Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-09
MIR. Pierce's Kansas Message.

Ihe mails OF this morn ny gave us an agreea
ole surprise. We have a message from MIR
Pierce on the subject of the troubles ia Kan
sas-part of them, we mean for though thu
condition of that territory is made the occa
sion of sending it to Congress, the lawleSs in
road of the Missourians is left out of cohsidera-
ton. We wanted just such a message as this
to give new ardor and determination to those
who are now occupied with certain broad and
comprehensive plans for giving a character to
the western settlements. - +1@*
1t is remarkable that we cannot get rid of
the Kansas question. 1t rides on our shout
ders like the Old Man Of the Sea, whether we
will or not. Mr.. Pierce at one time would
gladly have put it out of the way, as his an
nual message showed, in which he dismissed it
with the briefest mention, and at the same
time threw out the threat of u, war with Eng
land, as a tub to amuse that heavy whale, the
public. The public occupied itself awhile
with the war schemes of Mr.. Pierce, and did
not seem to like them. The article which we
copied q day or two since from the Charleston
Mereury showed pretty clearly that he had not
taken the true course to get the support OF
South Carolina politicians for the Presidency,
lie therefore returns to the Kansas question,
and in a sort of desperation offers new propo-
sails for the support of the South, in the shape
of a. promise to stand by the Missourians in
their usurpation of the government of Kan
sas, and enforce the detestable ordinances
which they pretended to enact, at the %cannon's
month. ~ gfasag .As E.sE sTea5 a .e
The President finds many things done in
Kansas which do not please him, but he makes
o most extraordinary selection for the purpo-
49, nf o,,nr ~ Vho aol1;n- sc a oon,oo4;or
by the people to frame a constitution for Kan.
sas as a state, he declares to be contrary te
public law and the rule of right. He denies
the doctrine of popular sovereignty in that APP
p~lication the people of Kansas have no right
to make a constitution in that manner. But
though this convention had no authority, and
though the constitution just adopted is void in
Mr.. Pierce's opinion, for want of the proper
formalities, another body has been sitting in
Kansas whose authority and whose proceed
ings he thinks no possible informalitics could
vitiate. This is the legislature appointed by
strangers from Missouri. Of this body Mr..
Pierce says, that " whatever may have been
the informalities of its election, it was for all
practical purposes a lawful body" Informali-
ties I! Where did Mr.. Pierce learn English ?
Bringing into the territory armed hordes from
Missouri, with guns on their shoulders, and
cannon in their train stolen from the United
States arsenal, and driving the voters from the
polls, is an informality Electing members of
the Kansas legislature by the votes of persons
who lived in Missouri, was an informality.-
These are but trifes they do not affect the
authority of the legislature, which has still
power, according to Mr.. Pierce, to pass any
law it pleases, just or unjust. If they resist
an unjust law passed by a legislature never
elected by the people, but imposed upon them
by strangers, it will be his duty to call out
the United States troops, and shoot them
down. This, he tells them, is "a /" protecting
them in the full enjoyment of self-goyernment."
The President is a great wagsas well as a great
statesman. I .t q. -.-- s.
In the midst of this ~ferocious jcsting, he
takes occasion to reprimand those. who have
promoted emigration to Kansas with a view OF
making it q free state. While he has no cen.
sure for-the men who marched into. Kansas
with arms in their hands, and usurped the
functions of a legislature, he denounces those
who simply exercise the right of peaceful EN-.
igration. An armed inroad is well enough
though perhaps q little Informal ; a quiet emf
grafton is an objectionable offence, What in
science In this J BY what authority does thi:
man, who has got into the executive chair
presume to tell us who may settle in Kansas
and who must stay at home-who may helI
their neighbers TO emigrate, and who may not
What warrant has he for occupying the two
Houses with his denunciations of those whose
only offence is that they have become residents
of Kansas, where they have as perfect a right
to be as he has to be at Washington? Did
we elect him for this I? s5 1852 'a4 h
We have spoken of the message as an OPP
perfume one, and yet, if Mr.. Pierce were not
so proyerbially faithless to his pledges, We
should have some misgiving as to tire use
which the slave party might make of it in
driving him to extreme measures. The ordi
natices of the mock legislature which sat al
the Shawnee Mission viii never be sobeyed
the penalties enacted against the discussion
Of the slavery question will not be submitted
to ; the citizens of Kansas will never take tn,
test-oath for the support of slavery prescrib
ed by the spurious code, and yet they will yot'
at the elections. All the other barbarou
and ty7rarnnnicaI edicts promulgated by that BIO
dy will assuredly be ~disregarded and trodder
under foot-they cannot be obeyed by free
men. Mr.. Pierce viii then have to consider
whether lie will execute his measure of cnforc
ing them upon a people for whose right o
seif-goyernment he INDUCES 10 the dreary jokt
Of protesting such profound respect. We arr
certain that he will not fulfil his bloody thrca
unless he is forced to it by the violent urgency
of the Shareholders ; and let them press him as
violently as they may, we can scarce bring
ourselves to believe that he will venture upor
such an act OF madness.
Meanwhile, this message will have the efec'
OF ENCOURAGING those who mediate new at
taeks upon the rights and liberties of the set
tiers of Kansas. The President is on theil
side ; he promises them the assistance OF thu
government ; and thus melted, it viii not tbt
strange if We soon hear of preparations TO
new outrages. The people of the free state
.. - -, hotrrnnn cnftlnrS of Kansas am