Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-12-10

| colonization societies Tor Kansas had thus beer
! undertaken in one section OF the Union, for th'
systematic promotion of its peculiar views of pol
lev. there ensured, as matter Of course, q coun
teraction with opposite views, in other section:
of the Union.
In consequence Of these and other incidents
many acts of disorder il is undeniable, have beer
perpetrated in Kansas, to the occasional inter
ruption rather than tie permanent suspension
of regular government. Aggressive and mos
reprebensible incursions into the Territory wer,
undertaken, both in the North and the South
and entered it on its nothern border by the way
of Iowa, as well as on the eastern way by Mis-
souri, and there has existed within it state o
insurrection against the constituted authorities
not without counteEance from lnconsderat'
persons in each of the great sections of the T.
MON. But the diffic alties in that Territory hav'
been extravagantly exaggerated for purpose
!. of political agitation elsewhere The number o
and gravity of tho ss;t< of violence have been
magnified partly by statements entirely untrue,
and partly reiterated accounts OF ths same ru
mors or facts. Thus the territory has beer
seemingly filed with extreme violence, wher
the whole amount of such acts has not beer
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 per
manent political consequence.
Imputed irregularities in the elections had in
Kansas, like occasional irregularities of the same
description in the States, were beyond the
sphere of action of the Executive. But incid-
ents of actual violence or of organized obstrnc-
ton of law pertnaciously renewed from time
to time, have been me, as they occurred, BY
such means as were available and as the circum-
| ,otl, pf
acter now remains to affect the general peace
of the Union. The attempt of a part OF the in
habitants of the Territory to erect revolution
ary government, though sedulously encouraged
and supplied with pecunary aid from active a.
gents of disorder in sore of States, has CON-
pletely failed. Bodies of armed men, foreign to
the Territory, have been prevented from enter
ing or compelled to lesve it. Predatory bands.
engaged in acts of rapine, under cover of the eI-
isting political disturbances have been arrested
OF dispersed. And every well disposed person
il now enabled once more to devote himself IN
peace to the pursuits of prosperous Industry, for
! the prosecution of which he undertook to par
ticipats in the settlement OF the Territory.
1t affords me unninglsd satisfaction thus 10
announce tho peaceful condition of things in
4 Kansas, especially considering the means to
which it was necessary to have recourse for the
attainment of the end, namely, the employment
of q part of the military force of the United
States. The withdraw wal of that force from itl
proper duty of defending the country against
foreign foes of the savnges of the frontier, to en-
pioy it for the suppression of domestic insurrec-
tion, is, when the exigency occurs, matter OF
the most earnest socitude. On this occasion
of imperative necessity it has been done with
the best results, and my satisfaction in the At
tainmenG of such results by such means Is great
ly enhanced by the consideration, that through
the wisdom snd energy OF the present executive
of Kansas, and the prudence, trmness and vigil
lance of the military officers on duty there, tran
guilty has been restored without one drop ol
blood having been shed in its accomplishment
by the forces of the {.
The restoration of comparative tranquility in
that Territory furnishes ths means of obser.
wing calmly and apprecatng at their just value
the events which have occurred there, and the
discussions Of which the government OF Terrific
ry has been the subject.
We perceive that controversy concerning its
future domestic institutions was inevitable; that
no human prudence, no form Of legislation, nc
wisdom 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
their agitation. Those provisions were but
the occasion, or the pretext of an agitation,
i which was inherent i'll the nature OF things
Congress legislated upon the subject III such
terms as were most cons0nant with the prlnclple
of popular sovereignty which underlies our gov
ernment 1t could not have legislated otherwise
without doing violence to another great prncl
pie of our institutions, the inprescriptibe right
of equality of the several States.
/ We perceive, also, that sectional interests and
party passions, have been the great impeachment
TO the salutary operations of the organic princi-
pies adopted, and the chief cause OF the success
sive disturbances in Kansas The assumption
that, because in the organization OF the terrific
res of Nebraska and Kansas. Congress abstained
from imposing restraints upon them to which
certain other Territories had been subject, there
fore disorders occurred in the latter Territory
is emphasically contradcted by the fact thatnone
have occurred in the former. Those disorders
were not the consequence, in Kansas. OF the free
dom of self government conceded to that Terrific
ny by Congress, but of unjust interference on The
part of persons not inhabitants OF the Territory
Such interference, wherever it has exhibited acts
of insurrectonary character, or OF obstruction to
process of law has been repelled or suppressed
by all the means which the Constitution and the
laws place in the hands Of the Executive.
In those parts of the United States where, by
of the inamed state OF the pupllc mlnd false
rumors and Misrepresentation nave the greatest
currency it has been assumed that 1T was the duty
of the Executive only to suppress insurrection
i, ary movements in Kansas, but also to see to the
regularity of local elections. 1t needs little argu-
ment to show that the President has no such power
All government in the United States rests substan-
TALLY upon popular election. The freedom OF cleo
ticns is liable to be impaired by the intrusion of un
lawful voesor the exclusion OF lawful ones by I'M
proper influences, by violence or py iraud. But
the people of the United States are themselves the
asufiicient guardians of their own rights, and to
suppose that they will not remedy, in due season,
any such incidents Of civil freedom,'ls to suppose
them to have ceased to be capable OF self-govern-
ment. The President of the United States has not
power to nterpose in elections to to their free
DOM to canvass their votes, or to pass upon their
legality 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
arcby in fact; and if he had undertaken to exer-
cise Il in the case of Kansas, he would have been
iustly subject to the charge OF usrrpatop, and of
violation of the dearest rights OF the people OF the
United States. go
Unwise laws equally with irregularities at elec
tions are in periods of great excitement, the occd-
sional incidents of the freest and best political
institutions. But all experience demonstrates tEat
in country like ours, where the right of self con-
stituton exists in the completes form, the attempt
To remedy unwise legislation by resort to revolution
is totally out of place inasmuch as existing legal
institutions afford more p.ompt and eficacious
means for the redress of w.Ongs.
confidently trust that now, when the peaceful
condition of Kansas aaors opportunity for calm
reflection and wise egisa ion either the legislative
assembly of the Tertiary, or Congress, will see
that Nd act shall remain in its statute book volative
of the provisions of the Constitution or subversive
Of the great object for which that was ordained and
established, ard will take all other necessary steps
to assure its inhabitants the enjoyment, without OBJ
strnction or abrdgement, Of all the constitutional
RIGHTS. privileges, and immuntes of citizens of the
United States, as contemplated by the organic law
of the Territory.
tbi Territory will be found in the documents com
municated herewith from the Departments of State
and War.