Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1845-05-24

ortenos. A fsws instances nsy = cited
) show this.
The members.ef The convention which
rsmed the constitution Of the United
'tates, il is matter Of history, were elect !
d merely to amend the articles Of
but instead Of doing this
hey proceeded to frame = constitution,
which was submitted for ratification to |
chosen by the voters in the |
States, notwithstanding that, by the arti-
les Of confederation, no alter alton could
}. made in them unless first approved BY
Congress-, and sanctioned by the legisla-
lures Of all the States. The constitution
was to be considered as ratified by tho
votes of nine States. Will the trainers Of
our national constitution be set down As
guilty Of usurpation Of power? The right
10 set aside one form Of government and
another in its stead was certainly
not conferred upon them By statute author
ity.
Take the instance Of Michigan. In the
act admitting that State it was required
that the positive assent Of the State be
given to the conditions imposed by Con-
gress, through convention Of delegates
elected by the people. In conformity with
this requisition, the legislature Of the
State made provision for the election, and
the delegates assembled at the time and
place required. They refused 10 give the
required assent, and the convention ad-
journed. Immediately after, the people,
,cihosd color Of lasO, met in their primary
capacity in the several counties, and elect
ed other delegates; and these delegates
met in convention and ratified the condi-
tons annexed to their admission. Con-
gress regarded this illegal act, as our oppo-
nents here would call it, as sufficient, and
the admission Of the State ,ras consummated.
A large majority Of the people had voted
in favor Of the delegates last elected, and
this was deemed sufficient evidence Of
public sentiment.
Tennessee, too if we mistake not, fur
nishes another case in point. Her pro-
ceedings were irregular, and without the
sanction Of law, but her application to be
admitted into the Union was not on that
account denied. AN who were in the
Territory at the time participated in the
choice Of delegates to the convention, with
out regard to legal disqualification; and
yet, with full knowledge Of the facts,
Gen. Washington sent in message to
Congress, urging the admission Of the new
State into the Union.
In the convention which framed the
present constitution Of Virginia, propo-
sition was made to insert . clause provi.
ding mode for its future amendment; bu,
the motion was rejected, on the ground that
q majority Of the people had the power, al
any time, and in any manner they pleased
to amend the constitution, or make new
one: The vote on the proposition was 6e
nays to 25ayes; and among the former we
notice the names of Chief Justice Mar
shall, P. P. Barbour, James Madison
Tazewell, Tyler, Roane, Venable, Ran
dolph, &c. &c.,-men as eminent for their
patriotism and love Of country, as they
were and are for their great experience
and thorough acquaintance with the theory
and genius Of our institutions. The opin-
ion Of a single one Of them more than off:
sets the aggregate wisdom Of all the federal
scriblers and spouters in Iowa.
If the doctrines here and elsewhere id
vocated by us be destructive '.jacobini-
cal" and "agrarian," as they have been
pronounced, so be it. They are the doc
trines Of right-the doctrines of justice
the doctrines Of democracy-and the doc
trines which are consta ,tly on the advance
and must forever rule in our favored land.
They are not, we know, the doctrines Of
whiggery, or any Of the other various
aliases of federalism, and opposition Ia
them from that quarter is to be expected.
The spirit which would narrow down the
rights Of free born Americans to specific
and enumerated privileges in matters per-
tanning to the original organization Of gov
ernment-which would "cabin, crib, and
confine" them, BY insisting on strict ad.
herance to senseless forms, no that the free
expression Of their will may be defeated
can have no affinity with that which look.
up4p the people as the source Of all power
and the clear manifestation Of the popula,
will as the highest law known to the land
and second only in Importance to the law.
Of God.
Rhode Island.
/ In the Rhode Island Senate, on the sec.
ond day Of the session, on act Of amnesty