The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-07-30

side, because they had uniformly claime'
that a very large majority of the rea
settlers are against slavery, and that al
they sought was q fair expression o
popular will. But reason was powerless
They resisted to the end, and finally tn,
bill passed at the end of a session O
twenty-one hours, by a vote of 33 to e
Within a few hours after, the Hous
passed a bill admitting Kansas unde.
the Topeka constitution, and thus tn
issue is fairly made up. The Democrat
are for bringing in Kansas by the straigh'
way and under the auspices of the law
the Republicans insist upon her admis
sion by the crooked way, a way furnished
by violence and revolution. The Demo
Gratis contend for a Constitution to be
made by the whole people, through g
pure ballot-box; the Republicans, fol
one made by a party without the agency
of law or of the ballot-box Judge yc
between US.
"But it is said that the Kansas troub-
les have proceeded from the legislation
of 1854; that the doctrine of non-inter,
%vention has failed, and the Democracy
are responsible. This is the best our
enemies can do but it is bad logic. 1t
Is a sufficient answer to say, in reply,
that we have had peace and quiet in Me-
braska, as we have had also in Utah and
New Mexico-all organized on the doc
ties in Kansas were the inevitable con-
sequences of the undue o-ficiousness of
outsiders. Fanatical Abolitionists on
the one hand, and fre-eating Souther-
ners on the other. The press and the
pulpit have pointed to Kansas as a kind
of battle field for the Slavery and anti
Slavery feeling of the whole country,
and invited people to go there and fight
it out. hen unsettled in their purposes,
and without fixed principles, have been
sent into the Territory, stimulated with
prejudices and armed with deadly weap-
ons, to determine u question of local
policy. What could we expect short of
lawless violence. The agency, the pull
pit has had in this work meets my IN
qualified condemnation. 1 cannot see
why the temples that were cleared of the
money-ohangers, should be polluted with
q question of bitter Partisanship and of
polluting the territories. To expound
the Gospel is a work which should be
equal to any man's ambition; and the
dissemination of its truths is just the
best way possible to constrain statesmen
as we'll as the people, to do what is right
in the Territories as well as in the
States.
"But these conflicts are not fatal to
the theory of the law-to the doctrine
Of selfgovernment. It is a principle
in Heated by our experience. II is suit
ed to all territories and all ages; as
broad as the universe and as inperish-
able as the mountains. Its application
to the question of slavery in the terri
tories, was intended as a Gnslity. What
ever the powers of Congress may be it
was polite and wise to forego its use
and trust the question with the people.
For one [ regard the policy as settled
forever, and that hereafter the people OF
the territories through their local legis.
ture are to control the question of slave.
ry in their own way, and why should
they not be permitted to do this? Many
of my former neighbors are now in the
Territories, and it would seem unrcason-
able that [ should claim the right to
le~gislate for them. Certainly | am not
so competent to judge as they. There
is not only beauty in this theory, but
there is practical justice in it. A man
@looscs none of his natural or inherent
rights by changing his residence from a
State to a Territory. The sovereignty
not delegated to the General Govern
ment accompanies him, IN full form and
virtue. I can see but two sources OF
power to legislate for the Territory
Congress is one and the people the 9th
CIR; and l hold that when Congress OK
p%ressly confcrs upon the people all its
powers, as in the case of the Kansas
law, that the law-making power of the
people is complcte-equal to any sub,
ject of local legislation. The practical
workings being to the effect, that as the
people when they become a State have
perfect control over the subject Of Sla.
very, they should have it as a Territory
For the purposes of excitement, however.
the impression has been strengthened
that the policy of the Territory on the
question is to be permanently settled By
an incipient step. Such is not Q cor
rect view. The question like any other
will at all times be within the control O.
the people. Should Kansas come into
the Union as a Free State, the people
could afterwards establish slavery, ant
cice gerSa.
The Mock Governor of Kansas
we have at length obtained from
California information bearing on tn,
history of the career Of DR.. Chas. Rob
inson, who now sets up to be Governo.
of the State of Kansas, which we have
for some time past been looking for. l
shows co~nclusiyely that he is just tn