Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-11-30
SOUND VIEWS.

IN the correspondence %: the New York Times we
fiud the following oist III III. admirable speech oi
Governor Shannon, on taking the Chair the Prosl-
dent of the Kansas LAW and OrIer' Convention:
Governor Shannon said the Convention was called
IN take int, confederation subjects nt the utmost i'm
portauce To the whole Territory. party had sprung
I'D taxing the position .hnt the late Legislature wes
null..v and that itS laws POSSESSED no binding oblI-
crAtiOn OH fhc people uf Kansas. These gentlemen,
As he called them had taken this position not only in
their Resolutions and Addresses but 81! late they hrd
taken decisive steps towards making their position
good That q crisis WIS thus torcei upon the oppo-
site party, and that "wc must meet It with hrmnrss.
He would not stop 10 20 into any argument showing
th. .faacy Of the grounds ot those opposed to Us.
He then went on to speak at the Legislature and
asserted ihat il legal body and as such its en-
art,nents should be respected. Each member took
lis seat in legal manner with the proper certificate
under the broad seal OF the Territory. True. few
seats were contested but snch cases were settled III
the JrGianry way. rs the House had the undoubtcd
right to do. Then it followed. he -nid. that those "o
sad ND w"n'd net ObfV thS "rS aSS'H ny mar body
r0u;5yi,,i treason 0.'aRst TIC i0rCrHMrW. The
Free STATE Parry had taken distinct grounds and
manifested determination ~ carry OUT their doc
:rincs Next he referred to Whi,i-ld's election, and
said that Recdcrs election was revolutionary move
nleu;; that the people ought to have voted the same
dav that the Legislature had fixed. Those who voted
for Rcedrr nullitcd the organic act by voting on the
9Th -; October They nuy not only the acts OF the
Legislature, but also the acts vi Congress lhe rea-
son the Free State Party nos ,nr'! for mol voting the
regular daY was iInt the M-sourians would come
over and take the polls II hree-iourths OF the vo-
ters were Free State men, as they claimed, why not
come out and meet 'ns' face to face There was no
danger of having the balot-bo1 polluted, for the
nuch abused legislative body" as he said had pass.
ed an election law amply guarding it. Tho polls could
bp purified by this law, and hence there was 10 cause
for the course pursued by Recder's friends.
But they had not stopped here, hut had proceeded
to adopt n measure which @on!d Sh""s hs ~h"|' jab-
ric Ot riy;l eorernncpf III Kansas and the Cnion.-
They had issued call IN all n favor of free State
10 elect delegates 70 u constitutional cunventlon thus
excluding one party from having anything TO Il" with
the Convention. They hud undertaken to make q
Constitution when only portion Of the people had
been invited TO participate in it. II the attempt
OF a part 10 form constitution for the whole.
HCgnrrsss shoud by any means sanction hiS Con.
,J,fy,hou yOthiny more nor less Than cirH war mrA
Eollow. II Kansas wants TO be admitted, why not
adopt the way that has not been departed from III
the admission of any State except California which
was tu apply to Congress, for permission TO frame Il
constitution This was the only proper way to be nd
nlittcd.
ciols the way to remedy was through the ballot
box He urged the people To cling To the balot-boS
as the only mems 10 remedy ''ihc imaginary wrsng,
as he called the laws
The laws hud not yet been published, so they were
not understood. The assertion which lie had seen Ill
print that the Legislature elected all the officers for
six years. wna not so. They were obliged to appoint
county officers; in other could they get along, but
the people would after the next election choose their
own officers.
He then denounced ''those gentlemen opposed to
us' a revolutionary party. The territorial govern,
lnent which they sought 10 supplan was established
by the people themselves, but he did not say what
people lie closed by saying: "Fcllowclt'zens u
crisis il upon U.s. and we must meet it. We must d"
this BY the power OF truth. Place before Congress
the true state of the case let Congress have the facts
anl they will get no tnvor from that qunrtcr True,
there were a few dsunonists in Congress, but only
q few. "ltely upon it," aaid lie, "goa hare Tie i'd
m.nistrai;0n uHL the Lar and Ordsr Party" There
would be but two parties in the approaching Presl-
Dental contest and those would be the Et0ck Repub-
lican Party and the Union Party. Returning his
thanks for the good attention of the Convention, and
urging all to be found in the Union Party or the Law
and Order Party hc closed.