Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-02-26

1900
Another Prosss.
The following able document was
presented before the Hsuse Of Repre-
ssntativss Of the Iowa Legislature on
Thursday Of last week, and embodied
not only the opinion Of those gentle
men whose names are attached there
unto, but that Of all sound national
democrats throughout this county and
state, and the whole union. We CON-
mend It TO the careful perusal Of all al
sound democratic doctrine.
PROTEST.
The undersigned, members Of the
House of Representatives of the State
Of lows, do hereby protest against GER
tain resolutions of instruction to the
SENATOR in Congress from the State
Of Iowa, concerning the admission Of
Kansas into the Union, passed by this
House on the 22nd of January, 1853,
and dissent from the protest signed by
certain other members of this House
and ordered to be entered on the Jour-
nal, ON the 18th day of the present
month Of February, 1853, for the fol-
lowing reasons to-wit:
/. Because the resolutions adopted
- Aforesaid set forth that because the
Lecompton constitution wes not sub
mittcd by the convention which framed
il to IN honest and fair vote of the
people Of Kansas, the people Of Kansas
should not be admitted into the Union
- State. The doctrine Of this reso-
luton is virtually that the people, in
their sovereign capacity, cannot dele
gate the powers which they possess to
. State Legislature, to enact laws, or
to Convention TO adopt for such peo-
pie constitution, without submitting
such laws and constitution to the peo-
pie for their ratification. This doctrine
We believe to be erroneous, and sub
verslve of the constitution and inalien-
able rights of the American people,
whether applied to them as the people
Of q State already existing, or as the
people Of . State applying for admis-
sion into the Union.
We believe that it is competent for,
and the right of sovereign people in
the exercise of their sovereign rights,
10 take such measures As to themselves
may seem best and proper for giving
expression to their wills and wishes,
and when they have SO expressed their
will, whether by legislative enactment
or BY . convention called by authority,
and elected by themselves to decide
upon the form and substance of their
fundamental law, it is neither the right
Of this House to dictate to Congress
than . constitution so framed is not
legitimate, nor that . new State apply
ing for admission into the Union,
should be rejected because the people
Of the State 20 applying have not re-
quired such constitution to be submit
ted to them for ratification or rejection.
We believe that the people Of Kan
sas have the same rights as American
citizens individually, and - q political
body collectively, - the people of any
other Territory, in the same condition,
have or had, and they have the same
rights - body, polite as other terri
tories, or the people thereof have or
had, to form and adopt for themselves
. fundamental law; and that if in the
exercise Of their rights they have not
required the submission to them for
their ratification or rejection, the Con-
stitution under which they propose to
exercise their sovereignty, and ask ad
mission into the Union, they infringe
upon no right of the States of the
Union, or Of either of them, nor should
they be deprived Of being admitted into
the confederacy merely because they
have adopted . constitution in Their
own way and not in the way which
thu House prescribes. To this pre-.
scsiption and dictation by the House
70 the people Of Kansas, how they shall
form, adopt, and ratify their Constitu.
ton, the undersigned do earnestly pro-
test. t..-..
2. Because the resolutions adopted
by the House undertake to settle ques.
tons Of laws for the Senators Of thi.
State, the Congress Of the United
Stats, in the Instructions given them
By the resolutions Aforesaid. The un
dsssigned are Of the opinion that it il
not the right Of this House in instruc
ting SENATOR in Congress from THU
State - to the course upon the admis
sion q = new State into the Union, te
dstssmine either Questions of facts o.
oflaw; for the facts and the law may
b better known to such Senators thai
- thin House, and being 20 bette
kaewn, i would mot be proper for sucl
esnaton to obey instructions givel
item b. this House or BY the Genera
Assembly Of the State, q saoh instruc
6sas may b founded upon miastats
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