The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-08-08
Tho COMPROMISES Of 1850,

is asserted that in advocating the doctrine of
territorial sovereignty he followed the policy
inaugurated by the enactment Of the compro-
misses, and that they established the principle
that the people Of Utah and New Mexico
have sovereign power over their internal
polity, slavery included. In one Of his recent
speeches, Douglas said:
The compromise measures Of 1850 were
adopted, peace was restored, and the country
again reunited. N0tc let me ask gou upoa
tciat principles do the compromises regt2 Er-
anime bills, search the records, and you acW
fad the great princiP7e mdiot u1sderltes those
measures IS the right Of tie peepEe Of each State
and each Territory, anjiiIe q IaTtoyy to de-
eide this question ja- t3case2res- TIE compro-
mise meas ures Of 1850 asserted the doctriiacs
qfaoa-iataoentioa and popular sovereignty.
We emphatically deny the proposition that
these organic acts establish the right of the
territorial authorities 10 exercise sovereign
power, as here claimed by the Squatter aspi-
rant to the Presidency; and in support of our
position we will appeal to the acts them
selves, which will show the facts to be exactly
the reverse Of what is stated by the author
OF the foregoing paragraph.
1t is averred tina. sovereignty is in the
people Of the Territories, and so left and
secured by the compromises of 1850, to them
Let US test this assertion by an examination
of the act organizing New Mexico. lis boun-
Diary is
The State of Texas cedes to the United
States all her claim to territory exterior to
the limits and boundaries which she agrees to
est blish by the first article Of this agreement
boundary beginning at the Colorado river,
where Mexican line crosses the same, thence
eaSterlv to the Rio Graude, thence following
that river to the parallel Of 81 deg north lat
itude thence east with said degree TO ITS IN
tersecuon with 1881 degree Of longitude west
of Greenwich, thence north on said degree OF
longitude to the parallel of the 3Sth degree OF
north latitude, thence west with said degree
to the summit of the Sierra Nevada, thence
west with the crest of said mountains to the
3Stn degree of north latitude, thence west
with said parallel to its intersection with the
boundary line of the State Of California,
thence along said boundary line to the place Of
beginning, and the same is erected into a tea9-
pOFUfy yctt' 'Httf't ~ eAi~ i4SN1A1N VI t-A L-t
tory of New Mexico.
Sec. Cd provides "That ,rdea admitted as a
State, the said Territory, or any portion OF the
same. shall be received into the Union, with
or without slavery, as their Constitution may
prescribe at the time Of their almtssioa'
Governor appointed by the President, for
four years, unless removed by the President
Of the United States, and "slaaU approve all
Ia,cg passed Jy the Lcqidatite AssezsHg jej6re
then Sha0 TUE 0ct;-may grant pardons
against the laws OF said TerTitory-shall com
mission all officers who shall be appointed to
office under the laws of the Territory, and
shall take care that the laws shall be exc
cuted.
Secretary, appointed by the President shall
record and transmit ali the laws to the Presi-
dent, &c, and act as Governor in his alb
senCe.
" Leqtslaticc pure, and authority in SAID
Territory shall Le rested ia tie GoreTHor aud a
LeqislatiUe Asssmly." Term Of service and
qualifications of members prescribed; census
provided for, and qualifications of voters; the
Governor to declare the proportion of Repre-
sentatiyes in counties, excluding Indians.
Legislature to meet at such place as the
Governor may appoint-no one session shall
exceed the term of forty days. Every free
white male inhabitant, above the age Of n
years, resilient Of the Territory at the time OF
the passage oEthis act, shall beentitlcd 10 vote
at the first election. Afterwards, the Legs
laturc may regulate this, provided that the
right of suffrage and Of holding Office shall be
| exercised by citizens Of the United States"
"IIe Legistotirep ore,' q n IsrrHory 2toH
eItc5ld to al rigiR subjects nj !e9isAatj0l', 5'pt
Inconsistent ,citt tie Coasttt.lsHt n he tjte5
States, All tie pTogtSt0as II tbs eet-but no
Law shall be passed interfering with the FrI-
mary disposal Of the soil; 10 tax shall be I'M
posed upon the property Of the United States;
nor shall the lands or other property Of non
residents be taxed higher than the lands Or
other property Of residents"
"All the laws passed by The Legislative
Assembly and Governor sLtN &c gl5aatta,i 70
| tie Congress Of tie United States, and i o.5-
approved Of, shall be null end # no effect
Governor, Judges, Attorney, Secretary and
Marshal. al. -apQ oial4-d ~ Inc Rr2zlden4
and Senate. 4uaI S0di IL iSaa4 All processes o.
the Courts and Territory.
! A delegate to be elected to Congress, having
the right to sit.
SEC. II. "And be ii further enacted, That
the Constitution, and all laws OF the United
States which are not locally inapphcable, shall
have the same force and effect within the
said Territory of New Mexico as elsewhere
within the United States.''
We have given the letter Or substance Of
the act; that Of Utah is exactly like it, except
as to boundary. The sections quoted are the
same in language in 10th acts.
LIST. There are limitations upon the Terri
tory qualified and absolute.
I'd. These resolutions affect and relate to
individual rights as well as property.
Sd. If Territory. like State, has the
right to sclf-governmcnt, why is it not an
exclusive right within its sphere of action,
like State
4th. There is wide and marked differ
ence between State and the Territory of
New Mexico which Mr. Douglas says has
secured her the right of self government.
9th. New Mexico does not establish her
organic act; does not establish her legislative,
judicial and executive departments; does not
appoint her Governor, her judges, her execu.
tive officers; does not prescribe qualifications
for her officers, her voters, nor have voice
in the Congress Of the United States; norhas
she power to make her own laws or execute
them.
9th. A State has the exclusive power over
all these subjects, subject only to the Consti-
tuition of the United States. Who ever heard
that Congress could make all State offices
dependent upon the Federal authority, rem
der all her laws imperative and of no effect?
The Territory of. New Mexico receives
her officers and organic law at the hands of
Federal authority. She finds that organic
act puts qualifications upon her action III all
the departments of government. She finds
that Congress sets bounds tc her taxation;
limits the right of suffrage; makes the Gov,
ernor's approval necessary to the passage Of
laws; makes such laws null and void if dis
approved by Congress; makes it necessary
that they shall be submitted to Congress for
approval.
Hence New Mexico has not BY her organic
act control of her internal polity; for she can
pass no laws Of herself She has no power
to enact, decide or execute them, in and Of
herself
The language Of the squatter candidate is
that ''Lte great principle ,eIScl aTadsr2.es bose
IS her{gat q ute people Of eatt STATE |
and Territory, SehHeo TERRITORY, to decide tie |
sloUay question for HcaseIreg.''
The fslIacy of this position has been al
ready seen by the reader Of the forego-
ing passages from the acts organizing New
Mexico and Utah. 1t has been seen that
sovereign power is not given, and does not
rise by construction. The language and
rue Interpretation of the acts are all the
,ther way.
Some other plea must be set up for the
detection and treachery of the semi-Abolition
andidate.
Burlingame.