Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-05-28
THE STATE.

hC AA6.
ARKANSAS, MICHIGAN, IOWA AND FLOR.
IDA, AND CALIFORNIA AND THE OPINIONS
OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, WEBSTER, TAY.
LOR, AND BUCHANAN ON THE RIGHTS OF
THE TERRITORY TO FORM A STATE WITH.
OUT THE PERMISSION OF CONGRESS.
As the earliest precedent, I quote an
account of the method pursued by Yer.
mont. which was then part of the state
of New York:
"The first step in this course was to call
convention to pass upon the question
of independence, in imitat on OF the con.
tinental congress acting for the colonies
Circular letters were addressed by some
OF the most influential persons to the
different towns, in pursuance OF which
delegates were appointed to conven.
ton, which met at Dorset, on the oath
of July. l776. By different adjourn.
ments, decision of the question wa.
postponed until January, l777, when the
convention again assembled at Westmin.
ster, and declared the New Hampshire
Grants, for thus was Vermont then
styled, free and independent state
The convention then adjourned, to meet
again at Windsor, in the following June
The little state, thus boldly claiming fol-
herself position among the nations of
the earth, at once became an object of
general attention. That New York
would not readily acquiesce in her pre-.
tensions was certain, and it was very
doubtful whether the congress would
recognize her independent character,
much less admit her into the union
Jameson's constitutional convention
page l3S.
also quote from the same authority
the account of the mode in which Ten.
nessee formed her state government
and was admitted:
The people of Tennessee in l7S5 then
being part of North Carolina, of their
own motion called convention of dele.
gates to form state convention. They
did so and adopted the name of the state
of Franklin. North Carolina resisted
tEis attempt and ceded the district oi
Tennessee to the United States in 1890,
Congress in May, 1890, provided terri.
torial government ior Tennessee. The
act of North Carolina contained this pro
vlso:
Provided, That the territory so cede6
shall be laid out and formed into state
or states, containing suitable extent oi
territory, the inhabitants of which shall
enjoy all the privilege, benefits and ad.
vantages set forth in the ordinance o.
the late congress, (17s7) for the govern
ment of the western territory of United
States"
"1n July, 1875. the territorial llegislatur
of Tennessee ordered a census of thu
whole territory to be taken. for the pur
pose of ascertaining whether there wa
the required number of Inhabitants t,
entitle her to admission into the union
according to the ordinance 'of 1857 an,
the deed of cession. The act for thi
purpose provided, that ''if it should ap
pear that there were sixty thousand in
habitants, counting the.whole OF the fre
persons, including these bound to servic
for term of years, and excluding Ir
dians not taxed, and adding three fift
of all other persons, the governor be au
thorized and requested to recommen
the people Of the respective counties, t
elect five persons for each county to rer
resent them in convention, to meet 8
Knoxville at such time as he shall iudg
proper, for the pur. ose of forming,
constitution or permanent form of GOV
ernment.
"The census was taken in the autum
of 1895, and the result was. that thel
were declared to be II, ,262 inhabitants, {
whom 1868 were slaves. In Novembe
i. 1895, the governor announced this resul
and, in Pursuance of the act for that pu
pose, called on the people to elect del,
gates to convention to frame const
. tuition, to meet at Knoxville on the Iii
of January, 1896. Accordingly.
, convention was elected, and M
there on that day, consistir
of fifty-five members, five frc
each Of the eleven counties, and, on Il
9th of February following, adopted Il
first constitution of Tennessee. A COZ
of this constitution was on the 10th
J. the same month, forwarded by the go,
y ernor Of the territory to the president
\ the United States, with notificati
h that on the 2Sth of March, at which tin
!: the general assembly of the state
u Tennessee would meet to act on the CO
y stistution, the temporary governme
1 !; established by the congress would cea
r. This copy aud notifications, with accol
paning documents. were received
:. by President Washington on the q
of February, and by him. were, on
Sth of April, communicated to congres
:, The claim of Tennessee to admisslo
!" based upon the provisions OF the ord
ance of 1857, did not receive from Il
"a body ready er unquestioned asset
Ae After an energetic discussion. howev
[E an act for the admission Of the state v
~ Y. on the 9Th Of May, 1896, parsed by ',
u Of 4S to 80, and was approved by
y. president on the first Of June follovi1
~ TO take effect Immediately"
ID "The grounds Of the opposition, Viii