The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-01-12


have been taken, which it is believed, will re
storequiet, and abort protection to our citi
zens
In the Territory of Kansas there have
been scenes prejudicial TO good order, but
as vet none have occurred under circum-
stances to justify the interference Of the
Federal Executive: That could only be
in the case of obstruction to Federal law,
or of organized resistance to Territorial
law, assuming the character of Insured
ton, which, if it should occur, it would
be my duty promptly to overcome and
suppress. cherish the hope, however,
that the occurrence of any such untoward
event will be prevented by the sound
sense of the people of the Territory, who
by its organic law, possessing the right to
determine their own domestic institutions,
are entitled while deporting themselves
peacably, to the free exercise of that right,
and to be protected in its enjoyment with.
out interference OIL the part Of citizens Of
any of the States. The southern bounda-
ry line Of this Territory has never been
surveyed and established. The rapidly
extending settlements in that region, with
the fact tat the mail route between indie
pendence and the State of Missouri and
New Mexico, is contiguous to this line,
suggest the probability that embarrassing
questions Of jurisdiction will consequent
ly arise. For these and other considera-
tons, / commend the subject to your ear
| ly attention,
| have thus passed in review the general state
OF the Union, including such particular con-
Germs of the Federal Government, whether of
domestic or foreign relations, as it appears to
me desirable and useful to bring to the especial
notice of Congress Unlike the great States of
Europe and Asia, and many other of America,
these United States are wasting their strength
neither in foreign war nor domestic strife
| Whatever of discomfort and public dissatisfac-
ton exists, is attributable to the imperfections
of human nature incident to all government
however perfect, which human wisdom can
devise. Such subjects of political agitation as
occupy the public mind to great extent, are
exaggeratiOns of inevitable evils, or over zeal
in social Improvements, or mere imaginatiOns
of grievances. having but remote connection
with any of the constitutional functions or duL
ties of the Federal Government To whatever
extent these questions exhibit tendency
menacing to the stability of the Constitution,
or the stability of the Union and no further,
they demand the consideration of the execu-
tive, and require to be presented by him to
Congress.
Before the thirteen Colonies became Con-
federation they were associated only by COM
munity of transatlantic origin; With mutual
tie of common dependence ON Great Britain
When that tie was severed, they severally as
sumed the form of an absolute self government.
The municipal and social institutions of each,
the laws of property and of personal relations,
even the political organization, was such only
as each one chose to establish, wholly without
interference from any other. In the language
Of the Declaration Of Independence" Each
State has power to levy war, conclade peace.
contract alliances, establish commerce. and to
do all other acts which independent States may
do" The several Colonies differed in climate;
soil, and natural productions; in religion in
systems of education. in legislation, and in the
forms of political administration, and they con-
tinued to differ in these respects when they
voluntarily allied themselves to carry on the
war OF the Revolution. The object of that war
was to disenthrall the United Colonies f, chi
foreign rule, which had proved to be oppresA
sive, and to separate them permanently from
the mother country. The political result was
the foundrtion of Federal Republic of the free
white men of the Colonies, nstituted as they
were. in distinct and reciprocally independent
State Governments AS for the subject races,
whether Indian or African, the wise and brave
statesmen of that day, being engaged il no OK.
trayagant scheme of Sudden change, left them
as they were, and thus preserved their pOsteri-
ty from the anarchy and the ever recurring
civil wars which have pr evailed in other revo.
lutonary colonies of America.
When the confederated States consented
to modify the condition of their association
by giving to the General Government direct
access in some respect to the people of the
States, instead of combining it to action on
the States as such, they proceeded to frame
the existing constitution, adhering steadily
to one guiding thought, which was to dele
gate only such power as was necessary and
proper to the execution of specific purposes.
or In other words to ret in as much as DOS
slble, consistently with these purposes, of
the individual power of the individual States.
For the objects of common defense and Sc
curlty, they intrusted to the General GovE
eminent certain carefully defined functions.
leaving all others as the undelegated rights
of the several independent sovereignties.-
Such is the constitutional theory of our gov
eminent, the practical observance of which
has carried us, and us alone, among modern
Republics, through nearly three generations
OF men, without the cost of one drop of
blood shed in civil war. With freedom and
concert of action it has enabled us to con-
tend successfully on the battle field against
all foes; has elevated the feeble colonies into
powerful States, and has rdised our indus
trial productiveness and the commerce which
transports it, to the level of the richest ma
tons of Europe; and the admirable adapta-
ton of our political institutions to their OBJ
jects, combining local self government with
aggregate strength, has established the prac-
ticability of Government like ours to COW
er a continent with confederated States.
The Congress of the United States, is, in
effect, that Congress of sovereignties which
good men of the old world have sought for,
but could never obtain, and which imparts
to America an exemption from the mutual
leagues for common action, from the wars,
the mutual invasions, and the vague aspira-
tons after the balance of power which con-
vulse from time to time the governments of
Europe. Our cooperate action rests in the
permanent confederation prescribed by the
Constitution. Our balance of power is in
the separate reserved rights of the States,
and their equal representation in the Senate.
That independent sovereignty in every one
of the States, with its reserved rights of To-
cal self government assured to each by their
co-equal power in the Senate, was the funda-
mental condition of the Constitution. With
out it, the Union would never have existed.
However DESTROYS the larger States may
have been to reorganize the government, SO
as to give their population its proportionate
weight in the Common councils, they knew
it was impossible, unless they conceded to