oth bodies
worked diligently on a constitution, and each succeeded in making one so
much like the other that, after sober reflection, it was decided that
the state could be admitted under either, and if both were sent to
congress that body would reject them for irregularity. So towards the
end of the long session a compromise was arrived at, by the formation of
a joint committee from each convention, who were to evolve a
constitution out of the two for submission to the people; the result of
which, after many sessions, and some fisticuffs, was the instrument
under which the state was finally admitted.

A very curious complication resulted from two provisions in the
constitution. In section 5 of the schedule it was provided that "All
territorial officers, civil and military, now holding their offices
under the authority of the United States or of the Territory of
Minnesota shall continue to hold and exercise their respective offices
until they shall be superseded by the authority of the state," and
section 6 provided that "The first session of the legislature of the
State of Minnesota shall commence on the first Wednesday of December
next," etc.

These provisions were made under the supposition that the state would be
admitted as soon as the constitution would be laid before congress,
which it was presumed would be long before the date fixed for the
holding of the first state legislature; but such did not turn out to be
the case. The election was held as provided for on the thirteenth day of
October, 1857, for the adoption or rejection of the constitution, and
for the election of all the state officers, members of congress and of
the legislature. The constitution was adopted by a vote of 36,240 for,
and 700 against, and the whole Democratic state ticket was also chosen;
and to be sure not to lose full representation in congress, three
members of the house of representatives were also chosen, who were all
Democrats.

The constitution was duly presented to congress, and admission for the
state demanded. Much to the disappointment of our people, all kinds and
characters of objections were raised to our admission; one of which I
remember was, that as the term of office of the state senators was fixed
at two years, and as there was nothing said about the term of the
members of the house they were elected for life, and consequently the
government created was not republican. Alexander Stevens of Georgia
seriously combatted