The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1867-05-11
THE ACT AnENDAToRY.

up very soft arguments, the Democratic
press of Montana accepts the situation
and eats humble pie along with their
brethren down in Dixie. Ajax has def
ed the lightning, but the lightning cared
very little for Ajax's defiance. and de
molished him nevertheless. So Ajax
comforts himself and his followers with
the assurance that il was mt much of a
stroke after all. a few weeks ago the
Democrat would not brook the idea of
submitting TO law SO manifestly dis
courteous 10 the Honorable. the second,
third and extra sessions of the bogus
Legislatures of Montana. Thousands of
dollars We're to be expended in sueing for
an injunction in the Supreme Court, very
much as Georgia and Mississippi rebels
are trying now, TO prevent this blow
from taking effect, and the " bummers,
reptiles and vipers" were TO be very Sc
verely dealt with by outraged mobocra-
cy, when the said bummers, etc, return
ed to Montana. Now, the mild spoken
man of Missouri, although quite clear
that Congress took unwarrantable lib
critics in passing any bill without con
sulting the editor of the DeDi0cy0t as To
whether or not it was constitutional,
thinks that the mobocracy cannot avoid
obedience to this law without much liti-
CATION and vexation" That is one of
the most sensible assertions ever printed
Il. N !. ls.
to the profoundly logical political phil
osopher who fathomed the deep watcSs
of folly and brought up this pearl of wis
dom. He had only gazed on the matter
vaguely before. seen it cas- through a
| glass, darkly," now, the important dis
/ covery is made that the law also secures
vested rights, and as some new counties
| have been formed, and rights accrued
thereby, they will not be materially in
jured by this law" Also, that "the
Treasury of the Territory will receive a
much larger revenue, and a much larger
amount of our debt be paid Off" and
that mo very great hardship will be
felt" The Gazette and Democrat both
derive an immense quantity of "consola-
ton from the clause giving the next
Legislature power to re-enact by special
act such annulled laws of the bogus
Legislatures as they may see proper.
Following this clause is one declaring
that mo legislation or pretended legis-
lation in said Territory since the ad-
iournment of the fret Legislative Assem-
bly, shall be deemed valid until the cleo
tion of the Assembly herein provided
for shall take place. And another,
chat in all claims of vested rights there
under, the party claiming the same shall
not, by reason of anything in this section
contained, be precluded in making and
testing said claims in the courts of said
Territory This is sufficient guarantee
that not a dollar to which any man is
honestly entitled will ever be lost
through this act. The same high hand
ed, rebellious spirit that caused the
South TO secede would have forced the
people here to accept the enactments of
an illegal body, burthenins the people
with obnoxious franchises and attempt
ing TO foist upon them an election law
prompted by the basest motives, and
urged vehemently by the clique who
have long controlled this Territory.
Congress interfered, as it had the right
and the power to do, it annulled the en-
tire enactments of the body, but to pre-
vent disaster TO the interests OF the peo-
pie, specifies that such acts as were pass
ed by these Legislatures, which it is for
the welfare of the people should become
laws, may be re-enacted by the next
Legislature. This clause would be su-
perfiuous did il not contemplate that
when such laws are re-enacted they will
be recognized as laws from their original
enactment We heartily coincide with
the Democrat, that under these circum-
stances IL is the duty of the people "to
elect good and true men to the next Lee
islature." and if the signs of the times
are an indication, we have reason to be-
Iieve that the next Legislature viii be
a body earnest in the welfare of the peo-
pie of this Territory-loyal, steadfast
and true. That we will shake of that
incubus, the 27 of a Democratic majority
on Joint ballot and rank ourselves with
those loyal States and Territories who
do not worship at the shrine of
Cottonocracy for the sake of power, but
have supported the Administration in
putting down rebellion; strengthened
the representatives, of the people in their
effort to secure right and lasting peace,
and will not be cajoled or swindled out
OF, by fair pretenses or political chicanery,
what they won on bloody fields, and in