The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-07-25
The Bogus Convection.


tin seekin- to defeat the organization #
State Government, or making ont even sa'.
pretence ofpr"priety to justify their conduct:
that it has been very difficult to find out
where they meant to stand before the public.
Bat we have reason to believe that after fou,
days and nights Of hard study and goadeo
to defense in some way, they resolve to haz
ard all on the ground that their so-called sad
journment" on Monday noon was valid and
regular, and that their subsequent acton hav
ing been by regular adjournment, they are
the Constitutional Convention. Let us look
at this subterfuge.
1t is essential to proper adjournment
that there should have been proper oryani
cation preceding it, which was not the case
here. That Mr.. NORTH had the priority OF
CHASE in calling the Convention to order and
nominating Chairman is notorious to all
who were present, and is scarcely denied by
any. Consequently CHASE only disturbed a
Convention already existing.
Then he had no authority and no right
Whatever to do any such thing. As Secreta-
nv of the Territory-the capacity in which
he claimed to act-he had no more business
there than Sioux Indian, nor had his impu-
dence any more validity. The Convention
was an independent body, legally empowered
to do all it was chosen to do; and this insult
ing interference by Mr.. CHASE was more ar
bitrary and more unlawful, than the British
governors over civic bodies complained OF in
the Declaration of Independence. The con-
| vention could not have recognized it without
the most abject and spiritless elf-abasement.
For this reason alone there was no validity
in his acts.
Besides, they effected TO organization be-
cause no presiding officer was chosen, nor any
Secretary to record the proceedings, How
| is & Secretary, chosen one or two days after
these acts were performed, to hav: any legal
knowledge of their existence? What valid
ity and what reliance in such q grave trans
action, can there he on such headlong pro-
ceedings? Instead of organizing, they can
not prove, in any decent manner, that they
| performed single act that day, nor even met
| in any way whatever! Instead, therefore
Of aljourning, they had no'hing to n9you,m -
! There is no authentic evidence, ard 80 scra}
o. .estge Of record that they sem led ST
III on the 18th o. Jnly a h Law rqred
5" utterly aorth e-s AID prtp'st rons rs t
prttence that they duly orga izeI the %,
It ~ onal Convention on Mon!ay.
It'll! they insist t at tie adj uruei. L.
ca d.d men Look al ;h5-.et the co,lnir'
Judge. 1t requires tie maioriy Of public
body pre-ent to adjourn. Hal all e Sc hecl,
right, without this they did mt and could no'
adjourn But how was this ascertained ?
Chase and German, with their gang, were
not in the Hall one minute. they few in
Chase called to Order-Gorman Instant,
moved to adjnurn-Chase put and declare
it a vote and out they flew. No contrar.
vote was caIled-they do MT pretend that
they had over A claiming the right to vote
while there were Sc members there recorded
and with certificates who did not vote. How
then do they prove it to have been carried
Why, "by the sound!" That is, the whole
crowd, in doors and out. bawled out aye, and
all rushed out. And this is the evidence
prove regular and legal adjournment oftha'
body-Ggainst the notorious and recorded
facts of the case And sucn is the impnden
rowdyism-the mob"cracy-which these des
lerate men are driven to dignity as the or
ganization Of the Convention, called to fran,
an organic law for this Commonwealth.
To such miserable, absurd and personally
d,sgraceful defense are these leaders driver
IN justification Of their outrageous conduct
To such contempt would they subject tn
efforts of the people to form State Govern
ment. 1t IS skinned and lacerated nudity
which carnot stand the scrutiny of the coun
try for single hour. Yet it is all they hav
to say, and the best defense they have t.
carry to the people. We very willingly leav
them to their disposal