Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-12-29

d ones. The perfect equality of all the
Members OF the Confectionery is the very
kbNss> sf sfstheaF aFedsral- -C6AsflL tioIE. Z, u b
true thu Aaerrt. ~ cghnot dcbme Stats
3he ~ ni61 without the congtht of CohS
gtsss. Bat this discrfaion Oh the Hart 30
Sdhgress. does h6t imply the bower ~ dicF
Gate institutipns to the people of the To-
ritbry, or ID any way to restrain. or @inpits,
or force thsir -soyereignty in The. -exereise
of its high rfupeliQn 1of framing its own
Safe Government. The only riShtfdi
power7whiola-0 Congress- hns-in-t -the-preInises-
is, to determine when the new community
is sufficiently mature to assume An inde-
pendent government, and to recognize the
identity of the people in their new form of
atate.-----.--.--a--.-
n That clause of the constitution gauran1
teeing TO- the States a i.Irepublican form of
.GoYernment," imposes the obligation TO-
protect the peopleiin their sovereignty. and
TO prevent its alienation, if that2weYe pos
sihle, as a departure from fhes true republi-
EGal forn,, =, Congress-, therefore, has no
ErghIul, power TO accept Stale; :Goyern-,
meilt, which has not received the eapction,
of the people who are to live undef IL
The attempt 10 excercisel such q I, power,
would be a plain violation of the constitu-i
tiona, L. would be none The less, q usurpa
tion,, because the people might afterwards
regain their Yiolated sovereignty, 7Y goj
The instances in which Congress- has
recognized and received new States. with
out the actual submission oftheir cpnstitu-
items TO the vote oflthf people, are not nee,
essarilyC in conflict with the principles now
asserted, ~, Doubtless if fthapsople Of a ter
ril9IJ should quietly ,aequiesce, in the ad =
option Of a Constitution passed for them,
Hey might thus givela very satisfactory
eyidepnce, of their appreciation. = But mo
INSTANCE can, pc found on RECORD, ofa Con-
M sMtitution accepted BY. Congress, agiiipsS
the will ofra majority q the people, expires
sed in any dist tnict, manner whatever,5ap
,,,1 1t is not ihLendea herein 70 assume, that
the people Of u4ieiTerrit9ry are opposed to
dhe Constitution ii which is. TO be submitted,
in a certain forms on the 2lsl instantad,1t
is sufficient y fol-, the occasion, which now
copXepest the Legislative, Assembly, and
there ldei pread dissatisfaction, threat
enipg to distEub the tranquility of the peo-
PIE, >, Ii there be any means of pfexenLing
the dscord and possible violenee,l which
are go seriously aPprehended. .as,the result
of the partial and imperfect. detection au-
| thorizsqs to .be, held at, the time named,
underths authority ofitheo Constitutions it
is the solemn duty of the Legislature ito
ascertain and adopt the measures most ief-
fectual for that end, .i..I ~, ,r:nasln en-.
+ + W hat appropriate and efficient measure
! can be adon:-d, in the existing emergency,
| is question notIwithout difficulty II. Some
7 Ehaye proposed a repeal of the act of the
last Legislature under which, the Con
vent ION asse mblcd and performedits func-
! tions, ,I ButIiiiasmucha as that law has been
| partially executed, it is doubtful whether
an act of repeal would have the effect in
tended. 1t is certain, that ifthe Constitu-
ion were to be really submitted to the
people, and they should ra,ify it by theil
vote, Legislative repeal, between the
dates iof the submission and OF the election
would not affect the validity of the sover-
Eeign act of ratification. o'1fi etrs ipr
| 1nv The true purpose which, in my judg.
ment, ought to control your Legislature on
the present occasion, and that which is
perhaps, the. most pertinent and ipractica
bic within your power, is to provide for the
Irregular and Legitimate exercise of. the SOY
ereignty of the people on those points il
which the Convention has attempted tc
trammel or restrain ii; in other words ) tc
provide for a direct vote, under your owl
authority, upon the adoption of the Con
on the 2lst inst, under the authority of tn,
Constitutional Convention. 1ri. .m' L5.g
l have already expressed the grave doubt.
entertain as! TO the power of the legislator,
f in any mannerto interfere with the proceed
bings of the Convention But there can b.
no question AS to your authority to pro
vide, by a suitable law, for fair expires
sion of the will of the people, upon TIL
vital question of approving the Constitu
ton. That highest act Of sovereignty, tn
lact of delegatlng appropriate powers in TIL
best form of words and with the prope
limitations. to State organization, so deep
} ly involves the dearest rights and interest,"
of the people, that the very safety of ou
, whole system Of self-government demands
, IN all cases, but especially Y where any doub
: or dissatisfaction prevails, an unequivocs
ratification of the Constitution to be adopt
, ed. ..'aa =. ..a9.u.r ..4 ..5 .i.l -
Perhaps a majority Of the people ma
accept the Instrument now before Them, il
one or the other Of the forms in which it
, presented by the Convention. In, ths
t case, there could be no ground of com
plant; for 1 doubt not the hole people wi
Z cheerfully acquiesce in the will Of the ma
jori;y, fairly ascertained. On the othe
! hand, if the people should decide agains
/, the Constitution in both forms. it. woul
e1 mot be possible for Congress. without
q violation of all popular rights, to adm
y Kansas into the Union under it. The wa
: would,the be fairly open for the passag
, of any other appropriate measure, by VII
p tue of which the people, relieved from a
e lol mer en- barrassments, could elect the
s delegates to- a convention, and establis
3 their own institutions, in their own way,
7 accordance with the provisions OF the ol
y ganic act. and the fundamental principle
G lol government ,.,......