Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-21
Ano ther Kansas Message.

Ano Their Kansas Message. !
With recklessness which we can hardly ac-
count for, the President still persists in exciting
the country in relation to the affairs of Kansas
The mail has brought us copy of proclama-
ton issued by the President on the 18th, which
we give in, another column entire In it the
President proclaims to the people that they must
desist from assisting the people in Kansas, in
fear of condign punishment.
But it is useless for him to attempt to prevent
free speech and free exercise of their rights in
territory where the people are expressly left
to make their own laws "As well might the
President Issue proclamation to prevent the
Ohio from freezing over, that slaves may escape
i'll hundreds from Kentucky, as to think to pre-
vent the free exercise of private iberality"
The President says
ltappears that combinations have been formed
within the territory to resist the execution of
the territor ial laws
And it further appears that combinations
within the territory are endeavoring, by the
agency Of emissaries and otherwise, to induce
individual States of the Union to intervene in
the affairs thereof.
And all such plans for tho determination of
the future institutions of the territory, if car
ried into ac ton from within the same, will con-
stitute the fact of instruction.
Who has power to say what are and what are
not laws of the territory in regard to the Slavery
question: Has the President any further power
than to pre-, 'ent the extension of Slavery to the
territory And have not the majority of the
people of tina territory power to declare null all
laws in regar to that question, and make such
as they choose to prevent its extension? Have
not the people in the territory right to ask as
sstance Of other States Who, according to the
Kansas Nebrasl "a act, have power to determine
the institutions of the territory, if the people
have not! Has the President IF so. then is
his own logic ia lse The act expressly declares
that it leaves the affairs of these territories TO
the control of the majority (of coursc) of the
people that may 60 there to reside. In the
Presidents Speci'l Message upon Kansas affairs
he says:
/ Theaet to organize the territories of Nebraska
and Kansas was a manifestation of the legisla-
tive opinion of Congress on two great points of
constitutional con, struction One, that the de-
signation of the b )undaries of II new territory,
and provision for its political organization and
administration as territory, are measures
which OF right fall within the powers of the
general government; aud the other, that the
Inhabitants OF any such territory, considered as
an lnchoate State, are entitled, in the exer-
else OF seifgovernm snt. to determine for them
selves what shall be their own domestic institu-
= tons, subject only to- the Constitution and laws
duly enacted by Con- ress under it, and to the
power OF the existing stat Is to decide, according
: to the provisions and prn ciples of the Constitu
tlon, at what time the territory shall be received
/? as State into the Union. Such are the great
political rights which are olemnly declared and
affirmed by that act
1t the territory in in danger of being overrun
by border rufhans, as it has thrice been, without
: the interference Of the President or Congress in
t any manner, have not the people an inalienable
right to defend their legal franchise, property,
life and liberty by any force they have at hand
Have not they right to call on other States for
y assistancet Who shall decide who are inhab-
- iants, and what are the laws and voice of the
q people, but a majority of that people! Did
:. not California form a Constitution and ask for
@ admission into the Union in the face of the pro-
c Slavery opposition! And was not she received
t as State into the Union with a constitution of
e her own forming' Has the President or Con-
n gress the power to prevent Kansas from doing
l. the same? Does not the President in the fol-
~ ", lowing remarks taken from his Special Kansas
Message, admit that majority of the people
Is have elected their candidate for Governor over
a. one voted for by another party! He says:
o Persons confessedy not constitu ting the BODY
polite, or all the inhabitants, but merely part
of the inhabitants, and without law have un-
" dertaken to summon u convention for the pur-
u pose OF transforming the territory into State,
lr and have framed Constitution, adopted it, and
en- under it elected Governor and other officers
ne and a representative to Congress-
Ia In every it is the people Of the territoryI
w not party among them, who have the power to
y, form a Constitution, and ask for admission as a
VI State. No principle of public law, no practice
al precedent under the Constitution of the Uni
en- ted States, no rule of reason, right or common
rt sense confers any such power as that now claim
J.. ed by mere party in the territory. In fact
Wnat mas Decn dOne IL OF revolutionary char
40 acter. 1t is avowedly so in motive and aim as
~ represents the local law of the territory. II
10 will become reasonable insurrection if it reach
~ the length of organized resistance by force tc
}. the fundamental or any other Federal law and
to the authority of the general government.
Ia After perusing his proclamation, we infer thai
uls he intends to oblige the people of Kansas t,
r; submit to the laws enacted by the border rut
fans. Perhaps he will
;no later dispatch furnishes US with the fol-
to lowing
Gov. SHaNNoN's INsTRucTIoNs-Tne Kansa
Legislature 10 be Dispersed. A Washinp,or
az. correspondent of the New York Hhrald tele
re. graphs, on the 10th " Gov Shannon left tbi
afternoon for Kansas. He will travel night ant
=. day until he reaches Shawnee Mission Tn,
'ie President desired him to arrive there before th
ana State Legislature assemblies at Topeka on th
uc- 4th of March next He has full power, under
nts stand, TO arrest the members of that legislature
| as its meeting is deemed by the powers that be
ate an overt act, and as such deserving of sever
ma punishment. If be carries out his instructions
W.. W. it is thought by gentlemen now here, who ar
'u'- residents of Kansas that there will be cosio
no between the Federal authorities and the Ere
State men.