by Congress will prevent the
intervention of any difficulty or delay in our admission into the Union,
which might result from our assuming limits which that body might
not be disposed to concede to us."

The Legislative Assembly responded promptly to the suggestion that the
people of the Territory be given another opportunity to express an
opinion on what had come to be the most interesting question in local
politics. As early as February 12, 1844, "An Act to provide for the
expression of the opinion of the people of the Territory of Iowa upon
the subject of the formation of a State Constitution for the State of
Iowa" was approved by the Governor. In substance this act was
practically a restatement of the provisions of the act of February 16,
1842. The _viva voce_ vote was to be taken at the Township elections in
April, 1844.

In many respects the campaign of the spring of 1844 was a
repetition of the campaign of 1842. On the main issue the political
parties were divided as before, that is, the Democrats favored and the
Whigs opposed the calling of a Convention. In the public speeches and in
the utterances of the press there was little that was new or refreshing.
All the old arguments of 1840 and 1842 were dragged out and again
paraded through the editorial columns of the newspapers. Again the
opponents of State organization talked about the certain increase in the
burdens of taxation and intimated that the whole movement was set on
foot for no other purpose than to provide places for Democratic
office-seekers. Again the ardent supporters of State government ignored
the latter charge and replied to the taxation argument by quoting
the provisions of the Distribution Act. Altogether the discussion lacked
freshness, force, and vigor--it was stale and hackneyed. Two years of
growth and reflection had wrought a change in sentiment. The public mind
had evidently settled down in favor of State organization. At the
elections in April the people returned a large majority in favor of
calling a Constitutional Convention.

This first move in the direction of Statehood having been made by the
people, it now remained to take the several additional steps of (1) the
election of delegates to a Constitutional Convention, (2) the drafting
of a State Constitution, (3) the adoption of such a Constitution by the
people, and (4) the admission of the new State into the Union.

X

THE CONVENTION OF 1844

In accordance with the p