Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-07-21
asvssasr 1ssass's llsesaos,

From the message which Gov. Reedes
delivered to the Kansas Legislature on the
"a inst, we extract sAs following para
graphs, which rcfss 10 ths quessiOn Of slave.
. in tho serri.osy. Ths Governor shows
himself tobe an put.aac.out s1vocate ofthe
docir;ae y "popuisr sovereignty" As laid
do~p hy. III. Douglss sndh his coaiasors.-
h VAS doabtess selected for HE present
pdsision because he was thcughtor known
70 bs night on that question. and though ne
has shown disposition to resist some OF
the acquisitions Of his masters, HE message
indicates the, he will place no obstruction
in the way Of establishing slavery. Gov.
Recder says
.There are many specific snbjecis OF leg
islation, some cfw hich are expressly refer
red 10 YOU b. the bill organizing our ferri-
tory, and others spriag from the nccessit'es
Of chr community treatment among
them Is the question. whether we shall build
an, Goverument upon the basis Of free or
eIaye labor. Claiming ~ We do the same
capacity for self.government as our fellow
ci,izens Of the States, with = fsr greater, II
NOT an exclusive interest in the institutions
and laws which are to exist among us, com.
PEELED alone to bear their burdens, and en-
Tiled alone 10 claim their benefits: wisdom,
Justice and fairness would dictate that
those laws and institutions, inside OF 'ne
Constitution of the United States. should oe
moulded by ourselves, stimulated by the ao-
sorbing interestwe must feel in them' ratner !.
than by the representatives or citizens "
other States, who are no more competent %
the task than We who have no stake win
M in their results, and who would most IN
dirnautly repel any offer Of reciprocity from
us in assisting 10 manage their AFFAIRS
The provision Of our Territorial Organic
Act secures vs. this right and is founded IN
the true doctrines OF republicanism. 1t
may be exercised in various degrees ind
in various ways, and whenever u
is called into action 1t cannot leg'tl-
mately be attended with that excite
ment which is incident to the agitation OF
the slavery question in the direction OF an
stack upon constitutional rights. An ag-
tat;on Of that kind, such 40 We have seen
iptustrioHly prosecuted in the past history
or our country by the destructive spirit OF
.bolitionism, can never be productive OF
.ucb, but evil, and is calculated in an emf
nent degree to obcure the giories OF the past.
TO evoke tho fuulest spirit Of discord among
the citizens of our common country, and also
to mar our brilliant future, if not 70 endan-
res the ex esence our cherished Uni, -
4 want or tiJelity 20 the salemn 60 npacts
Of The coast tu ion. and an attack uPea the
riphts OF the States. which are guaranteed
by II. can have no justification or excuse
This view OF the case, however, is not 70 be
confounded with the discussion and settle
of,he slave question in our Territory. in iis
bearings upon the formstion Of our ins.Itu-
tons.
That has been referred to US a. an open
question by the legitimate action OF the ma
ton, and here it is not only the privilege but
rhe duty OF every man to speak his opinions
freely and enforce them peaceably and fairly.
and opponent stand on the game
ground and mus. mutually concede to each
other the identical measure OF right which
they claim for themselves. Freedom OF
opinion and freedom Of discussion without
are Of the very essence OF re-
publicanism al all times are peculiarly 10 be
respected here. The permanent character
and high authority Of a State Constitution
and the fact Of its submission to direct vote
Of the people Of the Territory Indicate that
eve ut as a'sigRal occasion for The decision OF
that peculiar question. In the meantime.
however. Territorial Legislature may I'M
act upon The question to limited
and partial extent, and may temporarily pro-
hibii, tolerate or regulate slavery in the Ter.
ritory, and in an absolute or modified form
with ail the force and effect Of any other
legislative act binding until repealed By the
same power that enacted it.
In view Of this message the Chcsgo Press
thinks "the dark plot by which the Nilsson
ri Compromise was abrogated, hastens on
to its darkest communication" and that if
the Territorial Legislature passes . bill es-
tsblishing slavery, and it is sigr ed BY the
Governor and becomes a law, of oil ofwhich
there now appears to be an absolute GER
tainty. there will be small ground to h ope
for its repeal.
We are not inclined to take SO diseoura-
ging = view of the subject. We will not
yet believe that such triumph is in re-
serve for the workers Of iniquity. We be-
Iieve in the old and correct doctrine, that all
the acts Of Territorial Legislature are
subject to approval or rejection by Congress.
This would be the case in regard TO Ter
ritorial Legislature that had been elected
according 10 law; much more should it be
SO in regard to this body claiming to be the
Legislature of Kansas, but which has no
more right to represent the people of that
Territory than those of Iowa. Every man
in the country knows that the pistols and
bowie knives Of Atchis,n and Stringfel-
lows ruffians controlled the election of the
present sham Legislature, and it is not to
be tolerated that such body should inerad.
icsbly establish such an institution as ella
very, upon SO important portion Of free
dom's rightful heritage.
We have faith that the repeated declara-
tons Of the people Of the Free States are
something more than mere idle words. We
have faith that the Free State members Of
the next House of Representatives will re-
deem the pledges by virtue of which they
were elected, and as q part Of their resis-