Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-01-16

they desire the change 10 De made.
Gov. Wise's Letter-.-Prompt Action Of the De.
mociacy of virginia-.-The President Sus-
tanned. -t7,r
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 Governors
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 as i'll
timed and indiscreet," and very broadly intimates
that it is calculated to embarrass the Administra
tion"
We agree with the Enquirer, and the Democratic
press of Virginia. whose voice has just been so en-
phatically sustained by the Democratic members OF
the Legislature Of that State.
The eist of the Governors letter is contained in
the following:
"Why, then, if the schedule Of submission was
anti-Repu5can if it was partial, If it did not &C
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 subjects OF property
the Congress Of the United States ought not to re-
ject the legitimate and Republican Constitution, but
ought 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 acto and if they reject it, to leave
the people of Kansas in their own way to organize
another Convention, and submit another Const-
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 hepeo.
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 a unt-indvisible Convention of the people,
legally chosen, is itself sovereign. Our forms or
modes of government are republican, that is, repre-
sentative. The people do, through representatives,
that which they cannot do en- maasse as Democracy.
They devolve their sovereignty for the time being
on 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, 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
garded as complete; but no 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 Hs0ould
mos0 intervene, and adopt the Lecompton Constitu.
He raio
the Constitution, if those conditions not com.
piled with in other words he would inquire wheth'
err the Constitution has been framed in certain
way, and i the way should not suit him, he would
require the people of the Territory to undo their
work and conform to his views in this respect. This
would be intervention and would, of course violate
both the letter and spirit of the Kansas Nebraska
act. The Governor is in error. He has assumed to
speak for the Democracy Of Virginia; but that De-
mocracy, through their representatives have spoken
for themselves He denounces the action of the Le-
compton Convention in submitting the slavery
clause only to the people, and for the manner of its
submission, as unveiled trickery and shameless
fraud"-but the representatives of the Democracy
of Virginia differ with him, and have so declared.
At a meeting of the Democratic members of the Le-
o'S,~>'AS
Of Delegates on Monday night last, one hundred
and ten being in attendance, the following resolu.
tons were adopted with much unanimity:
&c lst Resolued, 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 recent
message, in favor of the admission of Kansas as
State of this Union under the Lecompton Constitu.
ton, is just and right
I'd Resolced, That Congress has no right to look
further into the Constitution submitted by the State
Of Kansas in its application to be admitted into this
Union, than to that the said Constitution is Re-
publican in its form.
sd Resotced, That it is due to the peace and har.
mony of this Union that Congress should speedily
admit Kansas as State under the Lecompton Con
stltution without farther conditions" 49,
We rejoice at this result. The old Commonwealth
announces the true doctrine and stands firmly BY
the President of her choice This action, at once 81
prompt and so just, will gladden. and crafty the tru,
Democracy in all portions of the Union.
The GoldsborOugh Tribune.