Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-06-12

than any OF said states, or any other ter
ritory ever organized by congress.
The undersigned cannot agree with
the majority that congress ought to
exercise absolute power over the people
of a territory without consulting the
wishes and wants of that people con-
cerning questions of local and interna
polity. Even before the adoption of
the constitution of the United States,
Thomas Jefferson, who ought to- be
good authority on questions of public
policy, and who 10 now the best author
lty to the undersigned, was of tho
opinion that the people of territory
should be consulted on questions winch
were to bind them to certain conditions
for all time to come. In an able article.
written by Stephen A. Douglas in 1859
that great senator and patriotic demo-
crat stated MIR. Jetferson's views and
his own in Harper's Magazine of that
date, and from which quote:
On the 1st day of March, 1884. Thomas
Jefferson and his colleagues IN compress
executed the deed of cession in pursa-
anoe of the act of the Virginia lspis.
lature, which was accepted and ordered
to ''be recorded and enrolled among the
acts oil the United States in congress
assembled" This was the first territory
ever acquired, held or owned by the
United States. On the same day of the
deed of cession, Mr.. Jefferson, as shalr-
man of committee which had been
appointed, consisting of Mr.. Jefferson of
Virginia, MIR. Chase of MARYLAND. and
MIR. Howell of Rhode Island. submitted
to congress "a plan for the temporary
government of the territory coded or to
be ceded by the individual states 10 the
United States"
Ii is important that this Jefegsoptoq
plua of government for the territories
should be carefully considered for many
obvious reasons. 1t was the first plan
of government for the territories ever
adopted in the United States. 1t was
drawn by the autho, of the declaration
Iof independents, and revised and
adopted by those who shaped the issues
which produced the revolution, and
form ed the foundation upon which our
whole American system OF government
rests. 1t was not intended to be either
local or temporary IN It's character, but
was designed to apply to all "ceded or
to be ceded," and to be universal in it's
application and eternal in it's
duration, wherever and whenever we
might have territory rsuniripg a govern
lnsnt. 1t ignored the right Of congress-
toleglslatc for the people of the territories
without their consent, and recognized
the ipalienable right of the neople Of the
territories, when organized into political
communities, to govern themselves in
respect to their local concerns and inter.
nal polity. 1t was adopted by the con-
gress of the confederation on the SD day
ofApril, 1884. and stood upon the statute
books &c 8 general ana permanent plan
for the government of aIi territory which
we then owned or should subsequently,
acquire, with provision declaring it to
be a ''charter Of compact" and that its
PROVISIONS should sstnnd as fundamental
conditions between The thirteen original
states and those newly described
unalterable but by the Joint consenS Of
the United States in congress assembled
and of the particular state within which
such alteration is proposed to be made. !"
Thus this Jetfersonian plan for the gov.
ernmsnt of the territories-this "chaYter
of compsct"-"thes fundamental condi-
tions," which were declared to be
"unaltera5le" without the consent of the
people of 'the particular state (territory ]
within which such alteration is proposed
to bs made" stood ON the statute book
when the convention assembled at
Philadelphia in 1881, AID proceeded to
form the constitution of the United
States.
Now, let us examine the main pro-
visions of the JetTersonian plan:
First. "That the territory ceded or to
be ceded by the individusl states to tho
United States, whenever the same shall
have been purchased of the Indian in
habitants and offered for sale by the
United States, shall be formed into ad-
dltional states" &c.
The plan proceeds to designate the
boundaries and territorial extent of the
proposed additional statee," and then
provides:
Second. "That the settlers within the
territory SO to be purchased and offered
for sale shall, either on their own petit
ton or on the order of congress, recsive
authority from them, with appointment
OF time and place, for their free males
of full age to meet together for the
purpose of establishing temporary
government to adopt the constitution
and laws of any one of these states (the
original states,) SO that such laws never
thsless shall be subiect to alteration by
their ordinary Legislature; and to erect,
subject to like alteration, counties OF
townships for the election of members
for their legislature"
Having thus provided a mode by
which the first inhabitants or settlers of
the territory may assemble together and
choose for themselves the constitution
and laws of some one of the toriginul
thirteen states. and declare the same in