Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1856-12-06

Revolutionary disorder in Kansas had Its origin in
projects of Intervention, deliberately arranged by
certain members of that Congress, which enacted
the law for the organization of the Territory. And
when propagandlst colonization Of Kansas had
thus been undertaken in one section Of the Union,
for the systematic promotion of its peculiar views
of policy, there ensued, as a matter of course, a
counter.action with opposite views, in other sec.
tons of the Union.
In consequence of these and other incidents,
many acts Of disorder it is undeniable, have been
perpetrated in Kansas, to the occasional Interrupt
ton, rather, than the permanent suspension, Of
regular government. Aggressive and most repre-
hensiblc incursions into tho Territory were under
taken, both in the North acd the South, and enter.
ed il on its northern border by the way of Iowa, as
well as on the eastern by way of Missouri and
there has existed within it a state of instruction
against the constituted authorities, not without
cOuntenance from inconsiderate persons in each of
the great sections of the Union. But the difficult
ties in that Territory have been extravagantly cX.
agerated for purposes of political agitation else
where. Tho number and gravity of the acts Of.
violence have been magniied partly by statements
entirely untrue, and partly by reiterated accounts
of the same rumor or facts. Thus the Territory
has been seemingly filled with extreme violence,
when the whole amount of such acts has not been
greater than what occasionally passes before US in
single cities to the regret of all good citizens, but
without being regarded as Of general or perma-
nent political consequence.
Imputed Irregularities in the elections had in
Kansas, like occasional irregularities of the same
description in the State, were beyond the sphere
cf action of the Executive. But incidents of ac-
tual violence or of orgonized obstruction Of law,
pertinaciously renewed from time TO time, have
been met as they occurred, 10y such means as were
available and as the circumstances required; and
nothing of this character now remains to affect
the general peace of the Union. The attempt of n
part Of the Inhabitants of the Territory to erect II
revolutionary government, though scdulously en-
couraged and supplied with pecuniary aid from
active agents of disorder in some rf the States,
has completely failed. Bodies of armed men, for
eign to the Territory, have been prevented from
entering or compelled to leave it. Predatory bands
engaged in acts OF rapine, under cover Of the ex-
listing political Disturbances, have been arrested or
dispersed. And every well disposed person is now
enabled once more 20 devote himself in peace to
the pursuits Of prosperous industry, for the prose
cution Of which he undertook to participate IN the
settlement Of the Territory.
Il affords me unmingled satisfaction thus to an.
nounce tic peaceful condition of things in Kansas,
especially considering the means to which it was
necessary to have recourse for the attainment of
the end, namely, the employment of II part Of ihe
military force of the United States the withdraw
al of that turce from Its proper duty of defending
tic country against foreign foes or the savagcs of
the frontier, to employ it for the suppression OF
domestic insurrection, il, when the ~cX:gency oc-
ours, n matter OF the most earnest suIicitnde. On
this occasion Of imperative necessity it has been
done with the best results, and my satisfaction in
the attainment of such results by such means is
greatly enhanced by the consideration, that,
through the wisdom and energy of the present Ex-
ecutive of Kansas, and the prudence, trmness and
vigilance of the military officers Tn duty there,
tranquility has been restored without one drop of
blood having been shed in its accomplishment by
the forces of the United States.
The restoration of comparative tranquility in
that Territory furnishing the means of observing
calmly, and approaching at their just value, the
events which have occurred there, and the discus
sions of which the government Of the Territory
has been the subject.
We perceive that controversy concerning its fu-
ture domestic institutions was inevitable; that no
human prudence, no form of legislation, no wis
dom on the part of Congress, could have prevented
this. 1t is Idle TO suppose that the particular pro
visions of their organic law were the cause of agi-
tation. These provisions were hut the occasion,
or the preteX. of an agitation, which was inherent
in the nature Of things. Congress legislated upon
the subject in such terms as we're most cOnsOnaut
with the principle of popular sovereignty which
underlies our government. 1t could not have leg
islated otherwise without doing violence to anoth
err great principle of our institutions, the inprcscrip.
tible right Of equality of the several States.
We perceive, also, that sectional interests and
party passi, ms, have been the great impcdimcnt to
the salutary operation of the organic principles
adopted, and the chief cause of the successive dis
turbances in Kansas. The assumption that. be-
cause in the organization ut the Territories of Ne
braska and Kansas, Congress abstained from i'm.
posing restraints upon them to which certain other
Territories had been subject, therefore disorders
occurred in the latter Territory, is emphatically
cOntradicted by the fact that mono have occurred
in The former. Those disorders were not the con
sequence, in Kansas, of the freedom Of selfgov.
eminent conceded to the Territory by Congress,
but of unjust Interference on the part OF persons
not inhabitants Of the Territory. Such interior
! ference Whpreyer IL hns exhibited itself. bV acts
Of insurreclionarJ character, or Of obstruction to
processes Of law, has been repealed or suppressed,
by all the means which the Constitution and the
laws placed in the hands of the Executive.
In those parts Of the u. S., where by reason
of the infamcd state OF the public mind, false ru.
mors and misrepresentation have the greatest cnr-
rency, it has been assumed that it was the duty of
the Executive not only to suppaess insurrectionary
movements in Kansas, but also to see to the regu-
larity of local elections. 1t needs little argument
to show that the President has no such power
All government in the United States rests substnn-
TALLY upon popular election. The faeeAom of
elections is liable to be impaired 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 themselves
the all-suficient guardians of their own rights, TO
suppose that they will not remedy, in due season,
any incidents, of civil freedom, is to suppose them
to have ceased to be capable of self-government.
The President Of the United States has not power
to ~interpose in elections, to see to their freedom, to
canvass their votes, or to pass on their legality in
the Territories more than in the States. If he
had such power the government might be republi.
can in form, but it would be "A monarchy in fact;
and if he had undertaken to exercise it in the case
of Kansas, he would have been justly 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 cleo
tons, are, in periods Of greet excitement, the oc-
casional incidents OF even the freest and best p0-
litieal institutions. But all experience demon
strates that in a country like ours, where the right
of selfconstitution exists in the completest form,
the attempt to remedy unwise legislation by resort
to revolution, is totally out of place; inasmuch as
existing legal institutions afford more prompt aEd
eticacious means for the redress of wrong.
/ confidently trust that now, when the peaceful
condition of Kansas affords opportunity for calm
reflection and wise legislation, either the legisla.