OCR Text |
Show ASSUMPTION OF TERRITORIAL O0V-I KRNOBS. . 1 If the citi.ens of the United Suites in the full enjuyniojtt of every political politi-cal rh'ht, which freemen can desire, while they reside in either of tho tin rtyr four States of tho Union, arc to be deprived of all representation; tho moment they step over the bound-' arics of. States into the Territories, tho sooner Hint this fact is known the better, f Even Governor Georg') L. Woods dare not utter that language in any Slate of. tho Union; but ho pratically cites that language in Utah! - ' :' Wi-liuld tlic-iu li- ths to I .ii salf-rv'uloiit; Unit nil nu'it nro fivftU.'d ennui; 'luit they ure Kiulnwi-il !iy thrir (Jrealur with certain iiinlicimbl'( ri.u;lil; that among tln'su art) life, HltL-rly, mid thu tmrt.ii it ot' liapjiincss; that, to Eecnre lhiso rights, ji.H'umtuunts nro tiiititntctl among men, deriving Un-ir just powers lVoni the cjn.sent of thii governed gov-erned We hardly need inform Governor Woods that this whs the languago of the bravest, the purest and the mast patriotic of the British colonists who assembled in Philadelphia to consult upon freedom and the- rights of man. The immortal forty-six who uttered those sentiments breathed truths as sacred us over woro taught by the holiest of beings, and tho man whoso official actions in this republic belie them is a traitor to bis country and an ofieneo to honest mon. There can bo no argument raised upon his Excellency's better education, educa-tion, his larger experience and his greater enlightenment: such an assumption, as-sumption, wero it even 60 in fact, changes in nothing the right of tho governed to live under laws framed by their chosen representatives, so long as those laws aro not inconsistent with republican principles, and any denial of that right is a usurpation that stamps the oOender with the characteristics of ft despot. Without alluding to the "very distinct" dis-tinct" and conclusive language of tho Organic Act of tho Territory that defines de-fines and specifies the plain duties of the Chief Executive to bo nothing more than a legal functionary, cooperating coope-rating with the Legislature and Judiciary Ju-diciary for tho proper government of the Territory, common senso would settle at once the relative duties of the Governor to tho peop'e, and these would be tho very antipodes of his Excclleneys assumptions. We have known Governors come to this Territory only a few days before the sitting of tho Legislature, and when they arrived tlicy were totally ignorant of tho country, as might naturally be expected in any stranger. They knew nothing that liad been done, how it, had been done, and what legislation was necessary neces-sary for the further development .and material progress of the Territory. It would have been strange,' indeed, had they known the wants of tho settlements settle-ments and tho proper officers that the eewral counties required. The members of the Legislature coming as they did from all parts of the Territory, Terri-tory, fully identified in every particular partic-ular with the community that they represented were tho proper persons to enact the laws and to elect the officers with tho concurrence of the Governor, and that concurrence, too, was necessarily but a small part of the legislative business, and no Governor of ordinary sensO could well think to tho contrary. Can any man in his senses assumo that any Governor, George L. Woods or any other man, has devolving tip-on tip-on him anything like the duties and obligations of tho legislators? As well might he seek to dictate and control the Judiciary, the other branch of tho government or the Territory. |