The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-03-11
THE WEEKLY PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT

These laws, made by an Assembly
created by foreign force, are but a
manifestation Of the spirit Of opprcs-
sion which was the parent Of the
whole transaction.
They were obviously made 10 OPP
press and drive out oil who were in
clined TO the exclusion Of Slavery I;
and If they remained, to silence them
on this subject, and subject them TO
the will and control Of the people Of
Missouri. These are the laws which
the President says must be enforced
by the army and whole power of this
nation.
The people Of Kansas, thus inva-
ded, subdued. oppressed and insul.
ted, seeing their Territorial Govern
mcnt (such only in form perverted
into an engine 10 crush them in the
dust, and to defeat and destroy the
professed object Of their organic law,
by dcpriving them Of the "peytst
)redom" therein provided and find
ing no ground TO hope for rights in
that organization, they proceeded,
under the guaranty Of the United
States Constitution, "peaceably to
assemble TO petition the Government
for the redress Of (thcir) grievances"
They saw no earthly source Of relief
but in tho formation Of a State Gov
ernmcnt by the people, and the ac-
.eeptaaee and. yati!ic asien thereof. hy
Congress.
II is true that in several instances
in our political history the people of
u territory have been authorized by
all act Of Congress 10 form State
Constitution, and after 80 doing were
admitted by Congress 1t is quite
obvious that no such authority could
be given by tho act Of the territorial
government. TINT clearly has no
power TO create another government,
paramount 10 itself. II is equally
true that in numerous instances in
our history the people of territory
have without any previous act Of
Congress, proceeded to call a con
vention Of the people by their dele
gates; have formed a State Consti-
tuition, which has been adopted by
the people, and State Legislature
assembled under it, and chosen SEN
ators to Congress, and then have
presented said Constitution TO Con
grcss, who has approved the same,
and received the Senators and Mem
bers of Congress who were chosen
under it before Congress- had APP
proved tho same. Such was the case
Of Tennessee; such was the case OF
Michigan, where the people not only
formed State Constitution without
an act of Congress and without an
act Of the Territorial Government,
but they also put the State Govern
ment into full operation, and super
seeded the Territorial Government,
and it was approved by Congress by
receiving it AS State This was
then sustained in the Senate by the
present President, Buchanan, who
there declared that any act of the
Territorial Legislature for the calling
Of u convention would be an act of
usurpation. The people Of Florida
formed their Constitution without
any act Of Congress therefor. six
years before they were admitted into
the Union When the people of Ar
kansas were about forming State
Constitution without previous act
of Congress, in 1885, the Territorial
Governor applied To the President
on the subject, who referred the mat.
ter to the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, and his
opinion. rs then expressed and pub
lished, contained the following:
at is not in the power OF the Cen
eral Assembly of Arkansas to pass
any law for the purpose of elccting
members TO Convention TO form
Constitution and State Government,
nor do any other act. directly or in
directly, to create such Government.
Every such law. even though it were
approved by the Governor Of the
Territory. would be null and void; if
passed by them, Notwithstanding his
veto, by vote of two-thirds of each
branch, it would still be equally
void
lie further decided that it was not
rcbellious or insurrectionary. nor
even unlawful, for the people peace
fully to proceed. even without an act
OF Congress, in forming Constitu.
ton, and that the 80 forming State
Constitution, aud SO far organizing
under the same as 10 choose the off.
GERS necessary for its representation
in Congress. with u view To present
the same 10 Congress for admission,
was power which fell clearly with.
- IL