Year: 1859

out in open denunciation of the popular SOW
ereignty plank of the Democratic State Con


vention, held recently at Sacramento. That
plank is this:


RESOLVED, That the right Of the people of the


Territories to form all their domestic Institutions
in their own way, is absolute and complete, and


that we arc naturally opposed to any interference


with such right, either by the Legislative or Ex-
ccutive departments of the General Government.


The Express opposes this Resolution bit
terly, At a matter of course, then, it is op-
posed to popular sovereignty. As a matter
of course, it does not believe that the people
have the right toiform their domestic institu
tions for themselves. AS matter Of course,
it is in favor of interference by the Legisla-
tive and Executive departments of the Gov
ernment with the action Of the people in the
regulation of their domestic affairs. True
the Express affects to carp at the term "ab-
solute and complete right. fit is a righ,
at all, why should it not be an absolute and


complete right? What sort of a right would


1t be, If it were not an absolute and complete


right? Would you have it a Lalf right or a


piece of a right? But the Express says, in
order to constitute it an "absolutc and COM


plete" right, it must be right higher than


the Constitution of the United States. Why


so? There are many absolute and complete


rights which so far from being higher than


the Federal Constitution, arc especially recog


nized by it.


But, the Express again asseverates that the
right proclaimed in the above resolution is


not recognized by the Constitution. Will


that paper undertake to say that the Kansas.
Nebraska Bill was an unconstitutional meas
ure? Very well, that Bill distinctly recog-
nizes the right of the people to "form" their
domestic institutions in their own way
Form" is the term used-precisely the same
term that is used in the Resolution under
consideration. The Cincinnati Platform also
recognizes the same right, by the distinct use
of the same term.


Resolved" says the Douglas State Plat
form, chat the right of the people of the Ter
ritories to form all their domestic institutions
in their own way is absolute and complete
and that we are naturally opposed to any in
reference with such right, either by the Leg
islatiyc or Executive Departments of the
General Government"


Now, this is exactly what the Kansas-Ne


braska Bill declares and what has always
been recognized, until Lecomptonism sprung
up to dispute it, as the true Democratic doc
trine. The people are to be left perfectly
free to "form" their own domestic institu-
tions. When do they form their domestic in.
stitutions? Why, when they come to frame
State Constitution. But, if Congress steps
in, previous to the formation of State Con-
stitution, and, by the enactment of slave
code, fastens slavery upon the Territory, the
people are precluded from forming their do
mcstic institutions for themselves They find
the institution already existing among them
and they cannot get rid of it, because it is |
absolutely protected by the Federal Govern
nent, and certain vested rights are secured
lnder the institution which the people are
rot at liberty to touch.


We are gratified to see that the Express
las had the manliuess TO come out at last
with its real opinions We know where to
ind it 1t is distinctly opposed to the right |
If self'govcrnment by the people An hon
st confession is good for the soul, and much
good may this confession do the Express.


TREMENDOUS FLooD--THREE Men Drowned
OF PGopEETY-Unde this
leading the Nevada Democrat gives an ac-
count of sudden rise in the Sonth Yuba on
Monday last, which occasioned the death of
.hrec men and the destruction of much prop
arty:


A sudden rise occurred in the South Yuba
river on Monday morning, supposed to have |
been occasioned by the breaking away of a |
lam at the Eureka Lakes The water came
down Canon creek, and empted into the |
Yuba near Washington. about seven o'clock |
in the morning. At that place the river
rose about twelve feet and continued up for
three hours The flood carried everything
before it, and the miners working in the riy
cr bed were barely able to get out of the
the way Three Germans, who were en-
gagged in building wing dam near Missouri |
Bar, were caught by the food and drowned. |
We were not able to learn their names. The
iood reached Robinsou's Crossing, which is
ome % or so miles below Washington, a
title before twelve o'clock at this place the
liver rose six feet, and continued at that
height over two hours before it commenced |
alling, an at seven o'clock in the evening, it |
was still two feet higher than before the flood |
The destruction of property must have been
heavy, but we have no means of arriving at
the amount.


The river was considerably higher than at
any other time during last winter, and from
the immense volume Of water which came
down there is doubt that the river rose several
feet as far down as Marysville


There is not much doubt that the water
came from the Eureka Lakes. The outlet
OF one of these lakes has been damned up to
the height of forty-fve feet, and the water
covers surface of mile square


Since the above was in type we learn that
that the body ofa man, who evidently had
been drowned but a short time, was found
yesterday at Boston Bar-some forty miles
below the place where the Germans were
drowned. The body was not recognized but
is supposed to be that of one of the Germans.


The Pr RIVER INDANs.-There is at the
present time, saws the Alta. q war of exter-