Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1843-02-11
FLORlDA, IOWA, AND WISCONSIN,
TO ELECT CERTAIN OFFICERS.
To accompany bill Il. K. No. 600
January 10, ls4s.

lnttlee on tue l0fTllorloS, submitted the
following
PORT:
The Consn,iNc ON the Territories, haring
had the sIeject xnder consideration, beg
icdue 10 report:
] That 1t be true, as We hold it 10 be,
that the people arc capable Of selfgovern
mcnt, it would seem 10 be equally true
that they are capable Of selecting those
agents by whom, tor the convenience Of
/ the whole, thu. governments 10 be admin
istcred. With this principle, and its de.
duc!ion before them, the Committee ON the
Territories have no hesitation in recon.
mending to Congress the passage Of
law authorizing the people Of Florida,
Iowa, and Wisconsin, 70 elect the militia
officers, the Judges, and, governors OF
their respective Territories. The com.
mittee cannot understand why FLORIDA.
with population Of 10000 or 10000
souls, Iowa, with 10000. and Wisconsin,
with 10000, are not as much entitled to
elect their executive, Legislative, judicial,
and military officers, as the State OF Del
aware, with federal osulation Of 49,
QUO.
Surely the bare Formally Of an adnis
sion as q State Into the Union can adj
nothing to tha capability,. oil the people Of
these Territories, either to govern them.
| solves or to elect the functionari.s Of their
local governments. TO be fully repre-
sen,ed III both Houses Of Congress, 10
participate in the elcc,ion Of chief ma
gistrate OF the confederacy, and in
amendments o.! The Federal Constitution
ars the only additional rights that an ad-
mission ofthe,n into the Union ought to
confer. Osi:er than these, the civil aud
political privileges Of all the people, al
Least so far as self government is con.
cerned, should be made as equa. as cir
cumstanoes will permit. A Territory. US
such, csanot be fully represented in Con.
gress, or engages in the election Of u
chief mag .strate, or in amendments Of the
Federal Constitution, only because these
are conventional rights, which, apper tai,,
exclusively to the organized aud sove
reign States. who have entered into a
conpaci, and dcpu,cd this Government
as 1h'ur general agent, to perform certain
enumerated acts which it would he incon.
venlent for the States individually to ac.
compllsh. BY the Constitution, !. certain
number Of representative population is
required before Territory can be ad
n,itted as State into the Union, and then
not without the consent of the States com
posing that Union. When these prere
quisitcs are. satisfied, it has not only the
! right to DO admitted, but to come into the
Union with all ;hs privileges and pow.
icTs Ola Constitution Of the Federal Gov
ernlnont.
The committee, however, cannot con
J sent that, in the mean time. small de.
| ticit Of population should operate to de-
prive the people Of Territory Of the
inostinabie right Of suflrage--a franchise
w!ici, distinguishes the citizen from tho
. subject, ind has over been regarded by
republicans as essential to free govern
mcut.
Nevertheless, we DO not intend Nv ,hi.
recon Aendation to strip the United State:
ct their property liz the soii Of the Terri
. tories. nor to deny the jurisdiction Of the
Federal Government over them In this
regard, as trustees OF tho States, we will
!, always maintain our just constitutional
timate control, the committee anxious te
illustrate by some practical demonstra
ton, those grcut principles upon which
our Institutions are founded, that the poo
pie are, and ought 10 be. the fountains 81
all political power, aud are not only ca
pubic Of governing themselves, sbut 81
) selecting li'oso to whom they may be
willing to intrust the powcr Of admins
teriny their laws. 1t 70 true that the
Federal Government owns the soil Of the
Territories, and may dispose OF i, withou,
any restrictions, save those imposed by
tue Constitution, or specified in the deeds
'of session; but it has no property in the
people who inhabit them. They ditfa,
iron. the cilizsns Of The States only IN
; their federal relations. 10 the natural
!; right OF governing themselves by officers
Of their own selection, they are as much
entitled, in the opinion Of your committee
as the people Of Ohio, Tennessee, New
: York, Or any other Stato Of the Union
| This. them is nh a proposition to rem.
|der Florida, Iowa, and Wisconsin, indie.
pendent Of the Federal Government, bul
]. SIMPLY 70 change thu appointing power
to take i from the hands Of the Executive,
and give il to the people. BY the one,
itmay BIZ abused; by the other, accord,ng 9
| 10, the theory II least Q. our Govern.
ment, it never can. While this Union
continues to be biest with wise, virtu.
Icus, and patriotic chief magistrate, we
may have no reason TO fear that the pow
or Of appointment to Office will be excr.
c'ssd Tor any other than the public good
but popular wisdom, the unerring cnun.
cation Of truth, 10 never moro beneficial.
ny cvinced than when goyernmcn, is 50
framed as 10 leave, rs lur ~ practicable,
nothing TO the virtue or: patrio.ism OF
rulers. The people are never 90 safe AZ
when they are in tneir own hands; trus,
every thing TO them, as little rs possible
to the magistrate. Restriction, ,alher
than confidence, il the source Of safety 10
. free and intelligent community, and
never, unit! we eeass 10 b. such, let i,
refer lothe governor any power which
may % convsnienaly exercised by the
! governed. Therefore, your com,ni,,ee
recommend tina. the patronage conferred
BY the power Of appointing to theae, ter.