The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-03-01
Mr.. EsKRIDGE's REPLY.
LAWRENCE, K. T., Feb. 25, '56.


S1R-Believing, as do, that you are
a gentleman not ashamed of the party
with which you act, nor of the sentiments
you express, you will of course excuse
the liberty have taken with your letter,
trusting that you will not hold me to ac-
cout for making it public, nor think that
| was prompted to do so from any other
than the best motives. I do not wish to
reply in the spirit of partizan, but in
the most gentlemanly manner, and with
the kindest of feelings towards yourself
and all others who are pleased to differ
with me as to the best course to pursue in
Kansas to bring about "the greatest good
to the greatest number" Let US discard
all political prejudices, and, like men
who desire to see right prevail, sit down
and reason together.
will not refer to the agreement made
between the North and the South, by
which the former consented to the ad-
mission of Missouri as a slave State, upon
the condition that the latter would not
even ask to extend her peculiar institu-
ton north of So deg. and 80 min., nor to
her dishonesty in attempting, after hav-
ing secured her part of that bargain, to
wrench from the North the other part,
but will simply call your attention to
Kansas since Reorganization, and brief
ly state the reasons why you find me at
the preset time acting, not with Aboli-
tionists. but with the Free State party of
this Territory.
Believing, as l always have, and do
still, that the Missouri Compromise was
an unconstitutional act, and, if expedient
when passed, was. at the time of its re-
peal, no longer so, ! embraced the prin-
ciples of popular sovereignty as under
stood them, willing that the people of the
Territory should determine, not by the
force of arms but through the ballot box,
the character of their own domestic in
stitutions, and take such a course and
adopt such measures as in their opinion
would conduce to their prosperity and
happiness, without violating in any way
the Constitution of the United States
And in the exercise of these privi-
leges the General Government, relying
upon the wisdom of the people of
the Territory, assumed to itself only
the duty of faithfully protecting them
from all outside intermeddling. Our
organic act takes from the President
and Congress the prerogative of deciding
when and in what manner a territory
shall apply for admission, and leaves it
for the people to say when they are will
ing to take upon themselves State gov
ernment. If. from any cause, the appli-
cation of the people for admission had
been, tn fact, premature and unwise, then
there would have been an abuse of the
principles of popular sovereignty, or a.
failure in carrying them out, and there
fore would have no claims upon the con-
sideration of Congress. The Territorial
Government ceases, and of right ought
to cease, whenever the people declare
themselves able for, and form and estab-
lish state government, at which june
ture it is the duty Of the President to
withdraw all Government officials, in
form the National councils of the fact,
and urge her admission into the Union. |
If this is not correct Interpretation of
the principles of that bill, what was
gained by Its passage save the repeal of
the Missouri Compromise +? The Presi-
dent may have q very. comprehensive |
mind. but he certainly does not take a |
very comprehensive view of the princi-
pies ennnciated in the Kansas Nebraska |
act As I said in the communication
which called forth your letter, that for
Congress to legitimately receive rs into
the Union it is only necessary for the
members to determine satisfactorily to
themselves that majority of the quail
fed electors of Kansas Territory ratified
the constitution we have laid before