Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-12-12

! February, 1884 constitution was formed
for the state All this was done without
the interference of congress-; or any APP
plicaton to divide the territory,or to permit
a state government to be formed for the
whole.
In April of the same year, Tennessee,
by her senators and representative AN
DREW JACKSON having been elected her
representative presented themselves with
the new constitution in their hands, and
demanded her admission by themselves as
her delegates into the congress OF the Uni
ted States, as sovereign and lndep endent
State. GENERAL WASHINGTON. in his
messages 10 Congress on this subject, OBJ
served. that among the advantages secured
TO the inhabitanti of Tennessee by the or
d;nance OF l787,was 'the right of forming
a permanent constitution and state gover.-
meni and Of admission as state, by its
delegates, into the Congress Of the United
States on an equal footing with the original
states,in all respects whatever, when it
shall have sixty thousand free inhabitants
therein; provided the constitution and gov
eminent so formed should be republican,
and in conformity TO the principles con-
tanned in the ordinance"
In pursuance of this accommodation,
Tennessee, with her constitution thus form
ed, was admitted into the union on the lst
ofJune, 1896, within four months after the
change of government was commenced.
MICHIGAN adopted the same course as
Tennessee, and asserted it as her fright
ard privilege under the ordinance and the
act of Congress OF 1905. twas granted to
her, although the authority had been reserv-
ed to Congress as in the case ofTennessee)
TO form one or tco states out of the terrific
then subject to her territorial govern
ment.
submit copy of the act passed by the
territorial legislature ofMichigan on the 18th
of December, 1881, to enable the people of
that territory to form constitution and state
government. The preamble fully asserts the
right; and the act apportons delegates for
that part of the territory lying north of line
drawn due east from the southerly extreme
of Lake Michigan, which had been embraced
within the limits of the state of Indiana on
her admission in the year 1916.
Sle was admitted into the union, with the
constitution she had adopted by an act ofCon-
gress passed on the 18th of June, 1885, the
second section of which provides ''that the
constitution and state government which the
people of Micjg1n hare formed for them
sctoes be, and the same is hereby accepted,
ratified and confirmed, and that the said state
O.; Michigan shall be and shereby admitted
into the Union upon an equal footing with
the original states in all respects whatever"
The section also declares that ':this admss-
ion is upon the express condition, that the said
state shall consist of, and have Jurisdiction
over, all the territory included within the fol-
owing boundaries, and none other,n &c. By
these neiO boundaries thus proposed by Con
gress, the country cllimed by Ohio and In
diana is given to these states; and in lieu
thereof a district lying between Lake Su
perior and Lake Michigan and west of line
drawn north fom the northern extremity of
Lake Michigan TO the line dividing the Uni
ted States and Clnadl-which was the line
established by the act of Congress of 1898
and by the people of Michigan in their Con-
stituion as the western boundary ofthe state
was declared to be within the boundari es
and jurisdiction ofthe State of Michigan.
The people inhabitng the portion thus
annexed neither participated in the formation
of the constitution nor voted for the change ;
and it may we'll be doubted whether Con
gress did not exceed lis powers by this act
enlarglng the bolndlries of Michigan and
establishing state government for those peo-
pie.
But the act of admission establishes the
GIT of the free inhabitants to form gov
ernmont for themselves, and to designate the
boundaries Of the state. In relation to the
II Ih,s of a state TO enter the union acHa q
contested boundary, there were several in
Stances Of unsettled boundaries between the
thirteen original States when they joined the
union, some of which are yet undetermined
and ii is not perceived why new state has
not the privilege to adjust her boundaries OF
have them settled in the same manner as al
old state. 1t may be taken for granted, there
fore, from the example ofthose states,as wei
as that Of Mjchigan,that this state has the
right to be admitted, although her boundaric:
may be contested by Other states. A state
out Of the union has as good a right TO he
established boundaries as state in it. The
form of government to which she may al any
period of her existence be subject neithe
Increases nor diminishes this right. II can
not be conceded that the = jght to admit cal
! control the right to form constitution fur
Their than TO require that the constitution il
republican and in conformity to the princi
pies contained in the Articles of compact. ;
The l2th section of the act TO establish
the Territorial government ofWisconsn de
clares ''that the inhabitants of the terrtor,
shall enjoy all the rights. privileges and ad
vantages granted and secured TO the peopl
l. of the territory northwest of the Ohio,by tn,
Articles of compact contained in the ord
nance" of 1877. 1t provides that ..the saic
, inhlbitan;s shall also be entitled TO all tn,
q rights, privileges and immunites heretofor,
granted and secured to the Te7ritory o
G Michigan, and to its inhabitants" The fiji
$ Article of compact declares that .'whcneve
{ any of the said states shall have sixty thou
sand fee inhabitants therein such state shat
be admitted by its delegates into The Con
I gress of the United States on an equal foot
d ingwith the orig'nll states in all respect what
ever, and shall be liberty to form perna
. ncnt constitution and state government.
The right of the citizens of Wisconsin I,
: form government for themselves, bein,
{ clearly established by these provisions an,