Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1860-01-19
MINERS AND MANUFACTURERS JOURNAL


of Louisiana, which Mr.. Jefferson purchased
from France for fifteen millions of dollars,
just as you might buy fifteen million dollars
worth of anything else-ships or arms, or
anything that government has to SELL
You bought it. There were parties living
upon the lands; but they were not asked the
question whether they consented to the bar
gain or not The power was thus exercised
In those days; and that will go down to pos
terity as well Illustrating appointment trait of
United States character And how did Mr..
jefferson govern that Territory? The first
government established by act of Congress
was 20 be administered entirely by Govern
or and twelve se!ecte frceholders, Creolcs,
who had no powers, but were appointed as
an advi ory council to the Governor, and
both of them held their Offices entirely at the
pleasure 6f the President of the United States.
That was the first government of the Terri
tory; but after a while they went on and a
mother government was established.
/ am speaking Of this as an Illustration OF
tho principle by which our government con-
trolls its territorics--not only in that, but III
others-thc one in which lived six years
before it was State, (Missouri.l 1t was
governed by a Governor, appointed by the
President of the United States, and by three
Judges, also appointed by the President. 1t
was no representative government. There
| was none of this lattcr-day Democracy in the
whole concern, but IL was based upon the
principle that it required an organization by
Congress; and until This time of speculation
and wild cztravagapce, Congress has always
in philosophical spirit, cndeavored TO adapt
its instrument to the operation which it was
I intended to perform. At first it would give
one form of government adapted to their con
dition, and as they advanced in wealth, ant
increased in numbers and intelligence, il
would give them better goverumcnt-al
ways with mild and paternal authority
but always with authority. | should not at
tempt to reverse the order of things by re-
garding nn acquisition made with money a'
a part Of the United States, and maintaining
that the United States is nothing in the worlt
but tie States united. fyou get other ter
rtory-if you take Kansas OF Madagascar
, it is the same thing you have taken an in
/ dependent country to be governed. There
is really no difficulty about it but the con-
| founding Of things together; and men talk
continually about the Constitution and the
rights of the people Of Washington and Ore
gon Territories. What Constitution have
they got? Who made it? When, where
aud for what purpose was it made? lknow
tliat Wise mcn--men otherwise prudent, ant
who think before they speak in other mat
ters-wlIen they get upon this question o
, Territories and negroes seem to stultify them
selves, and appear as if they thought they
were discharged from all Obligation to ac
I honestly. All these Irregularities and evils
we have now spring from a bad principle
and we as Wings ought to lay it to heart, for
what is the Wing party? 1t is our boast
and the glory Of Whigs that we arc party
of law, and live chiefly, if not wholly with
, out any liberty which is not established and
regulated and restrained by law. That is the
character Of the Wing party as distinguished
from the Democratic party. That is the
government Of men as determined by num-
bcrs, and everybody who docs not use the
term in that way falsifes the dictionary,
which is the only reliable standard Of our
languages and generally he does it, as De
Tocqucvile says, because men who have vague
ideas must necessarily have vague phrases to
express those ideas, and their abstract terms
/ are like box with false bottom into which
you may put my i,ica you please and take
them out without being ooscrvcd-7just like
the Cincinnati Platform. daughter,
say to every mali in this Convention, that
you have just begun your work by coming
here, and you must go home and finish it,
Let every one take the Constitution and the
Acts of Congress and pore them over, line by
line, and sentence by sentence, and make up
his own mind what he is going to say before
he says it. Now, if was asked to give an
opinion, | would say that the Territories Of
the United States are, in my judgment
which would give as would give written
co',hsei to client, and stake my reputation
upon it, being willing to stand or fall by it
dependent property, aud not only may be
govcrnc, but must be governed, for in coun-
try of law, in Wing country, public off
GERS have no rights of government at ALL
| The Government never was r,adt fof tkttii,
and no powers were given to them fol their
own sake. We have nothing bit powers and
duties; and it is our duty to exercise those
powers, whenever the proper contingency a
rises.
If were member Of Congress nnd took
an oath to discharge my duty to the best OF
my ability, wien the question of the govern
mcnt of Territory came up, should ask
how long have we had these people? What
sort of pcoplc.arc they? Where have they
been educated? Do they know how to make
laws f5f themselves, or must we govern them
ike children? Have they been educated in
the spirit Of legal liberty, so as to understand
fully the principles which can alone preserve
oi,r institutions Hare they got any kind
of law? 1t is necessary to know these things
in order to know what gouernmcnt they need
cd In old hereditary monarchies you may
throw every thing Into confusion, detht6na
the rcisnins morarch, batter dowi; his castle,
but so long as there is a Prince Of the blood
royal, matters will at length settle down into
their accustomed channel. Tho history Of the