The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-08-31

being the principle involved in the contest,a
majority of the colonies refused to permit
their delegates to sign the Declaration of
Independence except upon the distinct con.
dition and express reservation to each colony
of the exclusive right to manage and con-
troll its local concerns and police regulations
without the Intervention of any general
Congress which might be established for the
United Colonies.
Let US cite one of these reservations as
specimen of all, showing conclusively that
they were fighting for the inalienable right
of local self government, with the clear un-
Outstanding that when they had succeeded
in throwing off the despotism of the British
Parliament, no Congressional despotism was
to be substituted for it:
"We, the delegates of Maryland, in convention
assembled, do declare that the King of Great
Britain has violated his compact with this peO-
pie, and that they owe no allegiance to him.
We have therefore thought it just and necessa-
ry to empower our deputies in Congress to join
with majority of the United Colonies in de-
claring them free and Independent States, in
framing such confederation between them, in
making foreign alliances, and in adopting such
other measures as shall be judged necessary for
the preservation of their liberties:
ulating the internal polity and government of
this colony be reserved to the people thereof.
"We have also thought proper to call new
convention for the purpose of establishing
government in this colony.
mo ambitious views, no desire of independ-
ence, induced the people of Maryland to form
an union with the other colonies. To procure
an exemption from parliamentary taxatian,
and to continue to the legislatures of these col
onies the sole and exclusive right of regulating
their internal pOlity, was our original and only
motive. To maintain inviolate our liberties,
and to transmit them unimpaired to posterity,
was our duty and first wish; our next, to
continue connected with, and dependent
on Great Britain. For the truth of these asser.
tons we appeal to that Almighty Being, who is
emphatically styled the Searcher of hearts, and
from whose Omniscience none is concealed. Re-
lying on his Divine protection and assistance,
and trusting to the justice of our cause. we ex.
hort and conjure every virtuOus citizen to join
cordially in defense of our common rights, and
in maintenance of the freedom of this and her
sister colonies
The first plan of federal government adopt
ed for the United States was formed during
the Revolution, and is usually known as
The Articles of Confederation" By these
articles it was provided that "each State
retains its sovereignty, freedom, and indc-
pendence, and every power, jurisdiction and
right which is not by this confederation ex.
pressly delegated to the United States in
Congress assembled"
At the time the articles of confederation
were adopted-July, 9 l778--the United
States held no lands or territory in common.
The entire country including all the waste
and unappropriated lands-embraced within
or pertaining to the confederacy, belonged
to and was the property of the several
S tates within whose limits the same was
situated.
On the 9Th day Of September, 1880, Con-
gress recommended to the several States
in the Union having claims to waste and
unappropriated lands in the Western coun-
try, a liberal cession to the United States
of portion of their respective claims for
the common benefit of the Union"
On the Goth day of October, 1888, the
legislature of Virginia passed an act au-
thorizing the Delegates in Congress from
that State to convey to the United States
the territory or tract of country within
the limits of the Virginia charter, lying and
bearing to the northwest of the river Ohio"
| which grant was to be made upon the
condition that the territory so coded shall
be laid out and formed into States ;" and
that the States so formed shall be distinct
republican States, and admitted members of
the Federal Union, having the same rights
of sovereignty, freedom, and independence
as the other States"
On the lst day of March, 1884, Thomas
Jefferson and his colleagues in Congress
executed the deed of cession, in pursuance
of the act of the Virginia legislature, which
was accepted and ordered to F." be recorded
and enrolled among the acts of the United
States in Congress assembled" This was
the first territory ever acquired, held, or
owned by the United States. On the same
day of the deed of cession, Mr.. Jefferson, as
chairman of the committee which had been
appointed, consisting of Mr.. Jefferson, of
Virginia, Mr.. Chase, of Maryland, and Mr.
Howell, of Rhode Island, submitted to Con-
gress ga plan for the temporary govern
ment of the territory coded or to be coded
by the individual States to the United
States''
1t is important that this Jeffersonian plan
of government for the territories should be
carefully considered for many obvious rea-
SONS. 1t was the first plan of government
for the territories ever adopted in the United
States. 1t was drawn by the author of the
Declaration of Independence, and revised
and adopted by those who shaped the issues
which produced the Revolution, and formed
the foundations upon which our whole
American system OF government rests 1t
was not Intended to be either local or tenn
porary in its character, but was designed to
apply to all territory ceded or to be ceded,"
and to be universal in its application and
eternal in its duration, wherever and when
ever we might have territory requiring
government. 1t ignored the right of Con-
gress to legislate for the people of the terri
tories without their consent, and recognized
the inalienable right of the people Of the
territories, when organized into political
communities, to govern themselves in re-
spect to their local concerns and internal
polity. 1t was adopted by the Congress of
the Confederation on the 23d day of April,
1884, and stood upon the statute book as a
general and permanent plan for the govern.
/ ment of all territory which we then owned
or should subsequently, acquire, with pro-
vision declaring it to be " Charter of
Compact" and that its provisions should
"stand as fundamental conditions between
the thirteen original States and those newly
deecrihnd unaltnrahlp Int nv the mint cor !