The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-09-28
SQUATTER SOVEREIGNTY vs.. POPULAR
'"o haa SOVEREIGNTY.
DOUGLAS AMONG THE GERRY RES
r. CUERS"
JEFFERSON'S VIEWS OF CONGRESSIONAL PRO-
HIBITION OF SLAVERY.

HIBITION OF SLAVERY.
Mr.. DOUGLAS was received at Syracuse,
as he was at other places in New York
Thousands upon thousands hocked to hear
him. We present several new points made
in his speeches at that place. Mr.. DoUG-
LAS said:
SQUATTER AND POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY.
FELLOW CITIzENs-This morning an old
fashioned Aboitionist called on me and
made special request that l would to-day
explain the difference between Squatter Sow.
ereignty and Popular Sovereignty as ap-
piled to the territories of the United States.
The term Squatter Sovereignty was first
applied to the inhabitants of Oregon before
their territorial organization by Mr.. Cal.
houn as term of reproach and ridicule.-
For many years the country known as Ore
gon was in dispute between Great Britain
and the United States, and was subjected
to the terms of treaty of occupation
by either party. During that period many
British subjects in the employment of the
Hudson Bay Company settled in the north
ern part OF the territory, and many Amer
leans, under the protection of the Metho-
dist Missionary Society, settled in the south.
ern part OF the territory. These American
settlers in the Valley of the Willamette, on
the south side of the Columbia river, ap.
piled to Congress to establish a territorial
government for their protection. Congress
denied their request, on the ground that so
long as the treaty with Great Britain, stip-
ulating that neither party should occupy the
territory, remained in force, it had no right
to givea government to the American citizens
residing there. Thus left without protec-
ton OF law, without government, and with
out any means of defence, the American
settlers assembled together and established
a government of their own. That govern
ment consisted of legislative department,
and an executive department and judicial
depar tment, all elected by the people, and
exercising such powers as the people con-
terred upon them. For many years the
settlers in Oregon goverend themselves un.
der that provisional government, without
any recognition or protection from the gov
eminent of the United States. Under it.
marriages took place, children were born,
parents died and their estates were divided
amongst their heirs, contracts were made,
and all the business of society was conduct
ed until after the joint treaty of occupation
had ceased.
In l848, l, as chairman of the Commit
tee on Territories in the Senate, brought
forward bill to organize the Territory of
Oregon. In that bill, incorporated a
provision declaring all the acts done under
the provisional government valid and legal,
and continuing in force the laws that were
then In existence, until the people under the
new Territorial government should change
the same. Among those laws which the
people of Oregon had thus adopted for them
selves was one prohibiting African slavery
in the Territory of Oregon.
MIR. Calhoun denounced that provision of
the bill, thus recognizing the validity of the
laws OF that provisional government, and
In his objection to it said, that the settlers
In Oregon were mere trespassers that they
We're ''Squatters" on the public land, with
out title, and without the authority of law ;
that the government which they had estab-
lished was 'Squatter' government and
had no other validity than "Squatter Sow
ereignty." My reply to him was in sub
stance this: That every civilized people on
earth were entitled to a governmental
whenever any country or nation refused to
extend the protection of its laws to any por.
tion of its people, the failure to do so was a
consent that they might protect themselves
until the government should extend laws to
them.
The bill which Congress adopted on my
motion, only recognized the laws passed by
the provisional government of Oregon, un
til the people of the organized territory
should have time to decide for themselves
whether they would retain them or not
lCheers]. There you find the origin of the
TEN OF " Squatter Sovereignty" Since
that time this odious epithet of !" Squatter
Sovereignty has been applied to differ
ent state of things.
sQUAT7ER SOVEREIGNTY GOVERNMENTS NOW
IN EXISTENCE.
We now have three distinct squatter SOW
ereignty governments in the United States
ritOries in violation of the law and in de.
tiance of the United States government.
The first one to which will invite your at
tention, is the settlement now known as
" Pixies Peak" You all know flor every
newspaper mail that comes from the Far
West brings you the intelligence) that some
70 or 10000 American citizens have
settled around Pixies Peak, and are en-
gagged in digging gold, laying out towns,
making farms, and establishing communi-
ties. By what authority are those people
found in that country The land upon
which they are settled belongs to the
Indians. The Indian title has never been
extinguished, and the laws passed by Con.
gress In reference to it, provide that no
white man shall enter that country without
licence. Every settler who has gone
there, has incurred penalty of thousand
dollars fine and six months Imprisonment,
tor entering the Indian country in violation
OF the law reserving it to the Indians. The
settlers have taken possession of the coun-
try belonging to the Indians, there, in
violation of law. They are laying out
towns and have established government in
defiance of the authority of Congress. They
have suspended the Governor of Kansas
Territory, by electing an Executive of
their own. They have superseded the leg
islature Of Kansas by substituting one Of
their own. They have superseded the
Judges appointed by the President by ap-
pointing one of their own. They are laying
out cities and town lots and they are impos-
;nn fovoo upon those <o-,- Ia. uu.