The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1867-04-20
POETRY.
THE PETITION or MISSISSIPPI.
The Supreme Court Called Upon 10
Stay The Execution or the Re.
construction Act.

The following is copy of the pc
tition of Governor Sharkey, of Mis-
sissippi, and Robert J. Walker, pre-
sented to the Supreme Courts,
TO ne Saytsme Court u IA, United S,dte %
The bill of complaint of the State
of Mississippi, in behalf of herself
and such other States as may be in
tercsted in the premises, who shall,
by consent Of the Court, properly
make themselves parties hereto,
against Andrew johnson, a citizen of
the State of Tennessee, and ,Prcsi-
dent Of the United States, and also
against General L. 0. G. Ord, a citi-
zen of the State Of Maryland, who
has been appointed by the said An
drew johnson, as hereinafter stated.
Humbly complaining, the said State
of Mississippi would respectfully
show to this honorable Court that her
territory was composed Of a portion
of the territory or domain comprised
within the former limits Of the State
Of Georgia, and by an irrevocable
compact between that State and the
United States, on the 24th Of April,
1902; that said compact was made
on certain conditions, which were un-
alterablc; among which was the pro-
vision that said territory should be-
come and forever remain a State Of
the American Union, on the same
footing as the original States in all
respects whatsoever; another Of these
provisions extended to said territory,
and to said new State when admitted,
all the terms Of the ordinance Of the
18th July, 1887, except as to slavery;
that said ordinance was based upon
and ratified as a compact with the
State Of Virginia, by which certain
States were to be admitted and for
ever remain States Of the American
Union, on an equal footing with the
original States in all respects whatso-
ever. BY said compact Of 1902 all
these terms and conditions, rs well OF
the compact of 1902 rs Of said ordi-
nance Of 1887, which were unaltcra-
bic, were declared to be binding and
a part Of the compact Of 1902, con-
tanned the provisions that "the in
habitants Of said territory shall
always be entitled to the benefits Of
the writ Of habeas corpus and Of a
trial by jury;;" no man shall be de-
privcd Of his liberty or property but
by his peers and the law Of the
land" The said territory and States
which may be formed therein shall
forever remain a part Of this confed.
eracy. And this was the compact
between the United States and Mis-.
sissippi. Has il been kept? BY the
act Of Congress Of the lst of March
1917, passed in pursuance of said
compact of 1902 and the ordinance
of 1857, authority was given to the
people Of the western part Of Mis-.
sissippi Territory to form a constitu.
ton and State government, aud fol
the admission Of such State into III,
Union upon the same footing will
original States IN all respects whatso.
ever, By this act the constitution o.
the proposed State was required te
conform to said compact Of 1902 and
said ordinance Of 1887, except a.
aforesaid; and the said provisions
were declared 10 be eirrevocablc'
without the consent of the United
States. In pursuance Of these acts
ordinances and compacts, the peopl,
Of said Territory Of Mississippi, or
the 18th Of August, 1917, adopted I
State constitution, with an ordinanc,
thereto attached and made a par,
thereof, and declared to be q airrevoc.
able without the consent Of the Uni.
ted States" On the 10th Decen,ber
1917, Congress, by o joint resolution
admitted said State into the Unior