The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1885-12-24
DAKOTA TERRITORIAL NEWS.
GOV. MELLETTE's MESSAGE.

| A Strong Argument in support Oh Sou'A
| n.ro.o,s Claim to statehood--Somo OF th'
Most Eloquent Words Ever Spoken In th'
| Territory.
Gov. Mellette, In his message to the SCUM
! Dakota legislature, begins by justifying tne
| action of that portion Of the territory IN ny
action to secure statehood He then refefs
to Michigan's course, and says
The o1tizens of Dakota inherit the, right to
| self government from the Pilgrim fathers anu
the Huguenot exiles. The blood Of their anGes,
tors shed In the Revolution cries out agaln ,,
taxation without representation whlie theiI o Nv,
blood and limbs left on freedoms bat. lsficld en-
| titles them freemen. Her sturdy toi!ers on tns
public domain which they have made 10 oIos'
som as the rose and Yield as the prollista
insist that they have some rights and interest,"
; which deserved to be conserved by . commou
voice to give true knowledge. backed ny cum
mon vote to give power In tho decisions OF gues'
hood would also result III a speedy reduction "
the great Sioux, Grow Greek and Sisseton lnalau
reservations, which would so greatly eonaucs
alike to the welfare Of both citizens and Indians
the lands set apart for her citizen ny Gonetess
for the support Of hsir schools, for which me!
are now taxed almost beyond endurance, while a,.
awaiting to unfold their riches to the state an9
nation. The governor then quotes political
AGRICULTURAL and general statistics Of the terri.
Tory. nc people Oh DahOlh ulc = cIalS W 49,
supreme right Of creation They have carved
the new state ont Of the wilds Of the prairie In
half decade Of years, at o touch OF the magical
Of The sas is W
| alone can endow with life the people alone can
create, else the state werc not tho government
''of the people, for the people and BY the peo'
pie"
THE BOUNDARIES OF THE STATE
have been fixed according to the long avowed
and practically unanimous wish rot only Of hel
own citizens, but also Of the citizens OF North
Dakota. This common desire has been, mani
Tested to congress during the last five years, in
| every manner possible to this people 1t has
been repeatedly and unanimously conveyed by
the territorial committees of both the great
political parties and also by unanimous meinori-
ais of the territorial assemblies 1t has been
urged by the territorial delegates in congress, as
well as by DELEGATIONS Of her prominent. citi-
gems, repeatedly sent from nll sections and rep.
resentng every possible phase of local. political
and popular sentiment, and never has any rep
resentRtive body pretending to possess authority
(thereto) from the people. declared against 1t.
history of the statehood movement in the ter
r1tory Is tnen given In view Of the fact that the
constitution provides for the continuance of the
under, and continues the territorial officers in
tho discharge Of their duties until admission into
| the union, I therefore recommend that after
| fully completing tho organization OF both
houses, memorializing congress on such internal
| questions as may in your Judgment seem peril
nent to tho interests Of the state enacting such
legislation as may facilitate the labors Of sue
ceeding sessions which you are authorized to
hold and, after eecting two representatives Of
the state to the United States senate. you do
then adjourn your session subject to such future
assembling as yon may by law direct cannot
when presented by your legally constituted rep
resentatives In congress. will forthwith secure
the admission Of your state. have that faith
sensitive regard for tho right. manifested by the
president OF the United States, to believe that he
COMPARED WITH KANSAS.
The people Of Dakota, SO long removed from
party strife and ambition, can not conceive that
their fellow citizens. to whom is consigned a
brief authority, can be 50 blinded by selfish
surfeit Of power. Kansas struggled to statehood
through blood, but her course can never excite
the sympathy Of Intelligent craftsmanship as
rights Of the people Of Dakota. The state to has has
not only Demonstrated herself to DO capable of
administering and maintaining government, be-
ing very hive of industry aud thrift. present.
ing throughout her domain model OF law and
order sustained virtually without courts, the
admiration Of all well-minded and liberty low
ing peoples While constitutional liberty is still
against the steel hand Of the invader, it Is o.
delicate as the petal of tho rose to The touch 81
injustice from within. Robbed OF Justice, it is
robbed OF respect: robbed Of respect it is robbed
outrssod Contempt DEATH tho De opitaph in
scribcd on liberty's tablets adown tho ,nausoleum
OF time. wrong to state is a wrong Ia tbs
Union While injustice Injuries her directly, The
gangrene OF her wounds is absorbed into every
fibre Of the body polittc Of which she is q MON.
Der. Ampntation Is deformity.S The only rom.
edy is to heal and the only ointment righteous
Justice. She no longer solicits favor,within
tho province OF congress to grant or Withhold.
She demands right granted bv law which CON.
eress cannot legally refuse; II her people are
worthy to be freeP If the nation eers less Il, u
unworthy to exist under the name OF constitu
tional liberty Dakota is state with every
possible prerequisite fulfilled. a fact which She
knows and Will cause congress to know She
emhodies the best effort Of the civilazation oi
the age, and tho broadcast charity >the world ever
produced, begotten by the religion OF Christ
under tho tutilage Of the Declaration: Of hide.
pendence. Situated in the bosom Of the Union
whose great artery outs her in twain as it
on to the sea. embracing her mountains Of gold
and the limitless expanse of 75TI ~. eeNA =
THE MORT FERTILE SOIL. Is &
which laughs at the caresses Of her happv Inns,
bsndmen. rejoicing In the most salubrlous CLINE
which theisun blesses in his Journey she BRINGS
her willing hand and loyal heart-herseif-to tbs
sisterhood Of states. I have free confidence thai
your patriotic devotion and courageous manhood
viii never permit You to betray tho sactoI trusI
to your keeping, and that you Will devise and
adopt such means and measures" In the fntnrs
as may be found necessary to fully realize The
Iht o. yGnr CONSTITUENCIES i theil
chisement 10 enforced until the hardships arts.
ing from dependency shall reduce them 70 nov.
crty and starvation, whether to abandon iii
beautiful land of their adoption and the ruins ii
the magntfcent state Of their creation, land
sacred to them by every tie OF patrial and sooiaj
endearment and by the graves Of their dead and
return 70 their former homes which will have
passed into the hands Of strangers or 10 adoni
furthar measures to maintain their rights. viii
DO question for freemen to decide. The pros.
perina Of this state cannot long endure in Il,
present. condition schools. churches and beney.
'olent Institutions must be abandnned : =,
reduced without the aid Of tho proceeds Of tha
lands held IN absyance for this support. Lis.
erty Is the touch-stone that inspires the civil.
.sation Of the ago. Tyranny long sustained
begets subjects tit for tyrants. The State OF
Dakota commits her cause to the decision Of the
American congress, and claims for It's consider
alton paramount to the interest Of the remote
people OF the Eastern or even Western contin-
ent, and expects Justice. Being again denied
her rtRhts. she will carry her Gauss to Lhe
national judiciary, and finally. with firm reIi-
anco upon their verdict. to the people Of the
states In their primary and sovereign capacity
rs s mCnaEsns Of even the legislative. executive
Of their Will By this verdict they viii abide