Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-12-16

IL would not be permitted. And he beg. !
gCd gebl!emrn, hi r. they consented To /
iahc cou'sr "iiiercnt from this, THAI
te"y wnuld consider, seriously consider,
What may be The ,fctt, IN a government
depending on public opinion Tor its sup
port, al disreSpect ot lis authority eN-
labiied on this floor. !
MI ,. ti,rn noticed The arsunien, which
MI. La~nteS had derived from The Jour.
mol at This house oi the last s,ssio,, IN The
case o! lie motion of Mr.. Ia, Tor, 10 a.
mend The Missouri act so rs To require
her Consultation when formed, To be APP
proved bv congress, &c b fore she be-
came state, which motion vas ncgaived
by two In on. MIR : admitted the faci,
but argued that II proved nothing nj Ia
vOr q Nj, Lu"nde>'s argument. Genile-
men had voted against !; on various
grounds-sCnle, he kme", had voted "a
gainstit because they believed it super
iiuOas, holding The opinion which he was
now maintaining, that The constitution
must OF course receive the sanction Of
congress before 1t could be OF any au,!lo.
rliy, dc.
Mr. ). then referred for Illustration TO
ihe case Of Louisiana, who WAS required
TO submit her constitution To congress,
and IL WAS submitted aud approved ac.
cordingly before II went into operation
II congress, according 10 the genileman's
gnmeni, Had no light 10 do so, this pro-
ceedmg was ali Unconstitutional aud void.
Aud, II was worthy of remark that, al
| the same time that constitution was re.
| quireb t. be submitted 10 congress. i, was
also required 10 be not repugnant 10 The
constitution IT the United States Yet
Louisiana Was not INTENDED 10 be adj
| miited on different terms from other
states. but on The same, &c.
But independently OF the act of the
last session, II had been asserted
thai Missouri Is now state that she is
stale i'll fact. Mr.. S asked of gentle
men seriously TO consider this position.
From wha, time has she become state
f'om the momeni OF the passage OF our
act, from that Of The adoption OF her con-
siiiui'on, or from that at the Organization
| of her government He did,not distinct
| ly understand from what point OF tme
the genil' nan from South Carolina dat
ed her independence
| mr.. Loumdes here explained what point
OF time he referred To. IL was al the mo-
meni when, The question having been
| formally proposed Ia the people OF Mis-
SCUM, whether they e hose 10 form a con.
| sti'uloB and state government, the, vui
ed II expedIrnt tn do sol was then that
he thought arose the right in them ofseif-
government,
Mr.. ) did not consider tie point of
time III ihis respect material TIL, ques
hon was, is Missouri entitled 10 the
rights OF a stale until she be admit
ted into thu nnion by congress 2. In
support OF his opinion, h. said, no rea.
son hadbcen assigned that was iounded in
The constitution ct the United States
Reasons had been assigned BY The gen
tlenan OF South Carolina, which, appear
Ell To INN Ia be founded in a convenience
which amounted to sort or necessity.
bnt no argument had been drawn from
HE constitution III support Of this posi-
iion. We have the power 10 admit state
into the Union, said Mr. S.-bnt was il
ever supposed that state was admitted
by her own ACT, Ia fore we admitted her
Could It be pretended that, when con,
giess authorised the people Of Missouri
10 form constitution. and under the
| circumstances of this case. they did
admit them into The Union II Nigh,
. be argued, with some plausibiliiy. that
congress iat by That acr engaged that. AZ
SOM time, they should be admitted info
the Union. If the authority given had
been TO erect themselves into a soye.rjon
AUD lnhrpenden, state, Mr.. S. ould have
been able to understand the argumenlthat
they are nov state. But when congress
gave them authority 10 form a corsiitu
tiou 10 III them for admission, 10 saw that
congress did then admit them into the
UNION was an Argument not Ineligible ;
ana, aiHi"st equally 50 was HAT which
made her 0Gi to be a state u henrver her
people had formed constitution.
The u. States. with respect 10 her Ter.
riiory, stood almost in Tie same relation
as one Of the states to its irrrilarv. VIZ
gina. tor example, gave authority TO the
people OF That part OF her territory which
Is ho" Kentucky, 90 furm a constitution.
ihe territory called a convention. made
stale government, fixed the mode of
her elections, elected her officers. Was
she then member Of The Union2 Yes
when Congress agreed 10 admit her int
the Union. Was she state before thar
took place? CensiaIy not So wnh The
territories OF the u States. Congress-
gives them authority TO make cons,i,u
non, preparatory 10 their admission and
that beng done, Congress may admit
them.
l.. said Mr. s. further, representatives
irom IA territory which has thus formed
constitution. present themselves Al the |
dOOr o' this house, Is not the house bound |
10 inquire whether they are properly |
Disputed, or must we admit any BODY and |
every body "hopresents himself and de- |
clares that lie is The representative of a |
state! We may know the fact oui of |
doors, bu 1t must also be known here TO |
ascertain II, we are Obliged to examine |
the constitution. Mr.. S. entered mic a |
tram OF reasoning 10 slew the lnconvcni- |
ence which would result from each branch
tl the government being len 10 determine |
les itself the Independence cf state. |
fhe chance oiiheir not cODcuring in their |
views OF ihe subject, and tie inconpruiIy