Helena weekly herald., 1888-12-06
HOW STATES ARE ADMITTED.

| IN" . "A ES AMI NJ ~ Il
The great impending question OF our ad-
mission as State is leading to the study
of precedents. The case of Michigan is
one that presents many novel features and
the little volume in our Public Library, by
Judge Cooley, in the American Common
wealth" series will furnish our inquiring
statesmen with much novel information.
Michigan was organized as Territory
in 1906, but was not admitted as a State
until 1887. The people did not want early
admission and voted down the proposition
prior to 1882. In the fall of that
year a large majority declared for a
State government, but the movement was
arrested by the Black Hawk wars and yet
more by the cholera which ragged tearfully
in Detroit and more or less all over the
settled portion of the State for two years.
Gov. Porter dying of the disease in 1884.
In 1885 convention was elected to form
a constitution, the population at that time
being little less than 10000. At the
same time that the vote was taken on the
acceptance of the constitution, State Off
GERS and legislature were Professionally
elected and entered at once upon their du-
ties as soon as it appeared that the consti-
tuition had been adopted. Judges were
appointed and courts organized. The leg
islature met, chose senators and enacted
general laws
The Acting Governor Mason, under fed
eral appointment, was chosen governor by
the people so that there was no conflict at
first on this score, but President Jackson
was much disappointed at the action of
the people and appointed John S. Horner,
of Virginia, as governor. He came on and
tried to enter upon his official duties, but was
wholly ignored, and though directed by
the President not to recognize the State
officers or courts, the people refused to re-
cognize his authority and drove him out of
the State.
The situation at this time was further
by boundary dispute with
Ohio. The act establishing the southern
boundary of the Territory of Michigan had
fixed upon line drawn due east from the
southern point of Lake Michigan, but it
was found that the Lake extended further
south than was supposed and the line
drawn due east from the southern extrem-
ity would include much of Ohio's and with
it the rising city of Toledo. The US.
General decided in favor of |
Michigan's claim, but Ohio had influence |
enough to prevent the government from
carrying the decision into effect.
Congress, in order to settle the dispute
offered to give Michigan the upper penin-
sula beyond Lake Michigan in lieu of the
little corner claimed by Ohio and admit
her at once. The friends of the admins
tration in Michigan's in party conventions
and caucusses proceeded te elect mem bers
Of a convention which met at Ann Arbor
December 6, 1886, and in the name of the
people of the State assumed to accept the
and upon no further authority
he Democratic majority in Congress de-
,lared the terms accepted, and the admis-
ZION was completed January 26, 1887.
So far as possessing even the form or
oretense of regularity, this Michigan con-
7ention, known in contemporaneous his
;ory as ''the frost bitten convention" had
10 more standing than an ordinary politi-
al convention, but its acceptance of the
conditions offered by Congress was recog-
,ized by the dominant party as the action
If the people of the State, was the basis
If admission and was recognized as
king the boundaries of the State
The conclusion of the matter is that
lothing is too irregular to be recognized
md validated by Congress. But the his
ory of Michigan further shows that the
people of a Territory may create State
government for themselves and sustain it
n spite of Congress and the National Ad-