National Intelligencer [Vol.
XL] Washington City, Saturday, January 26, 1811
MISSISSIPPI TERRITORY
Memorial of the Legislative Council
and House of Representatives of the Mississippi Territory, praying admission
as a state into the Union unanimously agreed to at the second session of
the sixth General Assembly, November 1810.
To the honorable the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled.
The memorial unanimously adopted, of
the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of Mississippi Territory,
in general assembly convened,
RESPECTFULLY STATES,
That by the articles of agreement
and session between the United States and the state of Georgia; an act
for the amicable settlement of limits with the state of Georgia, &cc.
And an act supplemental thereto, the government of the Mississippi Territory
was organized and established and “all and singular, the rights, privileges,
and advantages granted to the people of the united States, north, west
of the river Ohio, by an ordinance of the 13th day of July, one thousand
seven hundred eighty-seven, were extended to the people of the Mississippi
territory: And by the said articles of agreement and cession, it is provided
“That the territory thus ceded shall form a state, and be admitted as such
into the Union as soon as it shall contain sixty thousand free inhabitants,
or at an earlier period if Congress shall think it expedient.”
Your memorialists state, that
although they do not pretend to have the number required by the said article
of agreement and cession, and the ordinance, to entitle our territory,
as a matter of right, into the Union, upon the footing of one of the original
states; yet, we hope that our numbers(as will appear by the census now
taken under law of the United States) are sufficiently respectable to induce
your honorable body to admit the Mississippi territory into the Union as
a matter of expediency.
Your memorailists conceive it
unnecessary to detail the many reasons which might be adduced in support
of their petition , but think it sufficient to say, that as the people
of this territory are able to bear the expense of a state government with
convenience to themselves, and, at the same time will relieve the government
of the United States of the cares and expenses incident to the territorial
form of government (under which they have perhaps not patiently lived)
for about twelve years, was formed, it is found from experience, to be
unfriendly to republicanism; and in such a one, as every American in heart
is solicitous to be relieved from. We, therefore, pray your honorable
body to pass a law authorizing a convention to be called for the purpose
of forming a constitution and state government in Mississippi territory,
to be admitted into the Union upon the footing of the original states.
Your memorialists, from a knowledge
of your indulgence to the people of the territories north west of the river
Ohio, when in a situation similar to their own, are sanguine in their expectations,
that your honorable body will grant them the prayer of their petition.
And they will ever pray, &cc.
FERDINAND L. CLAIBORN
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
ALEX. MONTGOMERY
President of the Legislative
Council
Attest,
Wm. C. WINSTON
Clerk of the House
of Representatives, Mississippi territory
.