The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-02-07
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Special Message from the President

to both Houses of Congress on Thursday
Gath ult., in relation to the Kansas ques
ton:
To the Senate and House Of Representatives:
Circumstances have occurred to disturb
the course of governmental organization in
the Territory of Kansas, and produced there
a condition of things which renders it III
cumbent on me to call your attention to the
subject, and urgently to recommend the
adoption by you of such measures of legis-
lation rs the grave exigcncies Of the case
appear to require.
A brief exposition of the circumstances
referred to, and of their causes, will be ne
cessary to the full understanding of the re-
commcndations Which it is proposed to
submit.
The act to organize the Territories of
Nebraska and Kansas, was manifestation
of the legislative opinion Of Congress OH
two great points of constitutional construc-
tion one, that the designation of the bound
aries Of a new Territory, and provision for
its political organization and administration
as a Territory, arc measures which OF right
fall within the powers Of the general gov
ernment anal the other, that the inhabt-
ants Of any such Territory considered as an
inclloate State, are entitled, III the exercise
Of sclf:govcrnmcnt, to determine for them
selves what shall be their own domestic in
sttutions, subject only TO the constitution
and the laws duly enacted 10y Congress I'M
der it, and to the power Of the existing
States to decide according to the provisions
and principles Of the constitution, at what
time the Territory shall he received as a
State into the Union. Such are the great
political rights which arc solcnnly declared
and affirmed by that act.
Basel upon this theory, the act Of Con-
grcss defined Tor each Territory the outlines
Of republican government, distributing" pub
lie authority among lawfully created agents
executive, judicial and lcgi>lativc-to be
appointed either by the general government
or by the Territory. Til, Legislative iunc-
tions were intrustcl to council and a
House OF Representatives duly elected and
empowered to enact all the local laws whicl,
they might deem essential to their prosper
lty, happiness and good government. Act
ing in the same spirit, Congress also defined
rhe persons who We're in the first instance
TO be considered as the people Of each Ter
rltory; enactng that every free willie male
inhabiant of the same above the are of
twcnty-one years, being an actual resident
thereof, and possessing the qualifications
hereafter described, should be entitled to
vote at the first election, and bc cliyiblc to
any office within the Territory; but that
the qualifications Of voters and holding Of
1lce at all subsequent elections should be-
such as might be prescribed by the lcgisla-
tive assembly: Provided, however, that the
right OF suffrage and of holding Office should
be exercised only by citizens Of the United
States, and those who should have declared
on oath their intention to become such, and
have taken an oath to support the constitu
ton of the United States and the provis-
ions of the act: Aud provided, further, that
no officer, soldier, seaman, or marine, or
other persons in the army or navy Of the
United States, or attached to troops in their
service, should be allowed to vote or hold
office in either Territory, by reason of being
on service therein.
Such of the public officers of the Terri
tories as, by the provisions of the act, were
to bc appointed 10y the general government,
including the governors, were appointed and
commissioned in due season; the law llav-
ing been enacted on the 3otll Of May, 1854,
and the commission of the governor of the
Territory of Nebraska being dated on the
I'd day of August, 1854, and of the Terri
tory Of Kansas on the Goth day of June,
1854.
Among the duties imposed by the act on
the governors, was that of directing and su-
perlntcnding the political organization OF
the respective Territories. The governor OF
Kansas was required to cause census ol
enumeration Of the Inhabitants and quail
ticd voters of the several counties and dis
tncts Of the Territory to be taken, by such
persons and in such mode as he might des-
'gnate and appoint; to appoint and direct
the time and places of holding the first
elections, and the manner of conducting
them, both as to the persons to superintend
.such elections and the returns thereof; to
declare the number of the members of the
Council and House Of Representatives fol
each county 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 Legislative assembly,
In substance, the same duties were deyolyed
on the governor of Nebraska.
While, by this act, the principle of con