The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-08-23

the Goth. He had grand reception,
The Great Eastern arrived at Halifax on
the Goth, As hours from New York, and sailed
for England.
Letters from Lexington contradict the re-.
ports of Breekinridge's intention to with.
draw as base ISLANDERS.
Popular Sovereignty by Kts Cham.
plonm.
Douglas afhrms that bis doctrine OF popu-
lar sovereignty 10 embodied in the Kansas
Nebraska Act of Congress. By that Act,
Congress ordained the frame of government
and specified the powers, duties, and quail.
fcations of each department. By that Act
the President, and not the people of Kansas,
chooses the governor and all the inferior
executive officers of the territory, and re-
moves them at bis will. He also appoints
oil the judges. lie therefor controls the ad-
ministration of two. thirds of the sovereignty
OF Kansas. But further than that, his gov
ernor controls the legislature by the veto
power which annuls any bill passed by the
legislature, unless two thirds of each branch
vote for the bill 10 spite OF the veto. This
operates, in fsct, in zine cases out of ten to
control the action of the legislature, as il
did in the case of the veto of the slaveay pro-
bibition BY Governor Medary. Thus ii is
clear, according TO bis own bill, (which is,
In fact, with the exception of few clauses,
simple copy of the old territorial bills,)
that Congress and the President practically
exercise and control all departments of the
territorial government.
And yet Douglas and his douehface stump
ers tell the people, that under their great
principle, the people of the territories are IN.
on the same footing as to the administration
and control Of their affairs, with the people
OF Iowa and Illinois. Indeed they pirate of the
inherent sovereignty which an emigrant car
RES with him into the territory, and under
which the people have "bod given right 20
govern themselves" This idea is indeed the
staple OF two-thirds of the speeches of all
their stumpers and candidates, and therefore
We propose TO follow Douglas recorded SEN
timents on the subject.
Remember now that his PRINCIPLE 10 en-
bodied in the Kansas Nebraska Act. which
defines the powers and duties OF all depart
ments of government and gives the people
Federal governor aod Federal judges, and
veto power IN the President. appointed gov.
ernor, practically controlling the action OF
the Legislature. And then hear MIR. Doug
las exponnd in direct opposition to Cole,
Dean Il Co., in the following extract which
we make from bis speech in the Senate.
Mr.. Douglas, in bis speech of the 23d of
February, 1859, in reply to question, said:
81 will answer the Senator's question.
First do not hold that sQuatter sovereignty
10 superior to the Constitution. Ihold IN at
no saeh fhing,ns souereiga p0uer attach rs
10 Territory rhtle Territory. hold
that Territory possesses vhatever power it
derives from the Constitution under the or
game act, and no more. | hold that all the
power that Territorial Legislature possess
es ~ derived from the Constitution and it's
amendments, under the act OF CONGRESS: and
because hold that, denied last wear that
Rue people or territory, Without the con-
sens " Congress, could assemble at Leeomn-
Ton and create sn Organic law for that peop(e
denied the validity of your Lesomrton
Constitution, for the reason that constitu.
tons can only be made by sovereign power:
and because the territory was not soyer-
eignty, that was Dot a constitution but a ne
tition. But, sir, will not occupy time on
that question. The limit OF The authority Of
Territorial Legislature is the organic act
and the Constitution and its amendments.
The organic act provides in its sixth section:
THAT the Legislative power OF the Terri
tory shall extend to all rghtful subjects of
Legislation consistent with the Constitution
on the United States and the n-cw.s;c-s 9.
this act" dc.
Inc Thoie Legislative poner possessed bu
Congress orer Territory was, by IN al act.
conferred on the Territorial LEGISLATURE
here were exceptions On three points but
clavery Was not one of the exceptions. |
say, then, the intent was TO give TO the Ter
rnor'ri legislature all the poyer that zoe
Let 1t be noted right here, that the Supreme
Court, in the bred Scott case. decided that
Congress had no power to exclude slavery,
and Judge Douglas endorses that decision.
II follows that they could give no such pow
er 10 the Territorial Legislature because they
did not have il to give.
The extract from Douglas speech acoords
precisely with the Kansas Nebr aska bill! bv
which Congress conferred frame OF gov
srnmens on the people there and authorized
the President 70 givs them governor and