Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-03-29
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY

4
ted, under the third section of the fourth arti-
Gle of the Constitution, and not Territories
Upon this point, read from the opinion Of
the Attorney General in the Arkansas case :
"Ths provision implies that the new State shall have
been constituted by the settlement of constitution
frame OF government and by the appointment OF those Of
fetal agents which indispensable to its action a.
on prior to its admission into the Union In accordance
with this Implication every State received into the Union
since the adoption OF the Federal Constitution has been
actually organizd prior to such admission
| Now, desire to call particular attention to
the part of this opinion which applies directly
to the people of Kansas and had it been writ
ten expressly for their case, it could not have
been more applicable In defining the rights
OF the citizens of Arkansas, he says -
They undoubtedly possess the ordinary privileges and
immunes of citizens Of the United States Amop tbee
the right OF the people, peaceably assemble and
petition the Government for the redress of grievances =
In the exercise OF this right the inhabitants of Arkansas
may peaceaby meet together in primary assembly or in
conventions chosen by such assemblies for the purpose of
pettOHng Congress ahrogate the territorial govern
men and to admit them into the Union an independent
State The particular form which they NAV give to their
petition cannot be material long they conne them
selves TO the mere right of petoning and conduct all
Their proceedings IN peaceable mannef. And DOW
er OF Congress over the whole subject is plenary and
limited, they may accept any constitution however franz
cd which in their Judgment meets the of the people
to be affected by it, IT, therefore the citizens Arkansas
think proper TO accompany their petition by written
constitution, framed and agreed by their primary as
sentbes or by convention of delegates chosen such
do so."
But it may be said that this doctrine will
not apply to Kansas, for there it is merely q
part of the inhabitants" " who called the con-
vention. In all cases the call. in the first in
stance, must be by part of the people for
1t would be almost an impossibility to get the
signatures of all the inhabitants of a Territory
The call issued for State convention in Kan
SaS was in this form =
To the legal rioters Of Kansas
Whereas the territorial government as now consttn-
ted for Kansas has proved fauresquatter sovereignty
under lis workings miserable deuscn proof of which
it is only necessary refer to our past history and our
present deplorable condition haloboxes have been
taken possession of by band Of armed from foreign
States people forcibly driven thereom persons
tempted 10 be foised upon members of socalled
Legislature unacquaned with wants, and hostile TO
our best ntcre>tssone OF them residents of
Territory misnamed tGlcs passed, and attempted
be enforced by the all of citizens OF foreign States the
most oppressive tyrannc and insulting character the
right Of suffrage taken from debarred from the pryi
ege Of voice in the election of the insign-
cant officers the right of free speech stcd the muzzlng
of the press attempted And whereas longer orbearance
with ach oppression and tyranny has ceased he
and whereas the people of this have hereto
fore exercised the right OF changing their form govern
ment when il became oppressive and have at all times
led this right II the peope in this and all other Go
yernments and whereas territorial form of government
Is unknown 10 the Constitution and Is the
Of necessity awaiting the action of the people and where
as the debSing character OF the slavery which in
wolves mpels action, and leaves tie only legal
and peaceful alternative the immediate establishment Of
State government and whereas the organic fails in
pointing out the be adopted emergency like
ours Therefore you requested to meet AT
al precincts said Territory hereinafter mentioned
the II Tuesday of October il being the ninth day
of said month"; and then and there your ballots
members oc convention t. meet at Topeka on the fourth
D.r To -irrrff
bill of ghts for the people of Kansas and take all need
fdl measures for organizing State government prGra
!Ssg aie e The a@i'''0" Of ha"'a' INTO the o"'0' a'
Under it all the legal voters of the Terrific
ry could participate and who shall say that
a majority of them did not The fact that it
was necessary for the pro-savery party at q
later day 10 summon armed men from M,Ssou-
ri, is almost conclusive evidence that majori-
ty of the people of the Territory arc in favor
of the free State movement But TO give va
lidity to the action of the people of Terrific
ry in any act which they have right to do, it
is not necessary that they should be unani-
nous. any more than it is necessary, in order
to give validity to a law of State, that every
voter shauld be in favor of it. Majoritics
under our system of government, constitute the
people, and their action is the action of the
people
The members of the convention were elected
at the same time and by about the same vote
as the free State Delegate to Congress, and he
received almost three thousand votes at time
when there was no occasion for illegal votes.
Judging by the census, and the other elections
held in the Territory. that would be majOri-
tv of the legal voters If the proceedings for
State convention were participated in bv a
party only, how did it happen that the dele
gates did not all hold one sentiment on the all
absorbing question before them-that of slave
rv! Many of the delegates in that cOnven-
ton were never suspected of being Abolition
lists or Free-Soiers before they went to the
Territory, and some of them were well-kRown
10 the country as earnest advocates of the Kan
Sas-NebraSka bill and of all the measures of
this Administration.
But why was il necessary for the people OF
Kansas at this early day after their organiza
ton as a Territory to call convention TO frame
State constitution What are the grievances
that they seek in this way 10 redress They
claim that under the act OF Congress organlZ-
ing the Territory they were to have the right
TO form and regulate their domestic institutions
in their own wav but, instead of that. lie
giSature was elected hy non-reSidents, the bal
lot-box seized bv armed bands of men from
Missouri, and peaceable citizens Of the Terrific
~ were driven by violence from the polls or
shot down in cold blood y
The President has failed, though devoting
an entire message to Kansas, TO give us any
information as to the mode or manner in which
that election was conducted, but seemed more
anxious TO discuss questions involved in the
contested seat of delegate on this floor, aud
TO show, If possible, Inconsistencies of conduct
in one OF the officials whom he had appointed
to office in that Territory. We are, therefore,
left to rely on the history of those transactions
as they have reached Us through the press and
| hr. nitrate c,rresnnn1enrn Rnt that the elec-