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

the slavery question for themselves,
as every State of the Union had done
and must retain the undeniable right
to do so long as the Constitution Of
the United States shall be maintain
ed as the Supreme law of the land.
Finding opposition to the principles
Of the act unavailing in the halls of
Congress and under the forms Of the
Constitution, combinations were i'm
mediately entered into in some por-
tions of the Union to control the po-
litical destinies and form and rcgu-
late the domestic institutions Of those
Territories and future States through
the machinery Of Emigrant Aid So
cicties. In order to give consistency
and efficiency to the movement, and
surround it with the color of legal
authority, an act Of incorporation
was procured from the Legislature
Of the State Of Massachusetts, when
a powerful corporation, with a CAPT
tai Of FIVE millions of dollars, invest
ed in houses and lands, in merchan.
die and mills, in cannon and rifles,
in powder and lead, in all the imple-
ments Of art, agriculture, and war,
and employing corresponding num-
Der Of men, all under the manage
mcnt and control of nonresident d.
rectors and stockholders, who are
authorized by their charter to vote
by proxy 10 the extent Of fifty votes
each, enter distant and sparsely
settled Territory with the fixed pur-
pose Of welding all its powers to
control the domestic institutions and
political destincs of the Territory, it
becomes a question Of fearful import
how far the company are compatible
with the rights and liberties of the
people. Whatever may be the ex-
tent or limit Of Congressional author.
ity over the Territories, it is clear
that no individual State has the
right to pass any law or authorize
any act concerning or affecting the
Territories which it might not enact
in reference to any other State. 1t
is well settled principal of consti-
tutional law in this country, that
while all the States Of the Union are
united in one, for certain purposes,
yet each State, in respect to every
thing which affects its domestic pol
icy and international concerns, stands
in the relation of foreign power to
every other State. Hence. no State
has a right to pass any law, do or
authorize any act with view to in
tlucnce or change the domestic poll
cy Of any other State or Territory Of
the Union, more than it would with
reference to France or England, or
any other foreign State with which
we are at peace. Indeed, every
State Of this Union is under higher
obligations to observe friendly for
bcarance and general comfy towards
each other member of the confedera-
cy than the laws Of nations can inn
pose on foreign States.
If our obligations, arising under
the law OF nations, are 80 imperative
az to make it our duty to enact ncu-
trality laws, and to exert the whole
power and authority Of the executive
branch of the government, including
the army and navy, TO enforce them
in restraining our citizens from in
terfering IN the internal concerns Of
foreign States, can the obligations of
each State and Territory Of this Union
be less imperative, under the Federal
Constitution, to observe an entire
neutrality in respect to the domestic
institutions OF the several States and
Territories.
These extracts prove the character
of the resisting party in Kansas, and
illustrate its purposes from the be-
ginning to the present time; while
the report also fnlly sustains the reg
ular, legal government, IA before
stated. Under these circumstances,
and in this condition Of affairs, and
with these express recognitions, the
regular, legal. Territorial govern
mcnt continued To progress, and the
population continued TO increase, I'M
ill il was believed the time had ar
rived for admission into the Union in
accordance with the provisions Of the
Louisiana treaty, the uniform prac-
tice Of government, the provisions of
the organic act, and the just expec-
ta,ions of the people On the -
day Of July. 1855, the regular Legis-
lature Of the Territory passed an act
10 take the sense Of the people on
the subject of forming State gov
ernment preparatory to admission
into the Union The election was
held. and large majority voted in
favor Of having Convention to adopt