The Nevada journal., 1855-04-20
Utah, or Squaitcr Sovereignty.

course most proper to be pursued by the gov
ernment Of the United States, towards the in
habitants of Utah.
The question of recognizing the right OF the
inhabitants Of our Territories to assert their
own sovereignty and TO govern themselves, was
not settled by the passage of the Kansas and
Nebraska bill, or at least was not so finally
settled thai our people are disposed to recog-
nize in Brigham Young and his coadutors the
full right to establish in territory which must
become an American state the wholesale sys-
tom Of Pol!gamy now among his and their
followers.
The question: comes back again to no less a
body than the American people, not to few
politicians who for their own purposes origi'
rated the Kansas and Nebraska bill, but to
The mcn-the christian men who constitute the
people of the American States whether OF
not the Mormon population of L tah under the
head Of the elders Of their church, shall estab-
ish in one ef The airest portions Of our Terri
'orv q community, every feature in the social or
ganization of which IS as repugnant to every
well received notion Of social order as it is to
The recognized precepts and teachings of chris
tianitE,
True Ike doctrine of Squattcr Sovereignty
hrs beer, &c some extent at least, popular
ore since :he passage of the bill referred to as
Ire Kansos and Nebraska bill, but then the
doctrine Mas SET up IN a matter wherein a large
portion Of The American people deemed that
lis assertion could work no wrong, and with
ou; exercising thc caution which should have
beer exercised in i matter Of so grave impor-
lance
Row tie question comes up in such a shape
that it Is a practical one-one in which the
good lame Of the people Of the United States
abroad is involved and perhaps one which may
involve to en- important extent our prosperity
and peace at home.
We say :he question is practical one, and
further we say it is perhaps the most impor-
tant one to be decided by the American people
fo7 tie present generation. Shall the Utah
church De permitted to gather its proselytes
from the four quarters of the globe, to make oI
every sensuaist, who chooses to become so, q
prics. Of their order, and by deceiving the
young and unwary of the gcntler sex, create
aid establish system of domestic economy
rcpudiated ard abandoned by all christian anc
civilized people? Shall she become a State
an American State, with rights aud dignitie
CO equal with the present members of our con
federacy, while rcpudiating and setting her foo
III sco~n upon all which christian people holt
sacred? Or does it lie with the American pco
pie to inicr?ose and say what shall be the lar
Of Utad Does it lie With us to say that TIL
inhabitants Of that Territory shall respect til
comm on 5ensc OF right of christian nations an
christian people: Or under the dogma O
S1uattes Sovereignty, are they at liberty an
have they TIC right, unrestricted by the genera
govcrnnen: 10 gather together the thousand
row pouring n upon. their Territory from a
2slts OF the w2rld, and by making Of every fe
male a slave. anj Of every hypoerite a priest, t
establish {. Stcte which may claim co-equa
rights with other members of this great con
fedcracy' s-
u is [-fhaBs unfortunate that tic ,tiisEer ,tiis s.
these questions has to be made by our peopl
at this time the arguments used cby til
friends OF the KanSasland Nebraska bill (mor
f~'ftps than the provisions of the bill itself
lIa-..ss viz KS, stalled the opinion of our people il
favor Of the tight of the inhabitants of Terri
tories te make their own laws, &C. But thos
who look berond the surface will find tha
even this bill, repngnant as it is to all forme
;.cis Of the government, neither recognizes il
no: confirms npon the inhabitants of Kansas
or Nebraska any substantial rights of sovcr-
eighty whichever
1t is true the inhabitants, by their Lcgisa
turc elected by themselves are to make theil
own laws. But Governor appointed by the
President Of the United States can veto every
lew SO made. 1t is true that courts are estab>
!ished in saiu Territories to enforce such laws
but is also rue that the sovereign people o
The territories have no voice in the election OF
such jnGgeS, or III the election of the ministe-
rial officers who are to execute their mandates
Ia truth it is wonderful that the right o
Congress to govern the inhabitants of Terrific.
@ies should he 1sowned tas it was prctented tc
he IN the Kansas qud Nebraska bili) and that
IN the same bill its right to appoint alroug h
The President all the most important officers in
tie Territory Should he asserted And what
IS most wonderful Of all is, that not only the
nhatltants Of those Territories, but large
portion OF 'he american people, should sup
pose for moment that the bill recognized any
real rights Oh Sovereignty in the inhabtant
Thate~er.
The ::utr Is there are no people, (iu the sens
in Mat :hc word is used in the constitution O
the CrItcd States, or in the constitution of tn
dffe~ent States,) in cur Territories An in