The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-05-26
For the Pioneer.

For the Pioneer. !.
Mr.. EDITOR Liberty of speech aud the
press is guaranteed to US by our g Magma
Charta," The Constitution of the United
States, and presume that The columns oi
your paper will he open to correspondents,
although their opinions may be at variance
with those contained in the column edtof-
ial. Discussion, when carried on with "a
proper degree of courtesy and propriety,
can do no harm and may do good; With
your permission, therefore, | shall take ex-
eeplion TO many of the views expressed pm
your editorial, and endeavo or to show where
in they are erroneous. You commence by
saying that, 50 so Ear as relates to the quail
fications of voters, ours is copy OF tie
organic act for the formation Of other leg
rtories.. Residents of the unorganized DIP
main of the United States are known TO tae
United States only as inhabitants" Both
the foregoing assertions are erroneous.-
The fifth section Of the ac. organizing NJ in
nesota is departure from all previous acts,
probably with the exception of that of One
gon. The fifth section of the organic act of
Wisconsin expressly provides, THAT every
free, white, male citizen of the United States
above the age of twenty-one years. who
shall have been an inhabitant of said Ter
ritory," etc, shall be voter, showing clear
ly that, so far from their being regarded
merely as inhabitants of the United Statts,
the law expressly provides that they mdst
he citizens. i. e. born within the United
States or naturaIZed according to the laws
of Congress. The Legislative Assembly
had the power, in Wisconsin,, to prescribe
the qualifications of voters at subsequent
elections, that is the right Of declaring by
law, how Tonga man should he resident of
the Territory before he could vote for Ter
rtoriJ officers, or how long resident of
precinct, before he could exercise the sari,e
right with regard to precinct officers; but in
no case could it extend the right of suffrage
to any others, than citizens of the United
States. The word inhabitant is used in the
ordinance of 1887, because that ordinance
was adopted before the Constitution of the
United States, and at the time of its adop-
ton there was no constituted authority, 9th
er than the respective State governments, TO
make rules for the naturalization Of fore gb-
ers. By the adoption of the Constitution,
Congress become clothed with the power
$40 establish an uniform rule of naturaiza-
ton" 1t established five years as the term
of probation, and in every Territorial act
Minnesota, the term fixed by Congress has
been adhered to. What becomes then of
your assertion that in eDery organic act,
the word citizen, which conveys the idea pf
allegiance is studiousty avoided" Does
man born in Virginia or Massachusetts owe
no allegiance to the national Government
when he goes to California or New Mexi-
CO? Does he lose ali right to protection
from that Government Obedience and
support from the citizen, protection from
the Government are correlatve are these
severed in California? A Frenchnan may
come here, lease land and carry on his bust
ness without any intention of becoming a
citizen; he is an inhabtant If a British
ship of war captures him, carries him off,
our Government owes him no protection
but suppose he was naturaliZed according 70
our laws, would the fact of his living in an
unorganlzed Territory, in California, al
solve our Iov ernmeDt from its duty of pro-
lection? If not, then is he not citizen p
In another place you say, 6 If you make
citizenship the test, who is 10 determine if
for the law does not yet contemplate the
existence of tribunals The organic act
itself prescribe, the qualifications of voters,
aud it invests the Governor with the power
of directing that the election shall he held
IN such Il manner as To enable those who
hold it. &. e. the Judges to apply the tests
required In the organic act. One who ar
rived here on the 4th of March. is not vu-
ter ut the first election, if that election takes
place within SIX months after the passage Of
the organic act. Are not the Judges of the
election tribunal to determine the right of
said individual to vote? You also speak of
person taking the s. oath in open Court.
not yet organized" BY the nineteenth seq
ton Of the organic act, il is provided, that
temporarily the Governor may define the
Judicial districts of said L erritory and as
sign the Judges to the several districts, and
appoint the times and places for holding
Courts" etc. BY this it appears thar his
Excellency, Gov. Ramsey, has the power
Immediately after his arrival to apportion
the Territory, and assign the Judges to their
respective districts. The Judicial tribunals
would then be fully organized. But differ
from you as to the necessity of taking the
oath in open Court. ! am Of opinion that
previous to the first election it can he taken
before any officer authorized to administer
an oath, or before the Judges of the cleo
ton.
AS 10 whether the proviso at the end of
the fifth section applies to the first clause in
the section, reserve for future number.
w. ID. p.
Photographed for the Galena Advertiser.