, if it
have any meaning, means that the Legis-
lature Of a newly organized Territory, at
its first session, can prohibit and destroy
the right Of the citizens Of all the States
to come into that Territory or live in
that Territory with their slave property" !"
This power, Mr.. IIallett, the author afore-
said Of all that portion Of the Platform
which bears uron the subject, tells us is
not only not acknowledged, but is denied
in the "most explicit terms in that in
strumcnt.
While announcing NoX-ISTERrERENcE"
by Congress, the Cincinnati Platform also
fixes the precise time when alone, and not
before, the PEOPLE Of Territory can act
upon the subject Of slavery. That time
only arrives when their numbers justify
Congress in authorizing them to form q
State Constitution, and they have actually
taken the incipicnt steps towards doing
SO. The whole power Of the Territories
over slavery, is thus summed up in that
instrument
R6miyrd, That we recognize the right Of
the PEOPLE Of the Territories. mot the Lrgish-
turc.l whenever the number 0f their lnhabi-
tants jusiiiies it, To form n Constitution. with
or without slavery, aud be admitted into the
Nh'H NI'h Ctm9 '" ISliNNb wv
other States"
Could language be made more explicit:
Can any but those who arc wilfnlly Obtuse
misunderstood its import? Would any
but those who are so carried away by the
spirit of partisan zeal as to be lost to all
sense Of honesty and fair dealing, seek to
place any other meaning upon this reso.
luton. than the one which Mr.. lIallctt,
the author thereof, says he intended it to
have: If the right Of the people Of Il Ter
ritory TO settle the status Of slavery before
they begin to form constitution is con-
coded, or asserted, as the DouglasitcS con-
tend. by the Cincinnati Platform, where
is such concession or assertion to be found :
Will some wise Savant Of this new school
of new tangled Douglas Democracy tell
us: Surely the helanguage We have quoted
above from the Platform is clear and pal
pablo and uncquivocal cnough-it can not
Justly be liable to double.faced construc-
ton. 1t fixes the sovereign power Of dcs-
troying or impairing property at the time
Of making a constitution, AMI not before,
and in so doing it manifestS the wisdom
OF its trainers A Territorial Legislature,
having no authority to raise revenues from
the people, but being itself merely the
paid agent and servant of the General Gov
crnment, has no power to take property
from citizens. because it has no power Of
compensating them for taking away their
property. When, however, Territory
becomes State, assuming sovereign
powers, then the power to take a citizens
property from him, pro bono p"Jliro, com
mences, because the power to furnish ade
quatc compensation for the use of private
property also begins.
But plain and unequivocal ms the Gin
cinnati Platform is upon the point in qucs-
ton, different construction has been
attempted upon it. Instead Of advocating
Poputar Sorerrignty, as all candid minded f,
men must allow it does, the covert enc. !
mics Of Democracy, of whom Douglas is ,
the chief profess to believe that it advo-
Gates the pcrnicious hcrcsy of SYudtter
or as it has more aptly been
termed, mobocracy. This Sqnattcr Sow
creignty" Democracy never had existence
till Douglas started it into being. 1t is a
bastard child Of his own begettng. 1t is
an unnatural monster, the offspring of
the illicit intercourse Of the Little Giant"
with the harlot of Black Repub!icanism.
1t was conceived in sin and brought forth
in iniquity. 1t is doctrine that has no
foundation in truth, justice, reason, con-
sistency or common sense. 1t is neither
Democracy nor Black Republicanism. 1t
is neither white nor black, but an il.shapen,
ungainly beast Of an undefinable
color. 1t is neither hot porridge nor cold
porridgc, and being neither hot nor cold,
the people, whose tastes arc undcpraved,
will spew it out Of their mouths with loath-
ing and disgust, back into the faces Of
those who have the hardihood to attempt
to palm such unwholesome stuff upon them.
-$A~
HERE IS YoCR ANSWER. Sonora