Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-06-13


Conventions original acts Of tho people
They depended upon iahsrent and inaieuhle rirht.
Tho people Of any state may anY time meot n Con-
vcniion without law OF their Lagslurn, ani with.
ou Hny povisio1 or nstnst any provision in ther Cou
stunn. and may alter abolish the whole lne of
Government a. hoy pea'e The sovereign power 20
s'vefn them'elves w,s 10 me milpny, and hiy clul
DOT ho divested Of if.'-iiifr p 1895.
Mr.. Buchanan Wed with Mr.. Benton in
vindicatng the new State:
The precedent 10 the clse Of Tennas.se ha. CON.
ple,e sruced all opposition in regard To tho necessity
Of previous sct Of Congress ennble the people III
Michigan 20 form state Constitution. u uow saama
tp ho conceded thtt APPRECIATION equfv
nlant io ou previous action. This can nr lsnfar be-
doubted w. haze ns uggus s,i8Habie psinsr sf va ua
any irreTilrtss Go tie m3as sf tsamiag ue CoastH-
ton, had any such cristed Ibid, p. tO4i.
" ie did hops that by this bill all Obi GO would
be removed and that This state, go ready rush into
would nnt bH epu sd, bfe1Hs " tse a5ssacc
of some forahfes uhieA perhaps uery proper, bnt
ceriaiaiy n,t iliiPsasIbis. Ibid, p. 1915.
After m animated contest in the Senate.
the Bill for admission Of Michigan, on her
consent 10 certain conditions, was passed, by
% yeas to 8 nays. But you fad weight, as
well as numbers, on the side Of the new
State. Among the yeas were Thomts II
Benton of Missouri, James Buchanan of
Pennsylvania, SIlas Wright Of New York,
w. r King Of Alabama. Cong. Globe,
Vol. 3 276, lst session 2ith Congress 49,
Subsequently, on motion of Mr. Buchanan.
the two gentlemen seat as Senators by the
new State received the regular compensation
for attendance throughout the very session
IN which their seats had been 50 acrimon-
iously assailed Ibid, p 4iSl
Ia the House of Representatives, the ap-
plcaiion was equally successful The Com
mltlee on the Judiciary, in an elaborate re
port, reviewed the objections, and among
other things, said
THAT the people Of Michigan have withou, dua au
thorty, lounld state Govnrnment but, neveftheess
that CpHersss has p0Dsr h ndiue any bjctaH sieh
gh oa nlt aoooHaf, BE- entertained to tho ratification
Of the Constitution which thor have adopted, and to
admit their senators and Repesentaves 10 take their
,e',s 30 ,he consess af The United Stltes"Er. Doe
1T sfr % C'Hgress, Pol. 2, Ne. 3e0.
The House sustained this view by vote
Of l53 yeas TO Is nays In this large maio.
rIty, by which the title of Michigan was
then recognized, will be found the name Of
Franklin Pierce, at that time Representa-
tive from New Hampshire.
But the case was not ended. The hercest
trial and the greatest irregularity remained.
The Act providing for the admission of the
new State contained modification of IFS
boundaries, and proceeded 10 require, as
fundamental condition, that these should "re-
celve the assent of Convention of delegates
elected by the people of the said State, for
the sole purpose of giving the assent herein
required" statutes at Large, Vol >, p. 50.
Act of June ), 1866 Such Convention.
duly elected under call from the Legisla.
ture, met IN pursuance Of law, and, after con-
sideration. declined to come into the Union
on the condition proposed. But the action
OF ms Convention was not universally satis-
factory and IN order to effect an admission
into the Union, another Convention was call
ed profsssediy by the people, IN their sover
elgn capacity, withou, any authority from
State or Territorial Legislature nav. sir,
according to the language of the present
President, against authorities duly con
stituted by Act of Congress :" at least as
the recent Convention IN Kansas. The
irreguarlly of this Convention was increas-
ed by the circumstance, that two of the old
est counties Of the State comprising a popn-
latun of some twenty-five thousand souls.
refused to take any part IN It, even to the ex-
tent Of not opening the polls for the election
of delegates, claiming that 1t was held with,
out warrant Of law, and IN defiance Of the
legal Convention. This popular Conyea-
tiun, though wanting popular supper, CO.
extensive with the State, yet proceeded, by
formal act, to give the assent OF the people
Of Michigan to the fundamental condition
proposed by Congress.
the proceedings of the two Conventions
we're transmitted to President Jackson, who,
by message, dated 9th December. 1896.
laid them both before congress, indicating
very clearly his desire to ascertain the will
Of the people, without regard Ia form The
origin Of the popular Convention he thus de.
scrIbes
" Thi. Convuaton Faa not held nr oaetnl hy virtue
of any net Of tho fefntoria slate Lesi-alufo Il
originated from the People themselves and wls chosen
ny lhem ~ pu'.niuoe ni ie'ouons adopted IN primary
assemblies hell In the respective oountios "ssa hoo
2f Secs y n Csagrefs, coi I, NJ. 36.
And no then declares that, had these pro- 1
ceedngs come to him during the recess of
Congress, be should have felt it his duty, on
being satisfied that they emanaied from n |
Convention Of delegates elected IN p0ini 0 I
fact BY The Peopis Of the State, 10 lssla hls .
proclamation tor the admission OF the State.
The Committee on the Judiciary 10 the I
Senate, Of which Felix Grundy vas Chair. /
man, after inquiry, recognized the competen.
cy of the popular Convention, as " elected /
by the People of the State Of Michigan"
and reported bill, responsive 10 their assent
of tho proposed condition, for the admission |
of the State without further c0nd ton
(Statutes OF Large, vol. >, p. lll, Act of 26lh /
Jan, 1879 Then, sir appeared the very
objections which are nov directed against
Kansas. II was complained that the move.
ment for immediate admission was the work |
of minority" and that a great majority |
of the State feel Otherwise" lSen Doc. |
I'd sess. 2ilh Gong vol /, No, ;i7.) And |
leading senator, Of great ability aud in,egri- |
~ Mr. Ewing, Of Ohio, broke forth Ia
catechsm which woul do for the present
hour. lie exclaimed
What evidence had the sonato af tho offsniz ttion
OF the Nnnyrntous pf the organic it1a ~ the popu-
lar assemblies whu appointed hetf delegates 10 that
Convection None on rlrh. VINO ,hsf we're th I |
met and suted, had no niorm tu0n. Whu gave ths |
notice Aud Tor what dad tho People incaiva the no /
tee To mnat and elect What eyiiHnce was there |
that tho Convention acted aoopfding to law We've
tho Delegates swofnf And, " 10, they e6tfa ia.
dical aalh. aud nni biuding upon th im. Nefe Inc
cnunftdi In fact, IL was not proceeding undof
tho Of the law, iof ineJ were toialY
-cosg olobs. vai 4 p 81, ~ se.s. i,A Cong.
And the same able Senator, on another oc-
caslon, afler exposing the Imperfect evidence
with regard TO the actloa Of tho Convention,
existing only In letters and IN an article
from Detroit newspaper, again exclaimed