The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-03-29
Kansas Affairs.

quite so rampent in, Kansas as it was some
four weeks ago. The free State Legislature,
as already announced, was not molested at
the time of its organization. The ruffians,
even now that President Pierce, with the
whole power of the Government, is backing
them, do not seem quite so fierce for fight
with the people of Kansas as they did before
this material aid' was offered by their
friends at Washington.
We give below some further extracts from
Gov. Robinson's Message to the Kansas
State Legislature. He gives clear insight
into the condition of affairs now existing in
Kansas:
1t will be remembered that skeleton OF
a government still exists in our midst, under
the Territorial form, and although this was
but the foreshadowing of new and better
covenant, collision with it should he careful
ly guarded against. A Territorial govern
ment is transient in its nature, only waiting
the action of the people to form govern
ment of their own. This action has been
taken by the people of Kansas, and it only
remains with the General Government to
suspend its Territorial appropriation, recall
its officers, and admit Kansas into the Union
as sovereign State.
The reasons why the Territorial govern
ment should be suspended and Kansas .ad-
mitted in to the Union as a State, are vari-
Gus. In the first place it is not govern
ment of the people. The executive and
judicial officers are imposed upon tile people
by distant power, and the officers thus i'm
posed are foreign to our soil, and are unac-
constable, not to the people, but to an execu-
tive two thousand miles distant. American
citizens have for long time been accustom-
ed to govern themselves and to have voice
in the choice of their officers, but in Terri
torial government they not only have no
voice in choosing some of their officers, but
are deprived of vote for the officer who ap-
points them.
the good and protection of the governed, but
the Territorial Government of Kansas has
been, and still is, an instrument of oppression
Republic. The only officers that attempted
to administer the laws impartially have been
removed, and persons substituted who have
the conduct of the officers and the people of
/ OttCC3 CACuCl lhtCAtlVilIllJ VI
otherwise, that Kansas to-day is without a
single law enacted by the people of the Ter
ritory. Not man in the country will at
the Territorial Government was carried by
armed invaders from an adjoining State, and
for the purpose of enactng laws in opposite
on to the known wishes of the people.
The Territorial government should be
| uyif hid pa,rp hooorco &c No
officers of the law permit all manner of out
RACES and crime to be perpetrated by the in
vaders and their friends with impunity, while
the citizens proper are naturally aw-abiding
and order-loving, disposed rather to suffer
than do wrong. Several of the most aggra-
waited murders ON record have been commit
ted, but as long as the murderers are on the
side Of the Oppressors no notice is taken of
them. Not one Of the whole number has
been brought to justice, and not one will be
by the Territorial officers. While the mar
auders are thus in open violation Of all law,
nine-tenths of the people scorn to recognize
as law the enactments of a foreign body of
men, and would sooner lose their right arms
than bring an action in one of their msnam-
ed courts. Americans can suffer death but
not dishOnor, and sooner than the people
will consent to recognize the edicts Of law
less invaders as laws, theis blood will mingle
with the waters of the Kansas and this Union
be rolled together in civil strife.
/ Not only is the Territorial Government
the instrument of oppression and subjuga-
ton of the people, but under it there is no
hope of relief. The organic act permits the
Legislature to prescribe the qualification of
voters, and the so-called Legislature has pro-
vided that no man shall vote in any election
who will not bow the knee to the dark i'm
age of slavery, and appointed officers for the
term of four years to see that this provision
is carried out Thus nine-tenths of the cti-
zens are DISTINGUISHED and debarred from ac-
| ting under the Territorial Government if
they would.
Even ifallowed to vote, the Chief Execu-
tive of the country says he has no power to
protect the ballot box from invaders, and if
the people organize to protect tt enselves,
his appointees intimate that they must be
disarmed and put down; hence, whether al
lowed to vote or not, there is no opportunity
for the people of the Territory to rule under
the present Territorial Government. Indeed
the laws are so made and construed that the
citizens of a neighboring State are legal vot-
ers in Kansas, and of course no United States
force can be brought against them. They
are by law entitled to invade us and control
our elections.
X
TIE settlers of Kansas have suffered Sc
we're losses and injury, from repeated inva-
sions from neighboring State, and it is
highly proper that Congess be mcmorialized
upon this subject. Especially should the
General Government repair the injury it has
inflicted. All the invasions have been per-
mitted by the officers of the Government,
without any opposition, while at least one
was invited by them. 1t is the duty of the
federal Government to protect infant Terri
tories in their rights, but Kansas has not on
ly, not been protected, but 1T has been actu-
ally oppressed by those whose duty it was
| to defend it. %
1t is unjust for any community to send
among them officers, with Government pat
ronage, whose political sentiments are op-
posed to the sentiments of the people, par tic
ularly when those officers mount the stump,
and shoulder the rife, for the purpose Of
crushing out all who differ from them
Some of the federal; officers of Kansas are
charged with undignifed conduct, and one of
them, at least with high crimes, and it is the
duty of the Legislature to memorabilia the
President, that ourcitizens may be protected
in their yes and malienable rights, and from
unwarrantable interference of officials in the
management of their internal affairs. 1t is
manfestly improper for the federal officers
to dictate into or out of Kansas an institn-
ton over which Congress professed to have
no authority. f5,',.;.Iz. - So -