Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-16
THE STATE OF DAKOTA.

ssS1J t'akCtalan 10 Reads
General Hugh j. Campbell furnishes
the the following as his conclusions deriv-
ed from tlle authorities quoted by him
ana published in the Press and Dako-
talanI in tlehalf of the right oil south
eHa Dakhta to proceed at once to or
gitnlze as q state.
slhat the compact contained in the
ordinance Of 1887, which has been ex-
t'pdea tended over the people of Dakota by
hYe 9s, Successive acts of congress, guar
aatees to them absolutely and ilyiol-
ably The right to form permanent
constitution 60 and state government
Whenever said territory shall contain
Islsty thousand free inhabitants, 1,
NED T'l # the treaty by which the Louis
n Z 1s 1ssss as'lehasa vas acquired, which. is
the supreme law of the land, guaran-
tees To the people of Dakota territory
as absolutely and inyiolably as the or
dinanoe ct 1857, "that they shall be in
corporate!i IN the union Of the states,
and admitted, as soon as possible, ac-
cording to the principles of the federal
constitution. to the enjoyment of all
the rights, advantages. and immuni-
ties Of citizens of the United States.
f" That governments derive their Just
powers from the consent of the gov
erned,
''rhat all power is inherent in the
people, and all governments are found
ed on their authority and instituted
for their safety, peace and happiness.
"And that for the advancement of
these ends, they have at all times an
unalienable and indefeasible right to
alter. reform or abolish their govern
ment in such manner is they may
think proper, and that theae flmdamen-
tai principles, proclaimed in the dec
laration of independence, and reiterat-
ed in the bills of rights Of twenty
states, are now the settled and irrever-
sible law of the land"
That, as has been decided by the su-
preme court of the United States, the
people of Dakota are not a colony or
province, subject to be governed per-
manently, oIat the pleasure of congress
asa territory, but that having over 25O.-
600 people and territory of about 3d.
600 square miles. they have under the
constitution, and by virtue of the COM
pact contained in the treaty Of 1903.
with France, and also by virtue of the
compact in the ordinance of 1887 which
by successive acts of congress was eX-
tended oyer Dakota. an unalienable,
indefeasihle,' inherent and absolute,
rightIto self-goyernment.
That they have the same "inherent
power and unalienable and indcfeasi-
ble RI ghts' which are solemnly and for
mally asserted for the people of the
United States in the Declaration of In
dependence, and reserved to them by
the constitution, and by the bills Of
rights Of the several states, Ito alter,
reform or abolish their government in
such manner as they may think proper"
That the territory of Dakota lying
south OF the 46th parallel of latitude,
has a present population of more than
25O,OO0 people, and will, at it's present
rate of increase, in another twelve
have over 100000 peyple, which
is more than double the population Of
any state heretofore admitted into the
union, and more than that of seven of
the original states at the time of their
and that it covers an area
Of about $4,000 square miles, which is
larger than that contained in any state
OF the union, except seven.
That with these boundaries the state
Of Dakota will be the eighth largest
state in the union, and will cover an
area equal to that OF the states of all
New England and New Jersey and
Delaware with 1920 square miles over.
And that, therefore, the people OF
that part Of Dakota, by virtue of their
their territory, their con-
stitutional rights, and the inviolable
guarantees Of treaties, and the will Of
the people are a state, and ought, with
out furtherbelayto to form state con-
stitlltion and a state government.
That it has been solemnly and au-
determined by the prece-
dents Of thirteen states,i by the sane
tiou and Affirmation Of congress, and
by the approval OF. the presidents from
down, that the people Of a
territory, when qualified for state gov
have the right, in their pri-
mary and sovereign capacity, without
previous authorization of congress, or
II any other power than their own, to
proceed to form their state constitu-
ion, and state government, and apply |
for admission into the union.
That the experience Of the past has
demonstrated that the most important |
iced Of the people OF Dakot;. now, is a