Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-11-05
THE WASHINGTON UNION ON GOV WISE.

rough lashinc from the gallant Democracy o
Illinois, rctircs from the struggle against Sena
tor Douglas, with dropping tail. But, no
content with one cllaSti>cmcnt, it now presume
to get up feeble bark against Virginia De
mocrat. We warn the journalist that he il
getting into Scrape worse il possible, thar
that from which he has just retrcated Tl'
Democracy of Illinois have made him whine
L., him once fairly cmbroil himself with Nir
sinia Democrats, and we warrant that he shal
howl before the battle is over
The la, bark Of the Union" consists in :
vatnping up against Governor Wise Of it, owI
exploded charge of Inconsistency" first pu
forward just after the publication OF the Tam
many letter. The Union" bases its accusation
on comparison Of the following extract from
Gov Wisc's letter of Nov 18th. 1857:
"Tla, the people shall, of right, judge for
themselves, at tho polls, of their own organic
law, unless they expressly authorize agents t'
make and to adopt constitution for them, is =
principle for which, as 4 member of the last
Convention of Virginia, would have con;crd
ed as strcnlo,lsy Us did for any other prnc
pie of popular sovereignty or Of Selfgovern
mcnt There was no such authority delegated
hv the people to the Convention Of Kansas
/ It, a. u)"n pr~,,irat. the Coneratiom IF h"n
sc,s adopts republican tarm ef' STATE g"rrrm
mea,, ami rttort~ II {" Congress "ithoW srb
hitting il 10 tie rt"pic, I"grfe NTH .Er HIM
ter in arrrptiny 1t md roting 4" wreirr fan"',
a., Il state, stare ~. free. into the Union. And
why: Because, .hrsi. W' prrrr,itnt; and Sc
condly, whether it bc accepted or rejected ii
has to he submitted or Is sntjert a. last, in
either event, to the popular will If Il lnajori
ty do not approve Of the Constitution, they
may organize another Convention imincdi
alciy, and adopt any republican form, after
/ they are once State, rith"m admitting Il al
al 10 CoHgr~.s.
With the following language Of the Govern.
or's late letter. addressed to the Democracy Of
! Illinois
Utter opposition to the dctcstahle doctrine
Of the al,solutiSm Of Conventions TO prescribe
and proclaim fundamental forms Of govern
mcnt at their will, without submission to the
sovereign people, doctrine fit only for slaves,
and claimed only by lrgitimistS and dcspotS OF
/ the Old World"
The first of these extracts Was published be-
fore the action Of the lcconpton Convention.
II will hr seen. that even then. Gov. Wise took
a decided stand against all pretended al'Souti>m
of Convention. He denied. in direct terms
the right or authority Of II Convention to at
tempt the proclamation Of Constitution cx-
cept upon express popular authorization. He
asserted that the prcccdcntS upon which such
a course should be adopted were prrcc,icnts of
r,S,,rI,a,ior-and in the case of such u>urpation
hr believed that Congress might act witt! a
sound discretion lie "rsrr dH deny the righ'
cr' C"ng,tss 10 s,nd back surh " fonsiif"'i'n
r"r popHlnr ratidrotim "r r,Jrti"" On lie
contrary. hi language enthusiastically inii;n,tc>
that Congress maj adopt such course, or
may. ON the other hand, admit the new State
1t once and leave it to the people Of the State
when admitted, to provide proper rcproof for
lls,irpcrS, and TO co,lntcract the effect Of the
llsurpaton
In the case of Kansas he advised the lat
ter form OF admission, if the Convention should
adopt Constitution, rithomt admitting IL IN
my farm (" the prDplr
After the action Of the Lcconpton Conycn-
tion was made public, Governor Wise then con
.idcrcd that Congress ought to exercise its dis
cretioaary power Of sending hack the Const-
ton for popular ratification or rejection. This
for the following reasons:
lst. Because the Convention denying it; own
power to adopt, with express delegation Of pow
CT to that effect, had declared that the ConSt.
tuition should be submitted for popular ratiiica-
ton or rejection.
2nd Because form Of submission was
adopted. which defeated the object Of s,,bniS-
sion, by fraudulcntly ohliSing the ratification
of the entire Constitution.
3rd Because the Convention attempted in All
unprecedented manner, to distinguish between
Slave property and all other property, making
slave property alone subject 10 destruction by
means Of popular vote.
4,h Because, by the terms Of the schedule,
4 much greater and altogether unnecessary OBJ
S,rrictinn was thrown in the way Of citizens de-
string to vote against the slavery clause, than
was Offered to those desiring to vote for it; and
thu, the Convention directly intcrfcred to pre-
vent the freedom Of election even on the very
clause singled out for All especial reference to
popular decision.
9th, Because the Convention. even while
pretending to refer the whole constitution to
popular ratification and rejection, had intrigued
to secure its own abSolutsm and utter irrcSpon-
Sihility, by prescribing that the constitution
should not be superseded by another for fixed
term Of years-thus leaving the people entirely
without legal method of forming conStitu
ton in the meanwhile. and obligiug them to
resort to revolution in case they should de-
sire to administer prompt rcbukc to the Isur
patton Of the Convention.
Such was Governor Wisc's view Of the ease.
We need not comment on its accuracy or in
accuracy Let that speak for itself But the
attempt TO convict him of inconsistency is 50
palpablc violation of truth, that it deserves
an Immediate rcbuke From first to last. he
denied the doctrine Of the ab,outism OF con-
vcntion; from first to last, he asserted the
power Of Congress to protect the people against
it, uSurpation, in the exercise of n discrction-
airy power from first to last. he declares it
the duty of Congress to send back to the peo.
pie any constitution obtained By palpablc
fraud IN the freedom of election, which did
not require Congress Ia 90 behind the record
for its discovery, but was palpahlc on the face
Of the very schedule which was presented To
Congress as the legal certificate that the con:ti-
tuition which accompanied it was the act and
deed Of the people of Kansas For such, in
decd, is Governor WiSeS view Of the schedule.