Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1836-07-20

inst, and quorum being present, the Houses
were duly organized; whereupon the Governor
sent in, through the hands of Secretary Pritch-
cite, the following
MESSAGE.
Fellow-citizens Of the Senate
and Of the House Of Representatives:
By virtue of an authority conferred by
the constitution, | have convened you at
this time, for the purpose of receiving the
decision of the Congress of the United
States, on the application made by our Sen
ators and Representatives for the admission
of Michigan as a member of the federal
Union. Although we possessed the best
grounded hopes for an early admission,
such has been the embarrassment thrown
around our application, by questions foreign
to the one at issue, that congress did not ar
rive at their final action on the subject, un-
til q late day Of their session. The result
of their deliberations has been, the passage
of law, accepting, ratifying, and confirm
ing the constitution and state government
formed by the people of Michigan, and adj
hitting the state thus formed into the Union
upon certain conditions therein expressed.
This act is herewith transmitted to you, for
your more satisfactory information.
The act of Congress which is submitted,
is entitled, can act to establish the northern
boundary line of the state of Ohio, and to
provide for the admission of the State of
Michigan into the Union, on the conditions
therein expressed" Section first declares,
''that the Northern boundary line ofthe state
of Ohio shall be established at, and shall be
direct line drawn from the southerly ex-
tremity oflake Michigan, to the most north
erly cape of the Maumee bay after the line
so drawn, shall intersect the eastern boun-
dairy line of the state of Indiana" This
is the boundary line as has been claimed
by Ohio in her dispute with Michigan, and
is conclusive and final so far as the provis-
ion of this act extends; it is not expected
by, nor made dependent on, the conditions
embraced within the third section of the act.
An argument in illustration of this view of
the subject, is rendered unnecessary how
ever by the fact, that distinct and separate
bill has received the appreciation of the
president of the United States, confirming
to Ohio the district of country in contesta-
ton. Under this latter law, Ohio claims
her title and jurisdiction, and that claim, so
far as it is warranted by the validity of the
law, is not affected by the acceptance or re-
lection of the conditions submitted to the
people of Michigan in the act before you.
By the second section of the act providing
for the admission of the State into the Union
it is ordained shat The constitution and state
government actich the people of Michiga,
haze formed for themselves, be, and the same
is hereby accepted, ratified, and confirmed
and that the said state of Michigan shall be
and is hereby admitted into the Union upol
an equal footing with the original states il
all respects whatsoever; Provided, always
that THIS admission is upon the express con
dition, that the said state shall consist of an,
have jurisdiction over the territory included
within the boundaries prescribed by con
gress and none other.-These boundarie
yield to Ohio and Indiana, that portion O
our southern borders claimed by thos
two states, and annex to the state of Mich
igan district of country embracing abou
twenty-five thousand square miles, lyin.
north and northwest of the Menomnee riv
or of Green Bay, and the Montreal river o
Lake Superior.
In the third section it is provided, that a
! a compliance with the fundamental condi
, ton of admission contained in the last pre-
t ceding section, the boundaries of the sai'
, state of Michigan, as in that section DIES
1 cribed, shall receive the assent of a conven
: ton of the people of the said state, for tn
, sole purpose of giving the assent herein re
> quired;" and that as soon as this assen
: shall be given, the president of the Unite
5 States shall announce the same by proclama
!, ton, and that upon his proclamation, the I'D
0 mission of the state into the Union shall
t complete, without any further action on tn
s part of congress. 1t will be here observed
. that the condition referred to by congress
r is a condition upon which the state is to b
e admitted into the Union, and that it does nc
s affect the stability of the state government
n The constitution formed by the people c
n Michigan having been accepted, ratified
: and confirmed, their state government
}. irrevocably fixed and established. This
|, clearly shown by the fact, that the boundt
}, ries of the state as prescribed by congress
G are "to receive the assent Of a conner
S ton of the people of the said state"
e r. The people of Michigan have thus pit
d ced before them the conditions upon whic
5, they will be received into the federal Uniol
G II is left to themselves to determine upo
/. the alternatives submitted to them. With
e constitution and state government frame
y for themselves, and accepted by congress
n they are to choose between submitting
r an encroachment upon their compact right
IS by a system of partial Legislation, having Il
d its object the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of one pc
d ton of the Union, at the expense of anot
er, or resisting che encroachment at all ha
ards, carrying into full effect, at the san
g time, all the rights and privileges of SOW
" reign and Independent state though exclude
j. from the bonds of the confederacy.
: Our duty at present. fellow citizens, is