Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-11-25
COMMUNICATED.
STATE GOVERN MENT, No. 6.

The right Of the people of Wisconsin to
proceed 10 the formation ola state govern
ment, without first obtaining an act of Con-
gress granting permission so 10 do, has been
made a matter Of discussion. 1t has been
commended that Wisconsin has no political
free agency. as it regards choosing her own
time to form state government, bu; is SUBJ
Iect in this particular entirely TO the will of
the general government; and hence it is as
gned that the people have, no right TO take
any preliminary measures, to become On in
dependent State without the consen, Of CON
gress As the foregoing position has been
assumed by committees in the territorial;
Legislature, appointed for the purpose of re-
porting on the subject Of stale governments.
and as The same ound has also been taken
by some Of the presses in The territory, pro-
pose 10 briefly consider its weight and i'm
porance.
will remark in the fist place that The
right of The people Of this territory to form
state government, without permissive
act of congress. is established by precedent.
Tennessee was made state. without the
to form state constitution. 1t should be
borne IN mind'that when the territory now
comprising the state of Tennessee, was
coded to the United StatEs by North Caro-
Ina, it was stipulated that the inhabitants,
within the same, should enjoy all The ''priv-
leges, benefits and advantages" guaran-
tecd TO the inhabitants OF the Norh West
ern Territory by the Ordinance of l7S7,
of which Territory, Wisconsin comprises "a
part. From this it will be seen that Ten
ncssee furnishes case precisely in point.
The Governor o! the then Territory Of Ten
nesse, issued a proclamation for the cleo
ton of de!esa es to convention TO form IA
stale consiiuion:-accordingly, delegates
were elected, stale constitution formed,
AMI by virtue thereof Represent tives ID
Congress, we've elected. A this was done
without any permission liom Congress.
In the same year Tennessee by her SEN
ators and represena,iv presen Ell herself
with her constitution TO Congress, and de-
manded admission into the Uaion as SOW
ereign and independent state. Gen. Wash.
ngton in his message TO congress on the
subject. observed, that among the advan-
iages secured TO the Inhabitants Of Tenncs-
see by the ordinance of 1897, was 'sthe
right OF forming permanent constitution
and state government, 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 ii shall have sixty thousand inhabi.
tanis therein; provided the constitution and
government, so formed should be republican
and in conformity TO the prime Piles contain
ed in the ordinance In pursuance with this
Recommendation, Tennessee was admitted
into the Union in jane 1895, within four
months after the change of government WIS
commenced.
second case in point which will name
is that of Michigan While the admission
OF Michigan was pending in Congress, the
question as TO the right Of the territories TO
form State governments without the consent
!
ofcongress.was extensively Il fully scuss-
cd in the Senate: Senators Benton, Wright,
Buchanan and Others, took The ground tina,
Michigan was justified in forming a state
government, without he consent of congress
The vote on the final passage OF the bill 10
admit Michigan into the Union, was taken
and passed by a triumphant najorty-a,es,
80; nays, 8. This decisive expression may
be regarded as fully settling the question, as
TO the right of territory 10 form state
government without permissive act of
congress. In the speech of Buchanan on
the bill for tbs adm; sson Of Michigan. the
following remark occurs in relation TO Wis
lsspsinr-"h wisconsin, viii be the lac,