The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1856-05-20
s'Help me, CassIus, or 1 Sink"

The Free Press has been aching to attack
Hon. Henry Waldron, but feeling its own
weakness, it has concluded to subsidize the
columns Of the Boston Post two columns Of
which it parades in place of leader. While
this course saves labor, it exposes ignorance,
and while il avoids responsibility in cases Of
false statement and bad reasoning, it carries
the admission that no sufficient and categori-
cal answer to the positions of Mr.. Waldron,
can be made here, among those who are fami-
liar with the historical facts of the case.
The exact point in controversy, to which
reference was made by President Pierce in
his message, was that the application Of Kan
sas for admission was a party movement
that it was unprecedented, because no State
had ever been admitted, except upon the
movement Of the who-never upon that of a
political party or portion only Of the inhabi-
tants of territory. The case Of the admiss
ion of Michigan was singled out by the Presi-
dent, and was declared not to furnish pre-
ccdent, affording plausbility to Kansas. The
ceeded steps in the case Of Michigan were regu-
lar, and were made on behalf Of the entire
people of the Territory, and not by any por-
ton of them, such as a political party. We
published, edtorially, some three months
since, an article in detail, showing the leading
facts connected with the admission of Michi-
gan, and among the rest the following touch
ing touching the point raised by President
Pierce. Since that time, Mr.. Waldron has
gone more fully and ably into the subject, in
his late brilliant speech, and has again, in or
der to rescue it from the superintendent load
of irrelevant words, under which the Boston
Post and the Detroit Free Press have sought
to bury it-"out of their sight"
In the month of June 1896, Congress en-
acted that Michigan might be admitted into
the Union, upon condition that she would re-
cognize and sanction certain boundary lne
then in contest between herself and Ohio, by
means Of convention Of the people of the
State. The Legislature of Michigan imme-
dately passed bill providing for the holding
of a convention, and fixed the day and place.
The convention was held, in exact pursuance
Of the act of Congress, the condition prcscri-
bed by rhat act was submitted in form to the
convention, was delibcrated upon, and for
mally rejected by decisive vote.
After the result of that State Convention
was made known, an attempt was made to
procure something in the form Of legalizcd
or at least an official call for another convcn-
ton, but the Executive of the soi-disant State
refused to make such call, alleging that the
authority created 10y the act Of Congress for
holding such convention, bad been exercised
and exhausted, and that the whole subject
was &C rest.
At this juncture of affairs, John Mcdonnell
then chairman of the State Democratic COM
mittee, assuch chairman, promulgated a call
upon the different counties, addressed TO the
-rcsnociivc county democratic committees.
calling upon them 10 nX n uay vvuUIy cvui
vantions, preparatory to the election of dele
gates to State convention to assemble in
December following, to lake into consideration
the condition and proposition of Congress
1t was mere psrty call, and the spur toit
was the fuct that John Norvell and Lucius
Lyon had been chosen Senators, and desired
to take their seats.
1t was crude, unauthorized step, having
not the slightest culor Of legal authority, and
not even claiming to be popular movement.
1t was partisan movement, having narrow
partisan and personal object, and it was adj
dressed solely and exclusively to partisans.-
Few or none, other than democratic partisans
took part in the election of delegates, and. in
many townships and even countless only few
votes were polled, and those were gwen by
the partisan friends of.the Senatorial candi-
dates. BY the people generally, this elec-
tion was looked upon as a mere farce, and
treated as a simple hoax. Nevertheless,
delegates were declared elected, and,they met
in convention and accepted the condit on i'm
posed by Congress, took up and considered
the act of that convention and treated it as
a compliance with the act of June 1886.
We have confined ourselves to the single
point made by President Pierce, who was a
member of the Congress Of 1887, and who
now says that there is no precedent, for the
admission Of portion Only Of the people, oil
uron that Of party, as in the case of the
Free State party Of Kansas.--[Detroit Adv.