Minnesota weekly times., 1857-04-11
uder Which King :

After much tribulation, the st. Anthony Re-
publican has finally ''come out" in favor OF a
North and South line. Besides an editorial an
nouncement of this new conviction, we find An
able communication in that paper, from u. A
Nourse. ESQ.,, from which we extract below. We
are gratifed to find our Hennepin county friends.
gradually taking the ground, which we assumed
at the outset. and have ever since defended, that
North and South line is the only just and eco
nomical division of tine present Territory.
Before the action of Congress, this was an en-
tirely open question, and no principle nor policy
required It's suppression. Is it so now, when
Congress has by law fixed the boundaries OF the
proposed State:
First What are the rights of Congress and OF
the new State in the matter? As "a matter OF
pure natural right, undoubtedly the people-that
is. the majority of the people OF any community
have the right to entire self-government. Min
nesota has the undoubted natural right to fix her
own boundaries, provided they interfere not wi th
another sovereign community, and to establish
her own government, without a ''why do We so 20
from any one.
These natural rights are modified to some ex-
tent by the rights of others. The United States
have the right Of property in large portion OF
the land now embraced in Minnesota. The same
power has under u. S. constitution, power to
make all needful rules and regulations concern
ing its territories II has established of a por-
tion of the territory of Minnesota. the territory
of Dakota. Minnesota, if bounded on the North
by an East and West line, somewhere between
As and 46' North, latitude. as has been prOpo-
sed. reaching from the 81. Croix to the Missouri,
won q embrace portion OF this new Territory OF
DacotiG. The convention certainly has not The
r.h, bv The United States Constitution thus rU
appropriate portion OF what Congress has erect
Ell into a separate territory. Las 1t even the nat.
ural right. Bu,
Secondly. SUPPOSE that the convention would
have tue 'o:,A al ,ightIo adrpt the East an,
West diyiIuS line, instead Of the North and
South line established by Congress, would it be
advisable 10 exercise that light?
MIR. Rice. Mr. DouI las, Mr. Toombs and othara
SUI posing MnnesOtI snre 10 be u Democratic
Sta,e, are Wiling, and even anxious that she
shall be admitted. We propose, however, that
we viii elect from Minnesota Republican Sena-
tor. and Representatives TO Congress. If we ac-
cept the boundaries established by the the Ena-
bling Act, the Democratic (?) majority in Con.
gress have not even the shauow OF an excuse foI
refusing our admission, whatever our politics.
If, however, we adopt different boundaries, and
knock for admission with Republican Senators
anu kepreseniates, will not the party in power O,
once selze the change Of boundaries as pretext
present state of affairs, to be kept out in the cold
for one, two or three years as the case may be
Ii not, let US in all our action forming 4 State
government, conform with the Enabling Act OF
Congress.
The right which nature gives us to establish
our own boundaries. ii contested by the United
States, would be insisted on only In the most
pressing emergencies as in such case, insisting
upon il would become revolutionary. Our faith.
ers insisted once upon similar right, and secur.
Ell il, in spite of Great Britain. So, if Congress:
with no reason shouldfor many years arbitrarily
refuse TO admit State, and should exer.
else despotic control over us against our will; il
might become cur duty to cut loose and set uE
for ourselves. But in such case we should rur
the risk of being hung il Uncle Sam should prove
too strong for us; as George Washington anG
the other ''rebels'' would have been hung, haG
their undertaking failed.
But such contingency need hardly be suppos
ed. Washall be admitted as a State anyhow
whatever our boundaries, if our politics please
'sthe powers that be.'' And we shall he admitted
wa,ever our politics, if we comply in all respects
with the enabling act. Is it not then oul
true policy SO to comply, and thus secure spec
dy admission into the Union?