The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-05-21

the power conferred on the Federal Govern
ment-it will be admitted, we presume, that
il could not authorize Territorial Govern
ment TO exercise them. III could confer no
poUu on any local government, established
by sts authority, TO Usolats the prorisions
Of the Contribution"
Now Squatter Sovereignty cannot stand
with that doctrine Gate City.
No advocate of popular sovereignty be.
lieves or pretends that Congress can author
ize Territorial legislatures to exercise pow
er which Congress does not itself possess
They believe that the power possessed by the
people OF q territory over the subject OF
slavery, 10 not derivative but inherent; that
it 10 not delegated to them BY Congress, that
10 10 one OF those reserved powers which the
people have not delegated TO Congress, and
| which they have the sovereign right to exer-
cise. This right has never been denied by
the Sopreme Court.-[Journa.
We said that there was dametrical OPP
position Of opinion between the Douglas
wing and the National Democracy as to the
meaning of the Kansas Nebraska bill, the
| Cincinnati Platform and the bred Scott de-
cision, and that by means of their diverse
interpretations the two wings of the party
had succeeded in deoeiving and humbugging
both sections into the support Of the Demo
cratic candidates.
| But in direct contradiction Of the assump-
| ton ofthe Journal, that the Territorial pow
er 10 not derived or conferred by Congress,
We appeal not only TO the sentence 10 italies,
above quoted, from the bred Scott opinion,
but to q speech made by Douglas himself 10
the Senate on the 23d Of February, 1850
In reply to question, Douglas said:
/ IwIll answer the Senator's question. do
not hold that Squatter Sovereignty is supe-
rior to the Constitution. hold that no such
thing as sovereign power attaches to Terri.
tory while Territory.
The limit of the authority of aTerritorial
| legislature is the organic act and the consti-
tuition and it's amendments. The organic act
of Kansas provides in it's sixth section
THAT the legislative power of the Territory shall
extend to all rgh,ful subjects of legislation con
sstent with the Constitution of the United States
and the provisions of this act
The whole legislative power possessed BY
Congress was, by that act, conferred on til,
Territorial legislature. There were excep
tons on three points; but Slavery Was no
one of the exceptions.
Here, then, the propositions of Douglal
are distinctly: Squatter Sovereignty is mo-
superior to the Constitution. A Territor,
has no sovereign power. The authority o
a Territorial legislature ia derived from til
organic act of Congress. And Congress
conferred its legislative power over SLAYER,
upon the Territorial legislature.
Then the propositions of the Suprem
Court are that the right Of property in slave
is secured in the Territories of the Unite4
States by the Constitution. Congress has d
right to interpose to destroy or impair thi
right. And having itself no constitutions
power TO do so, it cannot, of course, confe
the power on the local legislature of the Ter
= ritory.
So, according to Douglas, the limit of Ter
ritoral authority is the organic act of Con
t gress, under the Constitution; and, accordin
to the bred Scott case, the organic act con
ferred no authority on the Territorial legs
lature, because Congress had none to confe'
Therefore there lie no place, by the admissio
Of Douglas himself, for Squatter Sovereign
ty either over the Constitution or under il
and hence he long since sneakingly skulke
z eft on the side dodge OF "unfriendly legisla
j tion," whereby he says Territorial legisla
: ture may impose taxes, burdens and restric
: tons upon slave property rightfully held b
: it's owners under the Constitution of the Uni
9 ted States. And so the mean privilege c
. harrassing a SHAREHOLDERS by "unfriendly Les
i islation" against his constitutional and righI
: full property, is all that remains of this loud
Q ly boasted Sauatter Sovereignty, and eve
} that will be squashed by the first appeal Q
u the STAKEHOLDER to the Supreme Court of til
n United States.
News Items.
Within one hour after Lincoln's non
:. ination, Senator Seward telegraphed BAG
to Chieago-"All right, and If they neede
him to stump Illinois for Lincoln be ",
ready to do SO.
1t nT Mr.. Estabrook was ousted and Dali
ID Republican Delegate from Nebraska, was .,
~ mitted to his seat in the House of Represe,