Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-06-11

member on the convention which framed
her constitution, should have opposed it
to the. last. do not believe that any
unnaturalized foreigner should be allow
ed &c, vote even for member of the Les
gislature ofithe various States; but that is
matter resting with the individual
States themselves. Ifthe people of Ohio,
or the people of Virginia, choose to per
NIT unnaturalized foreigners to vote. they
may do so. If the people of Minnesota
choose to allow unnaturalized foreigners
to vote, they can do so. And we have
no right to urge as an objection against
the admission of Minnesota under her
present constitution, an argument which
we would not apply to our own States.
But the gentleman from Ohio became
very humorous in that part of his speech,
and compared the admission of Minneso.
ia to a wedding. He says he does not
like like to see our younger sister playing
welded to the Union decently and re,
specially, All have to say in regard
to that is this:that if the gentleman want.
ed her to be welded decently into the
Union. he ought to have given her de-
cent license. refer to the enabling act
for Minnesota, which allows unnatural
lied foreigners to vote for members Of the
constitutional convention. And / find
that the honorable gentleman, voted for
that license. Here, then, is the very
clerk that issued the license under which
Minnesota is to be welded. who comes up
at the eleventh hour and makes use OF the
imperfection of that license as O reason
why she ought to be kept out of the Un-
ion.
hold in my hand the enabling act un-
der which the members Of the convention
were elected, and I 6ud the name of my
honorable friend from Ohio recorded in fa,
yor oft. When interrupted the gentle
man in his speech to ask him il he did
not vote for it, he could not see the ap>
plication of the question. / hope he per-
ceiyes the application of it by this time.
Indeed, think before he completed his
speech he began to comprehend its appli-
cation; for he endeavored to break its
force and to account for its inconsistency
on that point by saying it was late in the
session, and that the bill was put through
under the previous question. In reply TO
that, sir, l say that whether it was put
through under the previous question or
any other way, am astonished that any
gentleman holding a seat on this floor as
a Representative, would make that ex-
cuse for voting for an act enabling the
people of territory 10 form constiIu-
ton. and then come up here when the
State acting under that full power, asks
to be admitted into the Union. and pleads
hta uhRI ha
should not be admitted. Sir, if the gen.
tleman had any speech to make against
permitting unnsturalized foreigners to
vote, he should have made it then. That
was the time he should have urged this
argument against admitting Foreigners
to vote. was not a member Of the
House at that time, but see by the re-
cord that if the previous question was se-
conded on that occasion. the Republican
party is responsible for it.
Mr.. SHERMAN, of Ohio. know
that 1, and good many others assisting
me. tried very hard to prevent the pre-
vious question until We might amend the
bill.
Mr.. JENKINS. I have got the vote
on ordering the main question; and | find
tha: large majority of the Republican
party was in its favor. Mr.. Speaker,
that only shows Row gentlemen will re.
sort to a subterfuge to accomplish their
political purposes. Here is gentlepan
who opposes state coming into the Un-
ion-although not a slave State, Dem,
ocratic stste-with three Democratic Re.
presentatiyes knocking at the door Of this
Hall; and he resorts not only to every
subterfuge, on which he can base the
fiimsiest arguments, to oppose her ad-
mission into the Union, but he pleads his
own wrong iu the case.
1 fnd that the honorable gentleman
from Pennsylvania. Mr.. Grow, a prom
inent member Of the Republican party,
moved the previous question on the pas
sage Of the Minnesota enabling act. and
that large majority of those who voted
for it were members Of that party.
Now, Mr. Speaker, the gentleman told
us in his speech that he wanted the voice
Of the people in all State constitutions
Well, If he has not got the voice of the
people in favor Of the Minnesota eonsti.
tuition, do not know when he ever will
hear the voice of the people. II speaks
in tones Of thunder with a greater relative
majority, undertake to say, than was
ever given in favor ofthe admission here
tofore of any other Territory as State
into the Union.
Sir. the popular voice Of Minnesota
proclaims thirty thousand for, to about
i've hundred against her constitution. II
that is not the voice of the people, and q
practical expression of it. do not know
where you will find it. This was great
fact staring the gentleman in the face. and
how does be try to obviate it Why,
he says there was fraud there. Where
are the proofs before this House Of any