The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-12-16

as they occurred. by such means az were
available and a. the circumstances requITru'
and nothing of this character now remains
to affect the general peace of the Union
The attempt of part of the inhabitants "i
the Territory Ia erect revolutionary gov
eminent. though scdulou>lv encouraged ana
suppIied with prcuniarv aid from active
agents of disorder in some of the states has
COMPLETELY failed Bodies of armed men,
foreign to the Territory, have been prevent
cd from entering "r compelled I" i"tv" 1t.
Predatory bands. engaged ia acts OF rapine
under cover of the existing political dI~tur-
Dances. have been arrested cor disprrsed.-
And every we'll disposed person l. now en-
ablrd once more To devote himself i'll peace
TO the pursuits of prosperous industry. for
the prosecution IF which he undertook to
participate la the settlement of the i err
tory.
1t affords me unmingled satisfaction thus
to announce the peaceful condition OF things
la Kansas. especially considering the means
Ia which it was necessary I" have recourse
for the. attainment of the cmd-mamclv. the
rrnpInvmrmt of a part of the military force
nf the United States. The withdrawal "t
that force from it, proper duty of defending
the country against foreign FOES or tn" Sava-
ges of the frontier. to- employ 1t Tor the sup
preston uf domestic iH-urrrcti"n, is when
the cxigcncv occurs a matter of the most
earnest s"licitude. On this occasion Of i'm
IcrHtivc necessity IL has been done with the
h.->t results. aud INV satisfaction i'll the at
ta;umrnt nf such results bv such means is
greatly enhanced 10y the consideration that
through the wisdom and energy OF the pres
cnt executive of Kansas, and til" prudence
iirrnrcS.,. and vigilance of the military OH
,lttfN-
restored without one drop of blood having
been shed in its accomplishment by the for
ces "f the United States.
The restoration of comparative tranquil
ity in that Territory furnishes the means of
observing calmly and approaching at their
Just value the events which have occurred
there, and the discussions of which the gov
eminent of the Territory has been the sub
ject.
We perceive that controversy concerning
It's future domestic institutions was incvlta-
BILE; that II" human prudence. no form nt
legislation, no wisdom "m the part OF Con
gress. could have prevented it.
1t is idle to suppose that the particular
provisions of their organic law were the
cause of agitation. Those provisions were
but the occasion or the prctcxt of an a@ita-
ton which was inherent in the nature of
things. Congress lcgi>lated upon the sub
ipct in such terms a. were most conSonant
with the principle of popular Sovereignty
which undcrlies nur government. 1t could
not have lcgi>latcd otherwise without doing
violence to another great principle of our
institutions, the imprcscriptible right "t
equality "f the several States.
We perceive, also. that sectional interests
and party passions have been the great I'M
pcdimcnt to the Salutary operation of the
organic principles adopted. and the chief
cause of the successive disturbances in
Kansas The assumption, that because, in
the organization of the Territories of Ne
braSka and Kansas, Congress abStaincd from
imposing restraints upon them to which
certain other Territories had been subject.
therefore disorder occurred in the latter
Territory. is cmrhatically contradictcd by
the fact that none have occurred in the for
mer. Those disorders were not the conSe-
quences in Kansas of the freedom of self
government conceded to that Territory by
Congress, but of Just interference on the
part Of persons not inhabitants of the Ter
ritory. Such interference. wherever it has
exhibited itself, by acts of inSurrcCtionary
character. or of obstruction To process of
law, has been repealed or suppressed by all
the means which the constitution and the
laws place in tEo hands of the Executive.
In those parts of the United States where,
by reason of the infiamed state of the pub
lie mind, false rumorS and mi>rcprcScnta-
tiOns have the greatest currency, it has
been assumed that it was the duty of the
Executive not only to Suppress inSurrcctiou-
airy movements in Kansas. but also to see
In the regularity of local elections. 1t needs
little argument to show that the Prc>i-
dent has no such power. All government
in the United States rests substantially up
on popular election. The freedom of cleo
tious il liable to be impaired 10y the intru-
sion of unlawful VOTERS. or the exclusion of
lawful ones, hy improper influences, by
violence. or by fraud. But the people of
the United States are themselves the all
sufficient guardians of their own rights; and
To suppose that they will Ent remedy, in
due season, any such incidents of civil free
dom, Is tn suppose them to have ceased I"
be capable of self government. The Pres
ident of the United States has not power To
intcTpOse in election, to see To their freedom,
to canvass their votes, or to pass upon their
legality, in the Territories any more than
in the States. If he had such power, the
government might. he republican in form.
but IL would be monarchy in fact; and
If he had undertaken to exercise it in the
case of Kansas, he would have been Justly
subject to the charge of uSurPation, and of
violation of the dearest rights of the people
of the United States.
Unwise laws, equally with irregularities
Mt elections, are, in periods of great excite
ment, the occasional incidents of even the
freest and best political institutions. But
all experience demonstrates that in n COUn-
try like ours, where the right of self -cnnSti-
tuition exists in the completcSt form, the at
tempt to remedy unwise legislation by resort
to revolution is totally out of place, mas
much as existing legal institutions afford
more prompt and efficacious means for the
redress of wrong.
| confidently trust that now, when the
peaceful condition of Kansas affords oppor-
tunitv for calm reflection and wise lcgiSla-
tion, either the legislative assembly of the
Territory, or Congress, will see that no act
shall remain on its statutC-book vinlative of
the provisions of the constitution, or sub
versive of the great objects for which that
was ordained and established. and will take
all other necessary steps To- assure tn its in
ba Infants tho nHinymnpt without