Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-12-16
United States which il would be ia,possi.

=.
incident TO The power OF admitting STA les
INTO The union, congress authorised Ter.
| rtory 10 inrn constitution and state
| government, N must follow thai the con.
siiiufion, so 10 he formed, il TO be CON
Iormabis 10 The constitution of the United
/ STATES. and that the territory thus autIIo-
risen does mol in any sense become a state.
until she has formed such constitution.
Oar power, said Mr.. S. is 10 adm, and
incidentally 10 anIhOrise, The formation of
constitution, with view 10 admission.
fiave congress The power 10 authorize a
people Ia form constitution and state
government sovereign and independent
vi The u. States? No: the power to au.
thorlsr people 10 form constitution
~ an Implied power, subordinate To the
inii power, which never ciIeciuaily is ex
ercised until the act OF admission sub.e-
quentiy TO The formation OF constitution.
MIR. D. said lie made these remarks
ih me outset, 10 meet at once an argu
meBi OF the member from South Carolina.
which was plausible. captivating, and
seemed TO be calculated 10 smooth the
way, and remove ever difficulty. That
argument was, that the state, from The
moment OF lis formation OF constitution.
became an independent and sovereign
slate Where, said Mr.. S. is your power
~ ~, VIZ SVhH'natioh 10 make such stale
Your pnwer Is 10 admit states into the u
nlon,andy0ur power 10 authorize The people
| oil territory 10 form a constitution is
merely subordinate and subsidiary 10 the
main power. Can YOU admit a state by
aniicipaiInn, as the gentleman has sug
Sesicd! You transcend your authority il
son do so. Mr.. y. ventured to say. that
congress never had done so that they
could not do so; and, in some sense or
other, every member OF the committee
would agree With him in This opinon.-
Could congress, by anticipation, lind
Itself TO the admission of a state. tlur
such was the argument Yesterday pres
sed upon the committed so as to have
no chOIce but tn accept such a cnnstiIu-
tinn as that state chose 10 offer! Surely
no' nui according 10 the argument adj
vanced by the gentleman from South Caro-.
lima. not only Was the present congress
In be bound by the act of the last sea.
siou. bu, The present congress might. by
an act passed now, bind the next congress
10 HE admission OF Sale into The union.
was The authority given by congress 10
people to form constitution, a com
pact with them that they should be ati.
mlifed INTO The union on any other terms
than these pr escrbed 10 them For one.
Mr.. ). said, lie didiuoi feel himself bound.
by giving The authority 10 people 10
| form constitution, To adinitthc.n into The
union. unicss'heir constitution should he
such as The people OF the United States.
| through their representatives,, thought
| I'll 10 accept as The iunda mental rule al
government OF the Stale thus 10 be ad-
mitted.
Mr.. 5. then proceeded to say, that he
did not mean now To enter INTO the uues-
ton OF The last session: il had been dis
| cussed enough. lie did not mean 10 aban-
don the opinion which he had then formed
and expressed. Ii had not been formed
hastily, but carefully and deliberately,
and lie had seen 10 reason to change his
mind upon IL. Williou, going into that
question at all. lie shouln proceed to tie
immediate question presented By the ar.
gumeni OF the gentleman from South
Carolina.
This single question was. whether il is
the right and uHiy of congress, before
admiiinga stale into The union, 10 see
that lis constitution and stale government
be- ROt repugnani 10 The constitution of
the United States He should have hoped
he said, aud lie yet Hoped, That the opln.
ION would be nearly unanimous i'm this
| body, that there might be such "a rcpug.
nancy between such state Constitution,
and the constitution OF the United Staies,
as WORLD not only justify congress in in
| terlerlng, bu, make il their inp.TiOus du.
| ~ TO interfere, 10 prevent her taking rank
| in tie union. Whether that wat Tie case
| in the present instance, was h, said dit.
ferent question.
The preliminary enquiry was that
which lie bad jus, stated. Il had been
said that Missouri was already an indie.
! pendent state; that she has formed a
state government under an unlimited
authority from congress and that she
has now the same rights as The proudest
and oldest states in The union. 1t il be
| so, said MIR ). what are we now dc!iSe.
rating about : Why is il, that the reso.
luton POW under consideration, is pro.
posed for our adoption Why are this
and The other house called upon TO pass
| a legislative act which is altogether I'm.
necessary, and which has clauses in il
il this construction be true, which are
extremely objectionable II this con.
structlOD be correct, her senator's am
representatives have d right TO their seal:
on the floor of either house--to unite in
the common counsels on The Affairs o
the union, and 10 give TO the votes OF Mis-
souri the same force as those of any oihc
state. Why are they then, said MIR. S
kept waiting al our doors, and moi adj.
milted To paIlske OF our deliberations
Why do they wait until the fate Of lbI.
resolution he known
II was said that this resolution wa
nothing but a declaration OF fact
Such a notification vas moi necessary TO-
The senators and representatives OF Mis-
sour u was not necessary for congress
NJ, the fact being known, the former hat
nothing to do, TO enIiile them TO seat
} but 10 advance 10 the chair of eithe