Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-02-07
Special Message from the President.

Special Message from the President.
lae subjoined message from the
President Of The United States was
transmitted to both houses of Con
gress on the Oath ult:
To Tie .SenGte and House Of Representatives:
Circumstances have occurred to
disturb the course of governmental
organization in the Territory of Kan
sas, and produce there a condition
Of things which renders it incumbent
on me to call your attention to the
subject, and urgently to recommend
the adoption by you of such meas.
ures Of legislation as the grave ez-
igencies of the case appears to re-
quire.
A brief exposition of the oireum-
stance referred to, and Of the cause,
will be necessary to the full under
standing of the recommendation
which it is proposed to submit.
The act to organize the Territories
Of Nebraska and Kansas wasa mani
festation Of the legislative opinions
OF Congress ON two great points of
constitutional construction: o ne, that
the designation of the boundaries of
new Territory, and provisions for
lis political organization and admin
istration as a Territory, are measures
which Of right fall within the powers
Of the General Government, and the
other that the inhabitants of any
such Territory considered as an in
choate State are entitled, 10 the ex
ercise Of self-government, to deter
mine for themselves what shall be
their own domestic institutions. sub
ject only to the Constitution and
the laws duly enacted by Con-
gress under it, and to the power of
the existing States to decide aceor-
ding TO the provisions and principles
of the Constitution at what time the
Territory shall be received as State
into the Union. Such are the great
political rights which are solemnly
declared and affirmed by that act.
Based upon this theory, the act
Of Congress defined for each Terri
tory the outlines of republican gov
eminent, disturbing public authority
among lawfully created agents -ex-
ecutive, judicial, and legislative--to
be appointed either by the General
Government or by the Territory.
The legislative functions we're intrus-
ted to Council and a House of Rep
resentatiyes duly electediand empow-
cred to enact all the local laws which
they deem essential to ther prosper
ity, happiness aud good government.
Acting in the same spirit, Congress
also defined the persons who were
in the first instance to be considered
as the people of each Territory; en-
acting that every free white male in-
habitant Of tn same above the age Of
twenty-one years, being an actual
resident thereof, and possessing the
qualifications hereafter described,
should be entitled to vote at the
first election, and be eligible to any
Office within the Territory; but that
the qualifications Of voters and hold
ing Office at all subsequent elections
should be such as might be prescribed
by the legislative assembly: Provi-
&c However, that the right of suffrage
and of holding Office should be eH-
ereised only by the citizens of the
United States, aud those who should
have declared on oath their intention
TO become such, and have taken an
oath to support the constitution of
the q. s. and the provisions of
the act: And provided further, that
no officer, soldier, seaman, or marine,
brother person 10 the army or navy Of
the United Stats, or attached troops
in their service, should be allowed
to vote or hold Office in either Ter
ritory by reason Of being on service
therein.
Such Of the public officers of other
Territories as, by provisions of the
act, we're to be appointed by the Gen.
eraI Government, including the gov
errors, were appointed and commits
stoned in due season; the Law having
been enacted on the 30th Of May
1854, and the commission Of the
Governor of the Territory of Ne
braska being dated on the I'd day Of
August, 1854, and of the Territory
Of Kansas on the 29th day Of June, |
1854. |
Among the duties imposed by that
act on the governors was that of