Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1856-07-24
PUBLISHED BRADFORD COUNTY Pa BY OMEAR Go

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pie of that Territory, without law of the
Legislature, proceeded to elect delegates to q
convention, and to organize and put in opera
tion State Government, without the author
| ity of Congress, says through his Attorney
General, in the opinion just cited, that -
ait in the power of the General Assembly of Ar
kansas to any law for the purpose of electng
hers to convention to form Constitution and State
Government nor to do other act directly indirect
y, to create such new Government Every such law
en- though were approved by the Governor Of the Ter
| rtory, would be null and void.n
The Governor of Arkansas, in this same
communication to the President, expressed the
| opinion that, under the Constitution and laws
of the United States, no measures can lawful
ly be taken by the citizens Of Arkansas, to
form a Constitution and State Government.
until Congress shall first have granted them
authority so to do and that he will there
fore feel himself bound to CONSIDER AND TREAT
ALL SUCH PROCEEDINGS AS UNLAWFUL. That is
precisely what the Administration and its
abettors, under similar circumstances, are now
doing in reference to Kansas. And it is to be
regretted that the President did not send to
his Governor in Kansas the opinion sent by
General jackson to his Governor in Arkan-
sas in days when Democracy meant something
sttutions of human bondage In instructing
his Governor as to the rights of the people,
he says:
"They undoubtedly possess the ordinary privileges
and mmunities of citizens Of the United States Among
these is the right of the people peacaby to assemble
and to petition the Government for the redress of grie
vances In the exercise this right the inhabitants of
Arkansas may peacably together in primary assem-
bly, or in conventions chosen by such assemblies for the
purpose of pettiOning Congress to ahrogae the Terrific
IN 6utitt Tho ITniCn
Independent State. The particular form which they may
give to their petition cannot be material long they
conne themselves to the right of pettioning and
conduct all their proceedings in peacabe manner. And
the power of Congress the whole subject is pie
nary and unlimited they may accept any Constitution
however framed which IN theirudgment meets the
OF the people to be affected by it, IT, therefore, the cit
of Arkansas think proper to accompany their petit
ton by written Constitution framed and agreed ON bv
their primary assemblies, by convention ofdeegates
chosen by such assemblies perceive legal objection
to their power to do nor to any that may
it,"
Does the Constitution meet the sense of the
people to be affected bya? The existence of
Slavery was the only question upon which the
people were divided, and the vote fot dele
gates to the Convention settled that by ma
jority of legal voters.
Ill the proceedings preliminary to the for
nation of Constitution in Kansas have been
islature that convened on the 4th of March
passed q resolution that no act of theirs was
to have the force of law, and no officer elected
under that Constitution was authorized to act,
until confirmed by some subsequent act of the
Legislature, and thus they await the action of
Congress. Governor Robinson, in his mes
sage to the Legislature, speaking as the agent
of the State thus organized, shows its peaca-
BILE character and subordination to the action
of Congress, in the following extract
It is understood that the deputy marshal has private
to arrest the members of the Legislature and
the State officers, for treason this address is
received by you. In such event, Of resis
tance will be offered to the officer. Men who ready
defend their and their countys honor with their
lives can never object to legal investigation into their
action nor TO suffer any punishment their conduct may
merit We should be unworthy the constituency we rep
resent did shrink from martyrdom the scaffold
the stake should duty require it, Should the blood of
Collins and Dow of Barber and Brown, be insufficient to
quench the thirst of the President and his accompces in
the hollow m0Ckery of squatter sovereignty" they
practcing npon the people of Kansas, then more
victims must he furnished. Let what will come, a
finger should be raised against the Federal authority
til there shall be no hope of relief but in revolution
The people of Kansas, relying on their con-
stitutiOnal rights and the official decisions of
the Government, and following the precedent
of Tennessee, Arkansas, Michigan, Florida,
and Iowa, all of which formed State Constitu
tions without any act of Congress authorizing
the same, present themselves, through the me-
mortal of their Legislature and ask admission
into the Union. Why should not their pray
er be granted?
Since the objection to the immediate ad-
mission of Kansas, on account of insufficient
is abandoned, there can be no 9th
er unless a sectional one, except the allega-
tion of informalty in her proceeding, in not
having previous act of Congress authorizing
them / have shown that such an act is not
necessary on any principle of constitutional
right. Five States have been admitted with
out any such act. And so far as the forms
of law were concerned, Michigan came into
the Union against them, having entirely sup
planted the Territorial Legislature before the
action of Congress.
Michigan applied for admission with Con
stitution formed by her people without any pre-
vious act of Congress Under it she had ccc
ted Governor, Legislature, United States
Senators, and member of Congress. Her ap-
plicaton was met with the same objection as
is now urged against kansas-that her pro-
ceedngs were not only without law, but against
law and good order ; and that class Of obiec-
tors were opposed to receiving her memorial,
on the same grounds urged by class of Sena-
tors against the memorial of Kansas, for it
would be recognizing the State Of Michigan
when there was no such State and to recog-
nze her as such would be sanctioning treason.
Congress, however, admitted her, on condition
that her people should assent to change of
boundary, The legally constituted authorities
called a convention, fixed the time and place
of holding the election for delegates, and pre-
scribed the qualifications of voters. This con-
venton, so constituted, rejected the terms of
admission. But the people, by q spontaneous
movement, without any legislative act what
ever, called another convention, and accepted
the condition of admission fixed by Congress.