The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1858-04-24

WHOLE No. S73

the basis of t,,.,an ,, ,ennoh was com. 10
Territory and !. -, was made
there was no ant. 0'e man nall taken.
tionmenr. The caue pPorl,onment on kaA
teral to the leom pont rs OF the whole
officially, by the Governor was done
have bsen the neglect ofthe 10y appor-
not the hostility or opposition tmma-
1t required the apportonment to b6ed
the Governor and the Secretary s
made bv the Secretary alone, who A
acting Governor at the time It requiisS$3
counties, not having population enough fGts
a delegate to be attached to some district
the fourteen counties excluded from the cen
sus were not attached TO apy district. They, E
therefore, had neither vote nor representation,
actual or constructive, in the convention.
This failure to execute the law alone is fatal
to every idea of legal validity in the proceed.
iags.
IF there was no Iera, authority in the
Legislature, then I suppose that the fabric
of my honorable friends on the other side
tum6lcs about their ears, What becomes Of
the argument that we cannot look behind the
certificates WHY, the certificates have no
legal authority. What becomes of the argu.
ment that these peoDle who STAYED at home
authorized those who voted TO vote for them!
! Tf there was no legal election. thew were not
bound by it. If there was no law recurring
them to attend, staying at home was their
duty. They were only rot matchmaking in
an usurpation. Tho fonnaation for nre.
sumption of the assent of those who stavs3saa
at home, is, That the law rconired them MI
be at the polls. The good old law of yinEg
rinia, as nv ho6or,bls fr;ond !, mv.va rngs
remember, made it A punishable offence IA a
stay away from nm election. md though sy
there NAV be no law nnn;clina II vet !,
violation of law, and of the dutv Of n II,
citizen. to stay away from an election. Il
is the duty of The citizen to cast his yots.
and if the citizen does not cast il he 10 bslS %
to authorize those who do but that can,0,
be where the proceeding has no legal valid,tv h
that prcsumntion cannot arise yboro !, u,
merely a voluntary collection of NORTON ~.
the people of the Territory to sicnifv tbo.s
willingness to admit certain form Of Con-
stitution without their having any. aoti,o-il vi
10 bind any body else. I suppose. then, II jS&!
in that point of view. the whole srrurons
upon the other side is in rims ali tbo;|a
barriers Of laws and certificates. nresumntiorss
against fact, and scouIescences extoried fros5&
protests and denias are swept awav,
We are at liberty to 500 that on,,
thousand six hunired and s"ssnt D,'y oa s"N
voted on calling convcntion thoty ~, p.t W
thousand two hundred nsonla ,Iec,nd ~ NJ,
convention that the census shows onlv ,; us
thousand two hundred and fiftv.one yotore
and twenty -four thousand seven hundred and
eighty people in the Ter; torr vh,oh L..
transformed II self into state Ana e ,ho,,
who hitherto insisted On confniro nv 70 i my
returns and certificates now r., goagr 80
projections of the census and ra,.;a .t,s III"
agree we NAV 90 further and soa 10. !,
may be twelve thousand voters OH sno,.
thirty seven thousand to forIv-t1,o vi" t,,o mom;
people in the Terr;torv hnt ~ , t.lou'H'lu
three thousand voters modostIv os,, LIN Ma nu'
ers of q State pov.rn,nent N ~ t"' Po"-
of ten thousand, and thu nrofest 'i u, .umsts
| thousand. Nay. sir, cmancipatrd rroo' o,osr
trammel, we are at liberty md bnnnd t ~ :,
further, and to INQUIRE whctbor ~
been Ill this Territory such nrrca call;e;o "S'
such hostile passions so mncb oF rnIa ,Un
against the regular government snch ~
absolute division of the ,eonie witt rsr. va
to their government, SO much Of cr i.' I,on3
shed so much of military contr,I w. 100
absence of the ordinary noIit;cai r;,.', o.,
calmness, or considera ton. Of delihsrato, y.
the President describes whefhar 90, w., a'
wheming iority of the peoplc arc onncs o =,
the thing that is now sought to be fnr,.d ~ ~
foisted UPON them and devoted +, .no,har g..
of government IT relieves nc re-, tla .oin
encounterng the dangers intm ,ne 1eae o,
vaguely limited at bv scntlemon mno,, anu .h
other side in the event Of our vent,,;p - 't,o
our duty. tt leaves ms freq 70 $3.50 ~ w
whether. under all these circuust,o , =;
not fair case for lepislativs d;son..; IL IS
pause and ask the Deonlc oro;n ~. u, ~
say, upon g. sober. second tbonol,. va. "a tney
ito see whether the neonle ora ~. Ip'a'
submit or likely to resistr.whethor NS -
great good is to be accomnl,shed ~ ~. ""S.
forcing this constitution Imam IVY ~ n .S
inevitably civil war will he con,n ."o.,l INV
it. 'D'"'e0 "
We are told bv the President tb,. AZ: :.
the shortest wav to settIo H. s"a. t'iIs ~
Mr. Ch,irma, / confss rrso,f a.H,
at spch On on;n;on from, q aa,,tIo a'.Jl''s,ieu
seen CO mnch If nnbl;c seSvica h.a "ho na'
filled d;stinou;sbed nos;tions sna Ia" "a ~ sons
or onoht n lnow so much nf H hn, a.,o A.'o"S'
WIN what hoe hoen tho dis;a''i, nA. N
nnfnrt,ma to T0rr;torva W. !, ~ y, . tp.s-
Te,ritor;al Iec;satnre wac mSnr,,ad s'"f 'o.',
that tho eason that from Tho fou,Jo,;s A "
the Territory to last Octobsr ths ,,o"o u
refused r. recoon,za .nv antbor;tu 49, pnV X
laws em,natno from, that e,,;si I. S"'