Minnesota weekly times., 1856-04-19

United States, but also to support and sustain the
organic law of the Territory and the Fugitive Slave
Law; and that any person Offering to vote shall
be presumed to be entitled to vote until the contra
is shown, and if any one, when required shall re-
fuse to take oath to sustain the Fugitive Slave
Law, he shall not be permitted to vote. Altho'
they passed law, that none but inhabitant,
who had paid tax should vote, yet they re-
qured no time Of residence necessary, and pro-
vided for the immediate payment of IL poll tax,
so providing in effect, that on the of an elec
tion the people of a neighboring State could
come in in unlimited numbers, and by taking up
residence of Il day or an hour, pay poll tax,
and thus become legal voters, and then, after vo-
ting, return to their own State. They thus in
practical effect, provided for the people of Mis-
souri, to cOntroll elections ut their pleasure, and
permitted such only of the real inbabtants of
the Territory to vote as are friendly TO the hold
ing of slaves. .
They permitted no election of any OF the Of
fcers in the Territory to be made by the people
thereof but created the Offices and filed thcm or
appointed officers 70 fill them for long periods and
provided that the next annual election should be
holden in October, 1856 and the Assembly to
meet in January, 1857, so that none of these laws
could De changed until the Lower House might
be changed in 1856, but the Council, which is
elected for two years, could not he changed so
as to allow Il change OF the laws or officers un-
til the session of 1858, however much the inhab-
itants of the Territory might desire it.
These laws, made by an Assembly created by
foreign force, are but manifestation of the
spirit of oppression which was the parent of the
whole transaction. No excuse be found for
it in the pretence that the inhabitants had carried
with them into said Territory quantity of
Sharp's rites. First: Because that, if true,
formed no excuse. Secondly: 1t is untrue, as
their Shalp'S rifles were only obtained aiterward
and entirely, for the purpose of self defence, the
81,
of violence and threats clearly demonstrated.
These laws were obviously made to suppress
and drive ont all who were inclined to the eX
clusicn of slavery, and if they remained, to ST.
lencc them this SUBJECT and subject them to
the will and control of tae people of Missouri
These are the laws which the President says
must be enforced by the laws and whole power
of tn g nation.
The people of Kansas thus invade |, snbducd,
oppressed nd inSultcd, seeing their Territorial
Government (such only in form) perverted into
an engine to crush them in the dust, and to de-
feat and destroy the profcsSed object of their
organic law by deprving them of the pefect
freedom therein provided, and finding no ground
to hope for rights in that organization, they pro-
ceeded, under the guaranty of the United States
Constitution, 'pcace;,bly to assemble to petition
the Government for the ''redress of [theirl griev
anccs.' They saw no earthly source of relief,
but in the formation of IL State Government 10y
the people, and the acceptance and ratification
thereof by Congress.
1t is true that in several instances in his.
tory the people of u Territory have been author
ize.l by an act of Congress, 10 form II State Con-
stitution, and after so doing were admitted by
Congress. 1t is quite obvious, that no such au-
thority could be given by the act of the Terrific
rial Government. That 81 .ary, has no pow!r to
create another Government, paramount to itself.
1t is equally true that in numerous instances in
our history the people of II Territory have, with
out any previous act of Congress-, proceeded to
call IL convention of the people by their dele
gates have formed State Constitution, which
has been adopted by the people, and State Leg
islature assembled under t,and chosen Senators to
Congress and then have presented said Constitution
to Congress, who has approved the same and re-
ceivcd the Senators and Members who were cho-
sen under 1t before Congress had approved the
same. Such was the case of Michigan, where the
people not only formed Il State Constitution
without an act of Congress, but actually put
their State Government into full operation, and
passed laws, and it was approved by Congress,
bv receiving it us IL State. The reop!c OF Florl-
ida formed their Constitution without any act
of Congress, therefore, six years before they
were admitted into the Union. When the people
of Kansas were about forming State Constitu-
ton without Il previous act Of Congress, in 80,
the Tarritoral government applied to the PrcsI-
dent on the subject, who referred the matter To
the Attorney General, ami his opinion as then
exp eSSed anil pa',lisbed, contains the following
s.It is not in the power of the General Assem-
bly, of Arkansas to pass any law for the purpose
of electng members to convention to form Il
Constitution and State GOvernmr INT nor to do
any other act directly or indirectly to create such
Government. Every such law, even though it
were approved by the Governor of the Territory,
would be null and v id, if passed by them not
withstanding his veto, by two-thirds Of each
"A I'll 10, III
lie further decided that it not rebellion us,
or insurrectionary, or even unlawful for the
people peaceahlv to proceed, even without act
of Congress in forming Constitution, and that
the so forming State Constitution, and so far
organizing under the same as to chose the officers
necessary for its representation IN Congress.
with IL view to presenting the same to Congress
for admission, was Il power which fell clearly
within the right of the people to assemble and
petition for redress. The people of Arkansas
proceeded without an act of Congress, and were
received into the Union accordingly. If any
rights were derived by the people of Arkansas
from the terms of the French treaty of cession,
they equally extended to the people of Kansas,
it being IA part of the sane c"ssion.
In this view of the subject, in the first part of
August, 1855, a call was published in the public
papers for meeting of the citizens OF Kansas,
irrespective of party, to meet at Lawrence i'll said
Territory, on the 18th of said August, to take in
to consideration the propriety of calling Con-
vcntion of the people of the whole Territory to
consider that subject. That meeting was holden
on the 18th day of August last, and proceeded
to call such Convention of Delegates, to be
elected and to assemble at Topeka, in said Terrific
ry, on the 18th day of September, 1855, not to
form Constitution, but to consider the proprie-
tv of calling formally Convention for that
purpose The proceedings of this meeting of
The 18th of August were as follows. Here is in
serted the official report of proceedings published
ut the time.
Agreeablv to these proceedings, the people of
different districts, did, as therein recommended,
proceeded to appoint Delegates to this meeting
at Topeka, to be holden on said 10Th day Of
September, 1855. The Delegates appointed
did assemble at Topeka, on said day, and pro-
ceeded to consider said subject, and they took
the following proceedings. 1.-THE official report cf
proceedings at the Convention is here set forth.
Delegates were elected agreeably to the proc
lamation so issued, and they met ut Topeka, on
the fourth Tuesday of October, 1855, and formed
n Constitution, which was submitted to the
pe,ple. and was ratified by them by vote in the
districts And election of State officers and men,
bers of the State Legislature had been had, and
a Representative to Congress elected, and it is
intended to proceed to the election of Senator's,
with the view to present the same, with the Con-
stitution, to Congress, for admission, into the
Union.
Whatever view individuals may at times, or in
meetings, have expressed, and whatever ultimate
dete rmination NAV have been entertained, IN the
result of being spurned by Congress and refused
redress. is now entirely immaterial. That cannot
condemn or give character to the proceedings thus