The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-08-26

paign has fairly opened on tho "Wsstsra
Slope" although political exoitsnsnt = not
very intense. Hon. Abe Lincoln, Of Ills,
opened the campaign last Saturday BY making
agood Republican speech to mixed and At
tentive audience.
Kirkwood and Dodge spoke yesterday, and
Bsbbit, Curtis, Sharp and Tinly spoke in
the evening. Kirkwood fully sustained our
Republican platform, and made many friends
among the doubtful. Dodge laborsd hard
and earnestly, but certainly made no i'm
preston beyond his partisan friends, who
generally seem satisfied with his hating, i'm
potent efforts. ~
There Was no quarreling here, although
Kirkwood deals in provoking irony. At
Glsnwood, am told, Gen. Dodge got into
great rage, as on former occasions, and
talked about readiness to meet Mr.. Kirk
wood with any sort Of weapons, and oil that
sort Of stuff; to which Mr.. Kirkwood replied
with spirit.
This furioso style Of Dodge does injustice
to his past history, and his natural molina
tons. think be must have somebody else
in his minds eye when be attempts to put on
such heroics. True his mode Of speaking is
exceedingly laborous, moving his whole body,
arms, head and shoulders, bat this serves to
keep hia audience on the alert, and gives the
appearance Of sincerity; yet even this 10
overacted and impairs the force Of what he
presents. There i no nssd Of disparaging
an adversary. You will soon have the par.
ties before you, and you will perceive that as
a speaker Mr.. Kirkwood is altogether his SUI.
perior.
Dol. Rabbit, in the evening, labored hard
to defend the Democratic party and cast re-
proaches on Republicans. He is very well
posted, but an Indifferent speaker. His ar
guments were more than answered, for it MAS
shown that tho history Of the Constitution,
and the Constitution itself, are directly op-
posed to the new-fanged Democratic deo-
trine that our Territories, owned and ac-
CURED, become Immediately the sole proper
ty OF those who first take footing on them.
II we, the people Of oil the States, have no
right to control the destinies Of tho Terrific
ries, Why give our money or spill the blood
OF our. people to conquer them? The SOW
ereignty Of the Republicans gives the people
Of oil the States and Territories, through
their Congress, control Of what We buy and
what we conquer.
The first section OF the fret article Of
Constitution gives call Legislative power''-
not Territorial Legislature, but to "a Con-
cREss or THE UNITED STATES" Whore, then,
do you find anything in the Constitution that
gives Gall legislative powsr'' to tho people
OF the Tsrrisories9 Mr.. Dodge and Mr..
Rabbit had been jublant on the Conssisu-
tional right Of the people Of the, Territories
to make all their own laws, and Mr.. Rabbit
asserted that Congress could make no laws
regulating the people of the Territoriss.--
Col. Curtis recited this FIRST article, which
gives ALL the Law masking power to Congress,
and enquired by what clause Of the Consti-
tutionit WAS vested in Territorial Lsgisla-
turef Then he presented the clause ID tho
Sd section Of the 4th article, giving Con-
gress "power to dispose Of and make al
needful rules and regulations respecting the
territory and other property belonging to tho
United States" which, be urged, included
the idea of making LAws for "rules" made
by supreme power are claws" and LAWS
are RULES. Under this provision, Congress
makes laws to prevent men from committing
crimes in the Territories; and who shall say
srules" means only Some provision for dis
posing of land, when tho Same word ssrules''
is nsed in the 9th section Of the Let article,
where power 10 given to regulate the land
and naval forces, and evidently means LAVA.
The Republicans OF the North and Demo-
Gratis Of the South, and eli the Intelligent
legal minds everywhere, must admit that
Congress has the power 10 make q law TO
prevent Grimes in our Territories and il
they can make one Law, have they no power
to make another
Col. Sharp, feeling the force OF these arr
gnments, claimed that Congress had given
up oil this legislative power over to the Ter
ritsries BY passing the Kansas Ne braska cot.
So far - Congress can delegate that pow
or, they certainly did in that bill and hence
the Republicans have insisted on the right Of
Kansas and Nebraska to make their own
laws, and they have defeated every effort
made BY the Executive and Congress to fast
en- Missouri laws upon these Territoriss.--
But Squatter Sovereignty, as Sharp presents
it and a. Douglas really holds, il only .
power given by Congress to make lsws-not
an inherent right Of the people Of . terrific
~. Not sovereignty Of the people, but
privilege. We claim more than this, for
sovereignty Is the inherent right Of the pso-