The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-04-30
NUMBER 7.

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mingle the bodies of the dpprcssors witk
those of the oppressed upon the soil whiek
the Declaration of Independence no longer
protects" 1t was in the same event, md
dependent upon the same contingencies.
| that the convention at Big Springs, pro-
Tossing to represent every county in the
Territory, resolved that they would aRE-
sIsT THEM THE Laws TO A BLOODY ~
IT. But having no faith in the Iegali-
ty of their own proceedings, and conse.
quently no hope of success ain the proper
Tribunals" they advised their friends nos
to walt for the decision. but ain tie msan
time" to organize and discipline military
volunteer companies. and to provide arms
and munitions of war! Does the minority
report refer to the organization and dis
ciplinc of these volunteer companies and
to their procurement and preparation Of
arms" when it speaks of their having
assembled peaceably to petition for 10
dress of grievances.
In view of these facts | submit tA9
question to the Senate and the country,
with what show of fairness or truth does
the minority report pretend that these
proceedings in Kansas were had under
that clause of the Constitutions which se-
cures to the people the right "peacssbly
to assemble and petition Government for
| redress Of grievances and that they
were llconditional. dependent upon 4'their
acceptance and ratification by Congrssss"
1t must not be said that these facts wess
not known to the minority when the ~
prrt was prepared. There were several
pamphlet copies OF these proceedings b.
fore the committee for more than thrse
weeks before the reports were made, and
at least one of them in the hands Of Che
author of the minority report during AL
that time. These facts are all set forth
in the majority report, and were read in
open committee as q part OF the report
in the presence of the author Of the mi-
nority report, two days before either rs-
I port was submitted TO the Senate. Ilenco
charity and courtesy require us to sssame
that the author of the minority report aia
| not deem these facts material, and for thas
reason suppressed them; and, in ceess-
quenceof their suppression, lie was ens-
| bled to arrive at conclusions directly ths
| reverse Of those to which he would hsvs
been irresistibly driven if he had not sup
pressed them.
In pursuance of the rccomniendation of
these two conventions, the Gfst % Law
renee, on the l4th of August, and ths
second at Big Springs ON the 5th and stA
of September, territorial convention was
held at Topeka on the 10Th of Septembsr.
which provided for the election Of dele.
gates to another convention, to be held q
the same place on the fourth Tuesday Of
October, to form constitution and St6ts
government. At an early stage Of Tho
proceedings of the constitutional convsA.
ton, Mr.. Smith offered rcsol6ticn =.
structing the various committees TO frame
their work with reference to an immediate
organization of State government This
resolution put in issue the direct question
whether their constitution aud othaf pro.
ceedings should be conditional and de.
pendent upon their acceptance and sati6-
cation by Congress, orwhcther they should
be absolute, and independents Of Congresss
This proposition led to an elaborate dis
cussion, and was at length adopted. md
in substance Incorporated into one Of the
articles of the constitution A synopsis
of this debate on both sides is set cut h
the majority report, from which It h ap-
parent that the proposition was under
stood and decided then precisely a. state
it now. Mr.. Delahay, who has since beeA
elected member of Congress under that
constitution, made an elaborate spoech
against the proposition, upon the groand
that it was avowedly an ".act of rebellics. /"
On the other hand, it was justified ard
defended as standing upon the same feet
| ing with the Declaration of Independssce,
with the distinct avowals on the part ef
its advocates that they would not wait q
day for the action of Congress. s
No man can read that debate and dsabt
! that it was their fixed purpose to put .
State government in operation in conflict
with the existing territorial gnvernmeat,
, and in defiance of the authority OF Con.
gress. The idea of acting in snborliaa-
tion to the constituted authorities was
secuted The party which wished 10 re-
main loyal to the existing governments,
until superseded by lawful means, was de-
feated, and the revolutiouists carried eve
rything their own way The constitutions
was adopted; the election for State on
GERS and Legislature taken place, and
the government put in operstion on the
4th of this month, without The conxpat os
CGagress, and in defiance of the coHasir
tuted authorities in the Territory,
These facts are all set forth in the ma.
jority report-while the minority report
passes over in silence the debates and pro-
ceedings Of the convention whiph formed
the constitution at Topeka, and The Big
Springs conrentian, and all other sc,a
which give the real character to the moyr.
ment, and show it TO be ease ut open
and unt!isguised rebellion. The minority
does not question, much less dixprove,