Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-02

TIL; BORDER RUFflANs SUSTAINED +!
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT.
WAsHINaroN, Jan. u lS5G.

Circumstances have occurred to disturb the
course of governmental organization in tho
Territory of Kansas and produce there a con-
dition Of things which renders it incumbent on
me to call your attention to the subject, and
urgently recommend the adoption by you of
such measures of legislation as the grave exi-
gencies of the case appear to require.
A brief exposition of the circumstances re-
ferred to, and of their causes, will be necessary
to the full understanding of the recommends
tions which it is proposed to submit.
The act to organize the Territories of Ne
braska and Kansas was manifestation of the
Legislative opinion of Congress on two great
points of constitutional construction One,
that the designation of the boundaries Of
new Territory and provision for its political
organization and administration as a Terrific
ry, are measures which of right fall within tho
powers OF the General Government and tho
other that the inhabitants Of any such Terri
tory, considered as an inchoate State, are en-
titled, in the exercise of selfgovernment to
determine for themselves what shall be their
own domestic institutions, subject only to the
Constitution and the laws duly enacted by Con
gress under it, and to the power of the exist
lng States to decide, according TO the provi-
Sons and principles of the Constitution, at
what time the Territory shall be received as a
State into the Union. Such are the great pO-
litical rights which are solcmnly declared and
and affirmed by that act
Based upon this theory, the act Of Con-
gress defined for each Territory the outlines
of republican government, distributing public
authority among the lawfully created agents
executive, judicial and legislatve-to be ap-
pointed either by the General Government or
by the Territory. The legislative functions
were intruSted to q Council and House of
Representatives, duly elected and empowered
to enact all the local laws which they might
deem essential to their prosperity, happiness
and good government.
Acting in the same spirit, Congress also de-
fined the persons who were in the first instance
to he considered as the people of each Terrific
ry enacting that every free white male inha-
btant of the same above the age of twenty-onc
years, being an actual resident thereof. and
possessing the qualifications hereafter describ-
ed, should be entitied to vote at the first cleo
tion, and be eligible to any Office within the
Territory but that the qualifications of voters
and holding Office at all subsequent elections
should be such as might be prescribed by the
Legislative Assembly : Provided however. that
the right of suffrage and of holding Office should
be exercised only by citizens of the United
State, and those who should have declared on
oath their intention to become such, and have
taken an oath to support the Constitution of
the United States and the provisions of the
act ; And provided, further, that no officer
soldier, seaman or marine, or other person in
the army or navy of the United States, or at
tached to troops in their service, should be al
lowed to vote or hold Office in either Territory
by reason of being on service therein.
Such of the public officers of the Territories
as, by the provisions of the act, were to be ap-
pointed by the General Government, including
the Governors, were appointed and commission
ed in due scasoh-the law having been enact
ed on the 30th of May, 1854, and the commits
sion of the Governor of the Territory OF Ne
braska being dated on the ID day of August,
1854 and of the Territory of Kansas on the
29th day of June, 1854
Among the duties imposed by the act on the
Governors was that of directing and s,lpcril-
tending the political organization of the re-
Spcctivc Territories. The Governor of Kansas
was required to cause censns or enumeration
of the inhabitants and qualified voters of the
several counties aud districts of the territory to
be taken by slci person and in such mode az
aud direct the time "n places of holding the
first elections, and the manner of conducting
them both as to the persons to superntend
such elections and the returns thereof; to de-
clare the number Of the members of the Coun-
ell and House of Representatives for each conn
ty or district to declare what persons might
appear. to be duly elected ; and to appoint the
time and place of the first meeting of the Lc-
g,Slative Assembly In substance the same
duties were devoycd on the Governor of Ne
braSka.
While, by this act, the principle of constitu-
ton for each of the Territories was ono and
the same, and the details of organic legislation
regarding both were as nearly as could I've iden-
teal, and while the Territory of Nebraska was
TRANQUILITY and successfully organized in the due
course of law and its first Legislative Assem-
met on the 10th of January, 1855, the or5ani-
zation of Kansas was long DELAYED, ard has
been attended with serious difficulties and em-
barrassments, partly the consequence Of local
mal-administratioa, and partly of tn. unjusifi-
able interference of the inhabitants of some Of
the States, foreign ly residence interests, and
rights to the territory.
The Governor OF the Territory of Kansas.
commissioned, as before stated, on the goth OF
June. 1884, did not reach the designated seat
of his Government until the Tth of the ensuing
October an he thea failed 10 make the first
step in its legal organization OF ordering
the census or enumeration of its inhabitants
until 50 late day that the election of the
members of the Legislative Assembly did not
take place until the 30th of March, 1855, nor
its meeting until the I'd of July, 1855; so that,
for year after the Territory was constituted
~
appointed by the Federal Executive had been
commissioned il was without a complete Go
vcrnment, without any legislative authori'r,