Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1857-01-24
THURSDAY, JAN. 2e, 1887.


"a ~ 49, = =
"SPxcTA1oa, 2 IN the Pioneer Of Monday, YER,
ably Gets forth the Free State doctrins a. promul
gated by Buchanan and other leading Demoerati,
lights. 1t is the same ground assumed BY th,
settIers of Kansas in the formation Of their Con.
Ptitution, but which was ignored by the Senate Of
the United States, and all the Democratic mem.
bers Of the House. Douglas opposed it-String.
fellow opposed it--Lecompts opposed it-Piercs
opposed it, and the little fry who follow in tn.
footsteps Of these illussrious men. But "Spee.
tator" takes different view. In reply to ths
Pioneer he says:
"The people. are sovereign for all purposes Of
forming their own Government laws, and institu.
tions in their own time and way, within the limit.
atoms and restrictions of the United States.
Authority from Congress to the people of Ter.
ritory to form constitution, is only done in All
of the inherent right Of the people to do so with.
out it. II Congress can take the power out oil
the peoples hands, and force them to do a. that
body may direct, then it necessarily follows that
the sovereignty Of the people is merely nams,
without substance"
What have the people Of Kansas done? They
met in Convention, formed constitution, indie
pendent Of the Legislature, or of Border Ruff
fan influence (as that Legislature was composed Of
those who were not oitizens,) and then submitted
the Constitution to Congress. What was the re-
suit? The document was rejected by that body
and simply for the reason that tho Legislature.
(the members of which were illegally elected) had
not specified the time and place where said Con-
vention should be held, and the mode Of proceed.
ing in the election Of Delegates; and yet it was
admitted that the whole action of the Convention
smanated directly from the people. To-day Kan
sas is kept out Of the Union, merely because the
Slavery Oligarchy are determined it shall be q
Nare State, and not because there are any good
reasons why it should not be admitted with its
Topeka Constitution.
But "Spectator" speaks again, hear him -
You intimated (alluding to the Poneer) that BY
the Governors doctrine, the Topeka (Kansas)
convention and constitution might be accepted by
Congress, and Kansas admitted as free State.
In this you are certainly right, for l have no
doubt that Gov. German holds, rs does Mr.. Bu-
chanan, that if Kansas has population sufficient.
has formed Republican Constitution, and wants
to come into the Union, that Congress may waive
which is useless after the edifce is complete
But tho Governor does not to my knowledge, hold
that one sspolitieai party'' may meet-form q
constitution, and without o necessary population
come into the Union as matter Of right. But
even then, If Congress valves all these pre- requi-
sites, and looks over the forms, and admits Kan
sas even under the Topeka constitution, she would
then be to all intents and purposes, sovereign
State in the Union. From the above, it 10 clear,
that the true doctrine of popular sovereignty il
this - lr s.a r ~e
The people are sovereign to form their own
government at their own time and in their own
way, within the spirit of the Constitution Of the
United States. D
And Congress has the right to admit her as
State, waving oil forms.
Californis formed her own convention, adopted
her own constitution, fixed her own boundaries,
and asked and received admission into the Union
none doubling her sovereign right to disregard al
forms and act upon her own inherent sovereignty
As this is good Free State doctrine, we propose
to say nothing further on the subject, except to
express our surprise that the Pioneer should take
exception to premises 30 we'll fortified BY reason
and good sense.