The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-12-17

IL,
though seduousIy encouraged and sup.
piled with pecuniary aid from active agents
OF disorder in some of the States has com
pIeteiy failed. Bodies of armed men,
foreign 10 the Territory, have been prevcn-
ted from entering or compelled 10 leave it.
Predatory bands, engaged in acts of ra-
pine, Iuder cover of the existing political
disturbances, have been arrested or dis
persed. And every well disposed person
Is now enabled once more to devote him
sell in peace to the pursuits of prosper,
Gus industry, for the prosecution of which
hc Undertook to participate in the settle
ment Of the Territory.
1t affords me unmingled satisfaction
thus TO announce Tie peaceful condition
OF things III Kansas, especially consider
my the means to which it WAS necessary
to have recourse for the attainment Of the
end, marnely, the employmet nf part Of
the military force Of the United States
The withdrawal Of that force from its
propcr duty Of defending the country
against foreign foes or the savages of the
frontier, to employ it for the suppression
OF dome>uc iusuucction, is, when the cXi-
gcucy occurs, q matter Of the mos. earn.
/ e.. so,:ci,udc. On this occasion of impcr-
auTc n"cc>s:ty it has been done with the
best r"SuIls, and my satisfaction in the
attainment Of such results by such means
is great Y enhanced by the consideration,
that, through the wisdom and energy Of
the present Executive Of Kansas, and the
prudence, iirmness and vigilance of the
military officers on duty there, tranquility
has been restored without one drop Of
! blood having been shed i'll is accomplish
meat Ly the forces Of the United States.
/ The restoration of comparative tran.
/ guilty in th@t Territory furnishes the
means Of Observing calmly, and appre
ciating at their just value, the events
which have occurred there. and the discus
SionS Of which the governmcn, Of the
Territory has been the tjcct.
We perceive that controversy concern
ing It's future domestic institutions was in
cvllaOic; ; that no human prudence, no
form Of legislation, no wisdom on the
part of Congress, could have prevented
! this.
II is idle TO suppose that tie particular
/ provisions OF their organic law were the
! cause Of agitation. Those provisions were
tut the occasion, or the pretext Of An az.
it*tion, which WAS inherent in the nature
Of things. Congress legislated upon the
subject in such terms as were most conso-
n"nt with the principle of popular sover.
! c'Enty which undcrics our government.
1t could not have iegis'atcd otherwise
! without doing violence to another grca,
I principle Of our institutions, the iupre.
acrIpuhIe right Of equality Of the several
States.
We perceive, also, thut sectional inter
cois and party passions, have been the
great impcdlmeut to the sautary opera
ton OF the organic principles adopted and
the chlet cause of the successive d!stur-
Dances in Kansas. The assumption that,
because IN the organization Of the Terri
torres Of Nebraska and Kansas, Congress
aOstaIucd from imposing restraints upon
them to which certain other Territories
had been subject, therefore disorders oc.
Cured in the latter Territory, is emphali-
calIy contradic:cd by the fact that none
have occurred in the former. Those dis.
orders were not the consequence, IN Kan.
sas, of tho freedom of self governmen,
conceded 20 that territory by Congress,
! but of unjust Interference on the part OF
persons not inhabitants Of the territory
. Such interference, wherever it has eXhibi.
ted Itself, by acts of insurrectionarv char.
acler, or of obstruction to process of law,
has been repeIled or suppressed, 10y all
| hn H.. 4
the laws place in the hanls Of the Execu-
tive.
In those parts OF the United States
where, by reason of the iufiamed State OF
the mind, false rumors and misreprcsen-
! iations have The greatest currency, it has
been assumed that it was the duty of the
Executive not OILY to suppress insurrec.
tion"ry movements il Kansas, but also to
see 10 the regularity Of local elections.-
II needs little argument 20 show that the
President has no such power. All gov
ernment in the United States rests sub.
stantlalIy upon popular election. The
! freedom Of elections is liable TO be impair
ed by the intrusion of unlawful votes or
the exclusion Of lawful ones, by improper
influences, by violence, or by fraud. But
the people Of the United States are them.
selves the all sufficient guardians OF their
own rights, and to suppose that they will
not remedy, in dIe season, any such in
cidents Of civil feajop, is 10 suppose
them to have ceased to be capable OF self.
government. The President of the Uni.
ted States has no power to interpose in
elections, to see TO their freedom, to can.
vass their votes, or to pass upon their le
gaIity in the Territories any more than in
the States. If he had such power the
government might be republican in form
but IT would be a monarchy in fact and
II he bad undertaken to exercise it in the
case OF Kansas, he would have been just.
ly 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
at elections, are, 10 periods Of great excite
ment, the occasional incidents Of oven the