Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-07-21
THE sQUATTER SOVEREIGNTY sQUIz-
HLE.

10. Lane democratic Vice to Breckenridge,)
has written letter, accepting the nomination,
in which he says:
'Non-interycntion on the subject Of Slavery may
emphatically say, is the cardinal maxim Of the DEM
crney-non-nterven,ion by Congress, and non inter
yenion by territorial Legislatures; as is fully stated in
tile first resolution Of the adopted PLATFORM
liersche " johnson, the Douglas candidate
for Vice President, is reported TO be Sound"
on "squa,ter sovereignty" as follows:
"Slave property stands on the same footing rs all
other descriptions Of property and neither the Gem
eral Government, nor any Territorial Government,
destroy or impair the right TO slave property in
the territories and more than the right TO any other
description of property property OF NIL kinds slaves
well ms any other species of property in the
tories, stands upon the same equal and broad Constu
onal basis, and subject 10 like principles of recogn-
ton and protection in the legislative, Judicial and ex-
ocutive departments Of the government
Now what is the difference between these
two Vices? They are equally vicious that is
all. But look higher. Mr. Breckenridge said
at Frankfort, Kentucky last December:
Gentlemen, bow to the decision Of the Supreme
Court Of the Untad States upon every question with
in its proper jurisdiction whether it corresponds with
my private opinion not only, bow q irife lower
when it happens 10 do so, the decision in the bred
Scott case does. ! approve it in all its parts as
sound exposition Of the law and constitutional rights
Of the States and citizens that nhabit them.
To approve the decision Of the Supreme Court in
the bred Scott case. would seem to settle the whole
question Of Territorial sovereignty, us think will
presently appear.
II the present remedies adequate to sustain tho Sc
decisions, would have nothing more done. l. with
many other public men in the country, believe they
are abe II they are not if they cannot be enforced
for want OF the proper legislation To enforce them
sufficient legislation must be passed, or our Govern
ment Is fai urc.'
Mr.. Douglas, while not concedng that the
bred Scott decision is so explicit as Mr.. Breck-
inridge contends, takes ground which practical
ly amounts to the same thing, as appears in his
New Orleans speech, as follows:
"Thc Democracy of Illinois, in ihe first place, nc
ccpts the decision of the Supreme Court Of the Uni
ted States, in the of bred Scott us an authorta
| tive Interpretation Of The Constitution.
In accordance with that decision, hold TINT slarts
are property, aud hence on IN equality with all other
kinds of property; and the owner of slave has the
same right to move into Territory, aud carry his
slave property with him, as the owner of any other
property las TO go there and carry his property.
And now take the last new plank in the
Platform adopted by the Douglasites at Balti-
more:
Mr.. Wicklihe of Louisiana offered the following
resolution which he said would give Mr. Douglas forty
| thousand majority in his State
Rtsotred, That it is in accordance with the Cncin-
nat platform, that during the existence of the terri
torial governments the measure Of restriction what
it may be- placed by the Federal Constitution on
iect of the domestic relations he same shall be- or
shat hedrqtter be finally determined By The Supreme
| Court Of the United States, should be respected by all
good citizens, and enforced with prompnes aud el-
~ by every branch of the General Government.
MIR. Paine of Ohio called for the previous question:
whom the resolution adopted
The Convention then AFTER the passage of several
unimportant resolutions adjourned sine die.
Now the Supreme Court already decided that
slaves are property, and as such can be taken
into territory like other property; that Con-
grcss has no right to do any thing with it but
to protect it; and that neither Congress nor
the territory can exclude slavery. Douglas is
pledged to submit; Breckenridge submits ;
Lane and Johnson submit sham democracy
submits. Where is Squatter Sovereignty? 1t
has gone down, down. down-and you can see
nothing of it but the hole where it went down.
Vermont Waterman.