Nebraska advertiser., 1860-01-19
Governor Blacks Veto Message
What Is Popular Sovereignty
Who are the People? And what
Rights have they while in Q Ter
FitOFfaI Existence?

LltULEOl EALEtCUCC
Our readers are aware that at the ses-
sion Of the Legislature just terminated, a
bill prohibiting slavery in Nebraska
passed both Houses; was presented to
Gov. Black, and by him 0etoed! This
was so unexpected so entirely contrary
TO the position taken by the Governor
himself as a Popular Sovereignty adyo-
cate T; so at variance with the professed
principles Of the Democratic party, that
almost everybody irrespective of party
is overwhelmingly astonished !" and
very naturally driven to enquire, what
does this all meant
Readers of the advertiser will bear
us witness that we have s~tudiously here
otOfOre refrained from discussing through
E our columns the slaveryquestion believ-
ing there to be no danger. whatever that
Nebraska would eyer be other than a
free State, and that the agitation of that
"Vexed question: would be productive
only Of much IA feeling and disturbance
within our borders. We do not even now
propose to discuss the abstract questioned
african slavery. But, al in thegreat poll
ticaEissue of the day, in which are inyolv-
ed the rights, powers, and privileges of
citizens Of Territories, slave property has
been chosen, by the parties of the coun-
try, with which to exemplify a great prin-
lciple, we propose to dicuss that principle
involved; upon its merits; and we com
hence with Gov. Blacks Veto Message,
because it strikes at the very foundation
upon which rests a principle Of vital i'm
pOrtance 10 the permanency Of a free
republican form Of government.
We have not room for the Message en-
tire. lis principal featureg however, is
that by the treaty with France in 1903,
and by which the vast territory known as
the Louisiana purchase was acquired it
was part Of the compact that ",he inha-
biianls Of the ceded territory shall be IN
corporated 10 the United States, and ad-
miued as soon as possible according TO
the provisions of the Federal Constitution
% the enjoyment Of all the rights, privil-
eyes and %immunities of citizens Of the
United States; and, in the mean time,
they shall be protected in the free enjoy
ment of their liberty, property, and the
religion which they profess" The quo
iasion is the language of the treaty itself,
and which Gov. Black adopts as a reason
why we, while in a Territorial capacity,
have no power to legislaIe upon the SUBJ
jet Of slavery! We have always given
Tie Governor credit for a far more than
ordinary amount of intelligence and sta
iesnanship; and could we now believe him
dong other than exhibiting the feelings
Of a schOoled partizan, and personal
friendship for the President, we would
be forced to acknowledge a depreciation,
in our humble estimation.
The point aimed at by the Governor in
referring to the sipulations of the treaty
Of 1903 is, that as slavery then existed in
the ceded Territory, and the United
States agreed that the citizens thereof
should be protected in the Stree enjoy
ment of their liberty, property, and reli-
giOn which they profess" and as what is
0 Nebraska was portion of that pur-
chase, we have no right whatever to IN
terfere with latery. We might safely
offer three negatives to hat proprOsition,
viz: that if slavery existed in the coded
territory a ~stpulationn the treaty to pro-
teet it for all time to come, would apply
10 a State as well as a Territory, and con-
~seQuently, however the people of either
might desire to get rid of slavery, the
time would never arrive when they could
help themselves. The facts in the case,
however, clinch the whole matter. At
the time of the treaty with France In
1903, by which the Louisiana purchase
was acquired, slavery did not LEGALLY
erist on a single foot of the cededt teri tOry.
France long before that date abolished
slavery in all her colonies! We are
aware that in thus asserting, we advance
a new position upon that question, and did
we deem it necessary here to sustain our
arguments, or should il hereafter become
so, we are quite sure we are not without
the necessary pFeof. We are content,
however. to take the generally con-
Ceded opinions, at least in this coun-
try, at the time Of the treaty and
since, that slavery did exist IN a portion
Of the ceded territory. While we thus
admit, we contend hat every agreement
TO protect the eliberly, property, and re-
ligion'' Of the then inhabitants" has
been faithfully complied with on the part
Of u country. As we have before said,
II The obligation to 'protect," &C., ex-