The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-07-30
MINNESOTA CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.

MINNESOTA CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
At it's last session, Congress passed law author
iziag the people of Minnesota, within certain boun-
dares 10 elect one hundred and eight delegates, to
form constitution preparatory to their admission
State The election was held at the time appointed,
and both the democrats and republicans claim to have
elected majority On the assembling of the conven-
tion it appeared that there present several del
egates whose election questioned, and upon
their right to seats depended the question OF ma
jority Allowing the democrats all whom they claim
ed were duly elected they had majority of -four.
Giving the republicans those claimed by them then
they would have majority 0nassembling at the capi
tai the secretary of State called the convention TO
der-he having By law, received the returns and af
ter temporary organization, the convention adjourn
ed the next day. seems that the republican
delegates didnotparticpate in this any considerable
extent but collected ina dlerentroom and organized,
without the attendance of the democratic delegates.
The next day the adjourned convention convened,
completed its organization and proceeded TO business,
and are now actually forming constitution The
republican convention is also engaged in the same
work OF course there are in each convention dele
gates whose right to seats questioned by the other
convention and if all these were rejected each would
be without majority Neither conyenton can act
upon the rights of delegates in the other and neither
has raised any question concerning of body.
OF course there's wrong somewhere both in the cleo
ton returns and organization 1t was clearly the duty
of the duly-elected delegates TO have met together
and organized in the usual manner The convention
would then have been in situation TO investigate IN
proper and legal manner and to determine who were
and who were not properly elected. The question oc-
ours who committed the first fault in the organization?
This question is easily and satisfactorily answered
Precedents entirely applicable are everywhere found
The laws directing the holding of elections provide
that returns shall be made to some officer who will
have the names and credentials of all declared by the
local authorities duly elected In Congress these re-
turns are required by law to be sent to the Clerk OF
the House of Representatives. In the States returns
of election either sent to the clerk or secretary
of the body or more commonly, TO the secretary OF
State In Territories such returns are sent to the
secretary Of such Territory, which was done under
the law in the in question: lie then had at the
time of the meeting evidence of who had been cert
fed by the local authorities to be eected and in cons
formity with mmemorial custom, he attended with
ron of those thus declared elected, and called the
! convention to order When he had done so, the
delegates took control of the convention, and were
authorized to complete its organization and judge OF
| the rights of its members 1t no fault of theirs
that portion of the delegates refused TO attend but
met at another place and secured competing organl-
zation *Ihe republican organization was clearly r-
| regular and Illegal. Why did they not meet with
their brother delegates in the usual way and submit
to the whole body all questions relative to the right
! to seats? There can be but one answer, we believe
and that is if they had submitted the claims to dspu-
ted seats to open investigation and discussion the judg
ment Of the convention, as well as that of the whole
country would have been against them and they would
have been proved to be in an undoubted minority.
! Record and conclusive evidence Of this condition
could only be avoided by organizing by themselves, and
escaping searching legalscrutny. If therepubicans
had believed that they really had majority of legally
elected delegates they would have met with the dem
ocrats at the proper time and place. and participated
in the organization, and would have challenged the
severcs scrutiny by their adversarics. Not having
done So it is clear that they feared such scrutiny
and dared not run the hazard of it, Another motive
/ may have lent its influence, As repubcanism only
hourishes under agitation and excitement, it is not
improbable that il was deemed important 10 contryc
new sources of excitement and misrepresentation.
| We have not the means of understanding and deter
mining the various questions concerning the right to
the several contested seats but what we have been
able to learn on the subject satisfies us that thor
ough investigation would show the republicans in .
minority Bat upon the other question, We are clear
that they are iii the wrong upon the subject OF the
organization and that they took the course pursued
by them to avoid exposure of their own weakness
/ and the strength of the democrats
we add the following from the St Paul Pioneer,
i which contains statement Of facts which we had
not met with when the above prepared
..Kansas having been exhausted the field for th'
manufacture Of political capital the attention OF these
telegraph newsnongers has been directed to Minnesota
and we find in the eastern papers the most unjust state
men in reference the proceedings OF the constitution
nj convention Our democratic contemporaries in thu
east in giving publicity to these statements should bc
guided by the following facts
First The republicans, in pursuance OF adeteImia
ton arrived at in caucus took possession OF the capita
on SrNp.y NIGHT while the democratic members were al
their homes
second At H. M Monday, the convention was
called 10 order by the secretary OF the Territory and the
acting governor he at the time, being legally
elected member OF The sention motion wIs made
10 adjourn, until H. M, next day and the motion be
ing nut Was voted ON by quorum 81 the convention