Show VOICES FROM THE PEOPLE the united slates states congress and tile lie territories EDITOR HEi tALU thc jhc ed rounds munis bill having gone through P the necess necessary cary stages of legislation to entitle it if constitutional to become law the next thing ia in order on tho the part of the government will be to execute it it will come conic far short of accomplishing the end for which it was designed designed but will not by any means fa fall harmless at the feet of the people if its execution were entrusted to men of strict integrity and sound legal judgment it would bo be less harmful than in the handa hands of men wanting in these qualities but in the hands lands of any set of officers who consider it go good aej law and feel bound to enforce it it will bo be an engine of oppress oppression siosi and despotism equal to that of colonial times viewed from any standpoint its unconstitutionality appears and affecting as is it does the most sacred rights of the people it is their du duty ty to well consider the measure and determine their rights and remedies in the tile premises they should weigh r the relative rights and duties of congress and the territories and determine for themselves and stand by their natural and constitutional rights the determination of these questions involves no very intricate propositions pro pi eions the tile principles involved vol I arc are well settled and while it would hardly seem possible consistent with tile course of congress towards us that they arc are perfectly understood yet they are elementary in their nature and c so co o plainly written u upon on the tablets of the nation that te ho who runs may read congress is the creature of the states and possesses just so inan many and such powers as the states could coul and did confer upon it the constitution ution is the instrument which specifies them and in which authority must be found for the exercise of any power which the national government assumed to possess such quell powers as cannot bo be found therein or by reasonable intendment do not exist there is nothing in the constitution ra fi I ici it awer to the congressional claim to the power of exclusive legislation but suppose they had attempted to confer this power the aftem attempt t would have been nugatory it t would have been in contravention odthe of the broad principle that every political community possesses t alio I 10 inherent right of self government the states have no right to legislate for any but themselves and find therefore could not confer that power upon their agents and as they took part particular acu icu I ar bols pains lins to provide that congress should not interfere with their own domestic coni corn the idea that they intended them to I eo a private affairs is too absurd to be wo worthy arthy of serious consideration the tile powe r in one people to legislate latevor for another s dispo tio in its nature and is therefore opposed to the spirit and genius of the government and being eo so opposed doa does not exist this was the very bone of contention between the colonists and and the crown parliament nent claimed the right of exclusive legislation for the colonies and the colonists claimed it for themselves and if the colon Golo ests were right then up on principle every posses the earno right docs any one pretend to say the colonists were wrong the first continental congress said bald they were right lord chatham said lie h e had bad studied the free states of an masters asters ro odthe of the world but for solidity of reasoning force of bagaci sagacity ty and wisdom of conclusion no body of men inen could stand befi before ro that congress the second continental con congress gress laid down the same principles a and ad the cou country has lias celebrate celebrated thedac the day of that d imla ration with bells bonfires sand and festivities for more than a hundred years lias ilas the tile country been wrong all this time let us examine and sec see how this doctrine com ports port with the principles princia I es of freedom freedo in which have been the boast of the ration nation for so long a time and how I much of consistency there is i in n it the united states proclaim pr oclair to world that all men are created equal that they are endowed cr by with certain C amongst which are life liberty and an d property that the foundation of all free government iso abased based on oil the right odthe of the people to participate in in their legislative councils and they invite the downtrodden down trodden and oppressed of all the world to come and enjoy these alm blessings ings but when tho the foreigner cornea comes here if he happens to settle in the Terri territory tor y of utah they say cay to ill him m notwithstanding our declarations to the contrary you cannot participate i ate in your legislative councils I vou you have nu no right to make any laws for yourselves but we bossk loees this exclusive elusive ex right whether you like it or not our constituents constituent i have bave nut not in ill im vested us with power to interfere with their domestic concerns or with yours cither either but by some process inscrutable to you and which we are not able to explain CX plain we are invested with this power wo ive will appoint an agent who whom in you must call governor and you may ap appoint a committee whom you may call csc a legislature and who ma may y draft such rules and regulation regulations as s you ou wi wish shand and if our agent allows them and wo do not digap prove they shall be ile lawa laws unto you durin luring gour our pleasure it is perfectly right for your sagacious g cious and farseeing far seeing business men inen to amass their millions but it is not right for them to make laws to protect their property notwithstanding the doctrine doc trino that all men are entitled to property and that property is co in parati rely worthless without the power to protect it it is right for the impecunious bummer who happens to reside within a state through his representatives senta tives in congress tomake to make laws for the disposal of your property although he lie docs does not know enough ellough to accumulate property lor for himself you may beget sons and daughters and bring them into the world as pure and unsullied as angels but you have no right to make inake laws to protect either their lives or their virtue or to promote their education wo lve ho hold promote those things thing in our hands someone has said consistency is a jewel butia there arc are any jewels in in the tile territorial system of government as administered I confess I fail to see ico them I am in love with the principles of the constitution of the ull united cited state states and earnestly wish for statehood and admission into the union but if congress will not adroit admit us it is a serious question whether wo I should lon geruc in such measures as the edmunds bill or whether wo vo should put the state government into motion and thereby b y put the matter squarely before the judiciary and let it be recorded if they will wi ll 11 so record it thai thal liberty and equality equality do no longer exist here N TANNER jr N march 31 1882 |