Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1858-01-20
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RALEIGH, SATURDAY. JAN. 16. 1855.

RALElGHs SATURDAY, JAN. 10. 1885,
HOLDEN WILSON, STATE PRINTERS,
AUTHORIZED PUBLISHERS UNITED STATES
Gov. Wise's Letter-.-PrOmpt Action of the De-
mociacy of Eirginia...The President Sus.
tained.
The recent letter of Gov. Wise to the Democrats
of Tammany Hail, is exciting attention in all parts
of the country. The Democratic press of Virginia
is speaking out against the views of the Governor;
and even the Enquirer, which has been so decided
in its attachment to him, regrets the appearance of
his letter at the present juncture regards it i'll
timed and indiscreet," and very broadly intimates
that it is calculated to embarrass the Administra.
tom
We agree with the Enquirer, and the Democratic
press of Virginia, whose voice has just been en-
phaticay sustained by the Democratic members of
the Legislature of that State
The gist of the Governors letter is contained in
the following:
"why, then, if the schedule of submission
anti-Repu5can, if it partial, if it did not
knowledge and allow the sovereign right of the peo
pie TO judge for themselves on the highest dignity,
the organic law of their government and discrimi.
mated unequally between the sub bjects of property,
the Congress Of the United States ought not to re-
ject the legitimate and Republican Constitution, but
ought to adopt it subject to fair and legal vote of
the people of Kansas, according to law to be pre-
scrbed by their Territorial Legislature, and to ad
nit the State under the Constitution whenever the
Territory shall proclaim its approval and adoption
by the people. If they adopt it, to admit her into
the Union ipso tact0 and if they reject it. to leave
the people of Kansas in their own way to organize
another Convention and submit another Consti-
tuition to Congress for approval"
He maintains elsewhere that the Kansas Nebras-
ka act was an enabling act"-that is an act under
which Convention could be called an6 Constitu-
ton adopted-and herein he differs with Senator
Douglas bu: he maintains also that the entire Con-
stitution should have been submitted to the people.
Such course, under the circumstances would have
been preferable but does it follow, because
pie at the polls DO not approve all the work of the
people in Convention, that popular sovereignty has
not been carried out? We think not Sovereignty
is unit-indivisibe. A Convention of the people,
legally chosen, is itself sovereign. Our forms or
modes of government republican, that is, repre-
sentative. The people do, through representatives
that which they cannot do en- naasse Democracy
They devolve their sovereignty for the time being
their representatives in Convention and what is
done in Convention is, therefore, done by them
This must be So for otherwise the Constitutions
framed for States by Conventions and not submitted
to the people, are not emanations of the sovereign
power, and such Conventions were solemn farces.-
The people, it is true, may require that Conventions
shall submit their work to them before it is to be re-
garded as complete; but such obligation was
imposed on the Lecompton Convention. Gov
Wise, therefore, complains that the people of Kan
sas have not twice passed upon their Constitution
once in Convention and once at the polls. Hewould
n0~ intervene, and adopt the Lecompton Constitu
ton subject to certain conditions. He would reject
the Constitution, if those conditions not com
piled With in other words, he would inquire wheth
er the Constitution has been framed in a certain
way, and ic the way should not suit him, he woult
require the people of the Territory to undo thei
work and conform to his views in this respect. Thi
would be intervention and would of course, violat
both the letter and spirit of the Kansas-Nebrask,
act The Governor is in error. He has assumed t.
speak for the Democracy of Virginia; but that De
mocracy, through their representatives. have spokel
Tor themselves. He denounces the action of the LIE
compton Convention, in submitting the SLAYER!
clause only to the people, and for the manner of it
submission, as unveiled trickery and shameless
iraud"-but the representatives of the Democrac,
OF Virginia differ with him, and have so declared
AT a meeting of the Democratic members of the LIE
g'slature of Virginia, held in the hall of the Hous
OF Delegates on Monday night last, one hundre
and ten being in attendance, the following resolu
tlons were adopted with much unanimity:
" lst Resoloed, That in the opinion of the Demo
cratic members Of the General Assembly of Virgin
Ia, the conclusion to which the President of the Uni
ted States has arrived. as expressed in his recen
message, in favor of the admission of Kansas as
State Of this Union under the Lecompton Consttu
ton, is just and right.
I'd Resolced, That Congress has no right to loo
laFlher into the Constitution submitted by the Stat
GI M Kansas in its application to be admitted into th
On'on, than to see that the said Constitution is Re-
publican in its form.
Sd Resoloed, That it is due to the peace and ha,
@ony OF this Union that Congress should speedil