Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1860-08-29
" Popular Sovereignty"

This is a subject on which n difference
of opinion exists, being construed to suit
different localities. The sticklers for
Popular Sovereignty, claim for themselves
the same rights in the Territories that
they enjoy in the Statc--this view is par
TALLY correct if man is a Sovereign in
Pennsylvania he is not however the same
sovereign when he emigrates in to Ter
ritory-that is, he is rot entitled to the
same sovereign rights there that he has in
Pennsylvania.
The sovereign in Pennsylvania, has
a right to assist by his vote to choose a
Governor, Judges, and Legislature, which
has power to elect United States Senators,
here he has voice in directing and sha-
ping the Executive, Judicial, and Legisla-
tive branches Of his government; if he
emigrates to Kansas or any other territo-
ry of the United States, he has none of
those rights-eXcept incidentally in the
Legislative branch-having the right to
vote for members of Territorial Legisla
ture. In Territory he is furnished with
his Governor and judges, aid has no
right to vote fora Legislature that can elect
two United States Senators, until this ter
ritory has population enough to entitle
them TO be admitted as State. Here we
fird this would be sovereign; furnished
with Governor, and judges ty a foreign
power-the General Government; in the
same way that a Father is bound to fur
n.sh food and clothing for his minor chill
dren, as long as he is able to do il. Our
Government is composed ofa Trinity it
takes three different and distinct attributes
to carry it along-the Executive, Judicial
and Legislative, and in the organized
States we all have right to assist in ma
king them; which right constitutes us
Popular Soyereigns--in short we are 2l
years of age and must provide our own
food and clothing.
1t will thus be seen that the General
Government furnishes the people of ter
ritory with the whole working machine
ry of their Government, all of which it
must see faithfully executed and carried
out, if it should take the President the Su.
preme Court, and Congress-all these
branches of the General Government must
be brought into requisition-if nothing
less will do, TO see that equal rights are
guaranteed to all the several States of this
Union, and the citizens thereof.
Therefore, believing as we do, that the
Territory of the United States, belongs to
all the several States alike, il then neces-
arily follows that whatever is recognized
as property in any of the States can le-
ga!ly be claimed and held as such, in any
territory of the United States--and the
General Government must see that those
rights are preserved inviolate to all the
citizens of the several States if it should
take the whole three branches to do
it.
We also hold that neither Congress nor
a Territorial Legislature has right to Leg
islate upon the subject of slavery in a Ter
rltory, but that the people thereof; when
they wish to be admitted into the Union
as State, may form and adopt consti-
tuition Republican in form, and in it either
adopt or exclude Slavery therefrom. The
fallacious doctrine--that the citizens Of a
State carry with them into Territory the
same Sovereign rights that they enjoy in