Joseph P. Bradley

“ Strictly speaking, there is no sovereignty in a Territory of the United States but that of the United States itself. Crimes committed therein are committed against the government and dignity of the United States. It would seem that indictments and writs should regularly be in the name of the United States, and that the attorney of the United States was the proper officer to prosecute all offences. ”

“ It is, indeed, the practice of the government to invest these dependencies with a limited power of self-government as soon as they have sufficient population for the purpose. The extent of the power thus granted depends entirely upon the organic act of Congress in each case, and is at all times subject to such alterations as Congress may see fit to adopt. ”

“ Similar laws have been passed and acted upon in other Territories, organized under similar organic acts. The attorney appointed by the President for the Territory has been accustomed to attend to the business of the General Government, the same as is done by United States district attorneys in the several States; and the attorney-general and district attorneys of the Territory have attended to the business of the latter, and prosecuted crimes committed against the Territorial laws. ”