State Agricultural Society. 127 



government price and at a far less price than these lands proposed 

 to be confiscated would bring. 



There is another consideration Avliich seems to have escaped atten- 

 tion. We live as yet under the ligeance and laws of the United 

 States. A State is forbidden to pa.ss any law, or create any Constitu- 

 tion, in violation of any treaty or of the Constitution of the United 

 States, or of any laws of Congress, passed pursuant to such Constitu- 

 tion. Now the Constitution of the United States forbids the States 

 from in any manner impairing the obligation of contracts, and the 

 treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo secured the Mexican owner of land, his 

 heirs and assigns, in the full ownersijip of the lands granted him. 



Whenever, therefore, this State takes any land, or undertakes to 

 seize it, and disj)0se of it without the owner's consent, except for the 

 public use, it will bo met at once by the law of Congress providing 

 for a rendition of its lands and its patent, conveying the land to its 

 purchaser with the clause that such purchaser shall have and hold 

 to him and his heirs and assigns forever. The decree of confirma- 

 tion of tJio United States Courts, and its patent of Mexican granted 

 lands, is to the same general effect. How the seals are to be raised off 

 these bonds, I am unable to see, and how the policy of the Federal 

 Government and its solemn conveyances are to be defeated by the 

 present fanaticism is one of those questions the answer to which we 

 may safely abide. It might be some little relief to the fatuity of 

 these plans if they were to be accomplished by moral and intelligent 

 means. Laws are intended to be guides to conduct. They should be 

 known and be the result of investigation and experience. 



We have settled upon biennial sessions of the Legislature for the 

 purpose of preventing sudden changes in jural relations, and we 

 elect grave, learned, and experienced men to interpret them that 

 they may be fixed. The proposition now is to pass a law and if it 

 does not suit us to tear it up and pass another. The destruction of 

 all. society and business must be the consequence of such a course. 

 Ignorance and passion will constitute the enacting power, and terror, 

 dismay and ruin the effect of such laws. The act of log-rolling, as it 

 has been called, one of the highest criminality, is es])ecially urged 

 over the entire country. Pool your i.ssues. What is it but willful 

 perjury, and the worst of political crimes? 



There are ten measures, before a legislative body of one hundred, 

 and each measure has ten supporters and ninety oi)ponents. One 

 would suppose, with nine-tenths of the body opposed to eacli mea- 

 sure, they would all fail, but the issues being pooled, they all pass. 

 Our fears are api)ealed to. In a land professing to be governed by 

 law, with no hindrance to the majority fixing and making that law 

 represent its opinion, we are distinctly told, that if there are not 

 votes enough to vivify the new opinions then violence is to be 

 resorted to, and the majority are to be coerced into obedience, and I 

 am quite sure that no one will be disturbed by these threats. 



I am quite sure, in case these malcontents should be so unfortunate 

 as to attempt the fulfillment of their threat, that the power of this 

 people, acting when po.ssible always through the forms of law, will 

 bring these attempts to naught, and the offenders to condign punish- 

 ment. 



Gentlemen, though connected with farming almost all my life, I 

 am fitter to take instruction from you than to confer it. I have 

 experienced most of your difficults and may have had those of which 



