Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1845-08-28

h~ 10" ISAulICu kIdt VIC
Constitution should be presented to the
people for their adoption or rejection on
the first Monday of April succeeding
the meeting Of the Convention. and tina.
in the meantime it was to be published
in all the Territorial newspapers. 1t
contemplated, we believe. that this
should be standing advertisement. for
the ample perusal of the people. until
the election. Such precedent had
been prac,ised in Pennsylvania and
probably in other States. But we do
not mean to lay stress on this matter
only to say tina, the Convention gave
such an Interpretation to the law as re-
CURED but one single publication in
each paper, thus depriving many Of its
perusa. That, however, was by no
means the worst thing they did in their
a''emp, to advance their favori,e object
Thinking to facilitate rather than retard
their scheme, and without the sanction
OF any positive law, they sent their Con.
st'su,lon on to Congress by our Dele
gate, before it had been submitted to
the people. This was an usurpa.ion
on the part Of the Convention so much
in~characler with its other acts, tina, we
were not much surprised, although we
protested agans. it as soon as we as.
certained the fact. They expected to
save time by such maneuyre. If
Congress made no material alterations,
then the Constitution, if adopted in
April, could have gone into operation
Immediately, and the election in Angus.
would have been for State instead of
Territorial officers. Blu. Congress did
make material alteration and The PEG.
pie refused to adopt j. in April. The
vote was overwhelming against it.
The action of Gen. Dodge. our Dele
gate. in Congress, wherein he "rose
soemnly" to protest against the al,era-
ton proposed by Congress, will never
be forgotten. The Circular he after.
wards sent to his constituents urging
them to accept the altered Constitution
and the equivocal position he would
have occupied had the Constitution been
at last carried, are still fresh in the me-
mory of all.
1t was our intention to have review.
ed at length and in detail the instrument
as it came from the hands of the Con-
ventlon so as to show in bold relief its
odious deformi,y and its anti republican
tendencies. But while we were in the
act OF doing this, the news came of the
alteration made in i. by Congress-
We relinquished our design of combat
ing it on its merits. believing tina, i,
would be much easier to defeat it on
account of the boundary question. 1t
could no. and did not stand before such
an issue. After its overwhelming de-
feat in April, its trainers and admirers
raised the hue and cry that it was
defeated on wrong issue. We will
not admit that it could not have been
defeated on its naked merils-for we
believe 1t would have been-but we do
acknowledge that the boundary question
and the manner in which it was present.
ed TO the people. exerted a potent
agency in securing its rejection. Its
trainers and adherents were deeply
mortified and chagrined at the result
Although rejected by a very large
majority. they still chung to i. with a
tenaci.y tina. would have been credi,abe
III better cause. Their attachment
amounted to infatuation, and without
the semblance Of right or Of precedent.
they insisted tina, the Legislature which
was to meet in May, should enac, law
to bring the same Constitution before
them for the second trial. Absurd and
ridiculous as such movement appear
ed. it nevertheless received much favor
among the leaders of the loco foco mar.
ty. A majority ofthe members Of the
Legislature were found to be willing
and servile instruments in such child.
ish nonsensical farce. The law calling
upon the people TO vote again for the
same Constitution, was introduced 10
the Council by Shepherd Letter of This
and passed both Houses by a
party vote. It then wen, to the Gov.
ernor. who very properly vetoed it. 1t
came back to the Council and as there
were but two solitary wings to oppose
it, it was passed by constitutional
majority. When it was again taken
up in the House, Mr. Shellady, noble
wing from Mahaska, was very ill on
his bed. The wings used every per.
suasive to induce their opponents 10