The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1855-10-31
s----.- CADIz OHIO WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 81, 1855

4 hHS law suat hltch, tnS Ley lsiaeulo DSCaln
organized, the seats Of two ofthe Senate o
Council, and probably some six of tn
House Of Representatives. were contested
and that the contesIing members we're ad
mitted to their seats does not change tn
case. There is not, believe, legislativ
body in the United States but what claims
and is in the daily habit of exercising, the
right Judge Of the election and quali6ca
lion OF its own Members. The Counci
and House, then, done nothing more, il
this particular, than exercise right claim.
ed and exercised by all legislative bodies
Indeed, the friends OF Governor Reede
land believe you are one of them) predi
cate bis claim to seat as delegate in
Congress on the exercise of this very pow
er. In the very nature of things all legis
latlye bodies mustlhave and exercise thi!
power 1t IS preslImsd they will always
exercise II discreetig and in proper cases
out suppose they should not, will the alb.
surd proposition hemaintained that an a
ouse OF this power Srenders void all lheil
acts! Suppose thefiouse Of Representa-.
tiVes THE United States, in this exercise
exclude improperly if you please, the whole
delegation of State who produced their
certificates of election, and admit n contest
ing delegation. could any one claim thai
this would render yoid all the acts passed
by that Congress, and that the President
would have the right, and that it would be
his duty TO nullifysthem, and treat them
as having no binding force? No one wo'd
claim the correctness OF proposition SC
absurd. Yet what's the difference betweer
the case put and the supposed ope unde,
consideration so fay as the question of le
gality aad binding force of laws are con
cerned? None certainly that mitigate a
gainst the obligations of the acts of the
Kansas Legislature.
1t is proper that | should say that en-
lirely concur in the opinion expressed By
the Supreme Court in relation TO the powe
or right, of the Legislature to adjourn thei
sessions from the city Of Pawnee to thu
Shawnee Mission. This proposition
believe to be capable of moral Demonstra
tion, but / shall not 60 into an argument o
this question at this time.
IL follows fro6s@whatI have said, that
was bound to consider and treat the Legis
lature as legal body, and that, il light il
this, tLeir acts passed within the scope O
their power, were binding alike on the Of
6cers and citizens Of the Terr tory. If thes,
premises are correct, it follows, also, tba
all public meetings or movements on the
part of the citizens of the Territory which
do not look to change in these laws in {
legal or regular way, but to notification anc
resistance to the enforcement and execution
of them, are unauthorized and circulated to
excite riots, breaches of the peace, dlsord
ers of the most alarming and fearful char
acter, and lead to measures subversive O.
the very frame work of civil government
1t was in view of movements of this kin |
that | remarked in my Westport speech
thai | regretted to see disposition On the
part of some of the citizens Of the Territory
to nullify the Legislature, AMI all the law $
passed by that body. As an executive off.
Ger, l have nothing to do with the expedi.
ency or inexpedlency Of laws that have ac.
tualy been passed by competent authority
that belongs to the Legislature: not to
the Judicial or executive departments of
the government. If laws lave been passe d
by the Legislature not within the scope ol
their legal authority, the judicial depart
ment furnishes plain and adequate reme-
dy--if they have passed laws within the
scope of their legal power, but which are
oppressive, the remedyis is to be found a,
the ballot box. Nothing will justify rev.
oludonary movement unless it Is great and
extraordinary oppression, and then only af.
ter all peaceful remedies have been tried.
and failed have now said all | desire to
say in relation to my remarks at Westport.
and in yindication of their correctness.
ar
Ny sole object is to set myself right before
the public
1 am willing, and expect to be held anne.
nable at the bar of public opinion for what
say, and the principles that / avow, but
not for everything that may be attributed to
me by designing politicians.
The same papeI chat contains the preten.
ded report Of my Westport speech, con.
tains also two other statements wholly un.
true, in reference to myself which propose
to correct. You say. in com .nenting upon
an article in the Washington CITY Star.
touching my appointment, as Governor Of
this Territory, that 'few men possess the
tact to change the vote 10 single Congress
sional district in two years, so as to have
1000 majority in lS52in his favor, and BY
his superior management change that vote
SO asto have 1000 majority against him,
'So years after."a Now 4 am willing to Be.
lieve that this is not \ willul misrepresenta:
on yourpart, but thatyoa have been led to
believe il true, from having seen the same
thing substantially stated in other papers
The charge is, that in 1859. | was alaolaa