Kansas weekly herald., 1855-08-11
KANSAS LEGISLATURE.

Remarks of J. C.5.Awderson, Member from Fort
Scott, upon the Governor,s Veto Message, in
COMMITTEES of the Whole.
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: feel it to be the duty of
every member of this Committee to express his
opinion upon the paper which we have just
heard read. And am of opinion, that, there
is no obligation resting upon us, to be either
mild or forbearing in that expression. True,
all men should be law-abiding and lovers of or
der, and should endeavor, as far as possible, to
spread the mantle of peace over the land; yet,
when acts of usurpation and tyranny are prac-
tised, it becomes the duty Of the most 1aw-abi-
ding and orderly to cry out against them.
It is right TO +" render unto Caesar the things
which are Ceasar's,o yet, in the practice of
this precept we are not expected to sanction by
silence an outrageous and arbitrary assumption
of power on the part of the Executive of this
Territory, but on the contrary, it becomes our
duty to assign the causes, which. in our opin-
ion, led him to the perpetration OF such unpre-
| cedented conduct. 7--. s-7-e.-s.. -
The message under the consideration, is, to
| say the least, silly paper, to emenate from a
Governor-perhaps 1 should say Ex-Governor,
| inasmuch as he has refused longer to perform
the part of our Executive. I have examined
| the Veto of his Excellsncy for sufficient rea-
sons to give man, prejudiced even to- the ex-
tent that he is, an argument that he. was right
inztaking such step, but in vain. I can find
| nothing in the veto worthy of notice except
unscrupulousness and tyranny-such tyranny
as Kings have not assumed for years. In Great
Britain the Kings veto has not been exercised
since the abdication of James II. It is not
now exercised, and is merely necessary to the
| form of the British Government. The crowned
head of England would never dare exercise
veto power. And why? Because it would
produce ferment in Parliament, an upheaving
of indignation throughout the land that would
shake the Government to Its centre. No, not
even monarchical governments willingly
submit to the exercise of this power. Louis
XVI attempted it, and what was his fate? he
was dethroned and imprisoned-and for the ex-
ercise of the slightest instance of the veto pow
er-he was derided for it, was called Monsieur
| Veto, a name which would not be nlisigonler
at present. And finally in France, Z 1uis had
his head taken off for his insolent exercise of
| power.
And can it be possible that in a republican
government we are to be ruled by one man
Ipower, to far greater extent than If we were
| the subjects of Great Britain OF France 2. If
this be so, where is our boasted liberty, and
/ glorious freedom, bought with the blood of our
fathers If such an Executive is to be kept
over us, then indeed, are an oppressed peo-
ple,-once free, and therefor susceptible to the
sting of oppression more keenly than we could
otherwise be.
i H the General Government will not protect
US and give US an executive who will co-ope-
rate with the Legislature in Legislative affairs;
then indeed, we are in deplorable condition
for care not how many laws we may make for
i >
of our citizens, they cannotbe administered for
the want of officers, who according to the Or
ganic Law of our Territory, should be commits
stoned by the Governor.
/ Ii the Government will not protect us, we
must protect ourselves: Thank God |! we are
not yet bound hand and foot; we are not YET
serfs; though we hear the clanking of the
chains, and are maddened at the sound. We
1 cannot listen, and we will not listen to the
claliking of those chains much longer: There
is remedy left which We can and will have if il
becomes necessary, however painful to u.s.
Our fathers with strong arms and brave hearts
i gained freedom, and we their sons shoulder to
shoulder will retain it
His Excellency acknowledges that there is
nothing in the bill to which he can object, but
i he exercises the veto power upon the grounds
that the Legislature had no power to rem6vs the
/ Seat of Government from Pawnee. Can he be-
lieve that there is anything Of weight in his ar
gument? The truth is obvious. He desired to
/ repndiate and nullify the acts of this legisla-
ture in order to keep pace with his lovely Free
/ soil friends, he had recognized the Legislature
as legally constituted, by giving certificates to
i its members, and By other acts He had no
pretext for repudiating The action of the Legis-
fature, and has grasped this miserable subfer-
fuge as the only one left him, and quibbIes with