Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1860-10-18

sense. Aud how ? Will,it give him the right
to elect his own governor or judges or magis-
trates Not so. Will it allow him to insti
tute his own judiciary system, and inaugurate
any code of public instruction or improvement
which is denied him now? Not So Will it
allow him te enact any Law in his territorial
legislature, which will not be subject to the
veto of Congress or the President Not so,
not so. The territory not being sovereign, all
it does must undergo the inqusition and dlcta
of the home government at Washington. In
fact the sole aud only right it contemplates
conlering, additional, is that of deciding upon
the admission or prohibition of slavery in the
territory. And here the privilege will be
merely nominal. Slavery, if it goes at all,
will go with the first ten or first hundred set
tiers under squatter law. Before territorial
organization can be effected it will be an in.
sttution cotermnous with the boundries of the
territory, mocking any effort to expel it. Pre-
ciscly the same if freedom is the order of pro-
gress,-the first ten or one hundred will set
tie the question before protecting or prohibi-
tory code can be brought to bear. What then
the need of conyulsing the country with this
exciting question, but to make some demago-
que president?
1t is plausible because il promises to trans
fer the agitation OF the slavery question from
halls of Congress to the territorial arena. But
will it? Let the settlement of the Missouri
question answer Whichever way the terrific
~ may decide, the same violence which then
shook the union to its centre will be inevitable
Let Kansas answer the question. In fact,
Popular Sovereignty proposes two theatres of
agitation and violence instead of one-one
theatre is the territory where the struggle
commences, the other the Capitol IN Wash
ington where it ends In the one, the pioneers
and settlers will grapple in the conhict,-in
the other, representatives and senator's and
Judges. aud cabinet officers, and presidents,
will mingle in the fight. The first quarrel will
be based upon protection and prohibition
the last upon admission as a state.
But if the principle Of Popular Sovereignty y
should be accepted by the people, how long
will it stand As long as the Missouri Com
promise line stood think you? No, not o
fourth of that time. 1t came with the tide
of agitation, it will 90 with it and some other
quack will put forth his nostrum, assuring a
perfect cure as this does. Since the repeal of
the Missouri Compromise, charlatans and ad.
Yenturers with the brains of cats have launch
ed their scallop shells upon this great sea Of
political experiment, promising all things with.
out the power Of performing any. They have
glutted the market with their placebos and
false pretences, ana the people are beginning
to return to the time honored principles of
their fathers.
The Popular Sovereignty claimed b. the
colonies before the Revolution, was not the
Popular Sovereignty of SEQ. They were
crushed but who will say that the territories
Of this Union have been deprived of single
right which freemen prize, except in the soli-
tary case of Kansas Twenty territories, or
whereabouts, have come in as states since the
adoption Of the federal constitution, and al
though. in the instance of Missouri, there was
a struggle, yet its memory had heen oblitera-
ted aud aud forgotten. The violence and
bloOd-Shed in Kansas, are not TO be placed TO
the fault Of our territorial system.-they arose
from the folly and tyranny of the federal exc
cutive of the experimentation the reckless
ness and ambition of those whose threat well
crush you still fingers in a million hearts, and
whose right hands will in November next, play
the same crushing game
The colonies had acquired title, a right to
sovereignty They were three millions, not
three hundred their arms rested upon the
Atlantic on one side and the AlLeganies on
the other. They looked ont upon long line
of sea-coast from the Bay of Passamaquoddy
to the Gulf of Mexico,-they had statesmen
and warriors and orators aud yeomanry
burning for freedom Why should they not
be sovereign and independent Caro-.