The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-04-25
SENATE OF TIE United STATES. ArnM nrn. 1856

ShNAIh VI Tue United STATES hPRlL tFlI, cob.
Ma. President To obtain en,pire IL
easy and common; to govern il well is diff
cult and rare indeed, ! salute the Congress
Of the Onited States in tho exercise of It's
most important function, that Of extending
the Federal Constitution over added do
mains, and | salute especially the Senate In
the most august of all its manifold eharac-
tiers, itself Congress Of thirty one free,
equal, sovereign States, assembled 10 decide
whether the majestic and fratefna circle
shall be opened to receive yet another free,
equal, and sovereign State.
CONSTITUTIONAL PRESCRIPTION.
The Constitution prescribed only two quail
ihcutions for new States. nlmely--a sab
! stantiai civil community, aud q republican
Government. Kansas has both of these
CIRCUMSTANCES or KANSAS.
The circumstances of Kansas, md her re-
latons towards the Union, are peculiar, an
amadeus, aud deeply interesting. The nit
+ cd States acquired the province of Lousi-
ana, which included the present Territory Of
Kansas, from France in 1903, by treaty, in
Z which they agreed that its inhabitants should
/ be incorporated into the Federal Union, and
/ admitted as soon as possible, according to
! the principles Of the Constitution. to the en-.
/ .oyment of all the rights, advantages. and
/ mmunities, OF citizens of the United States.
! Nevertheless, Kansas was in 1920 assigned
as home for an indefinite period 10 several
! savage Indian tribes, and closed against i'm
migration and all other aboriginal ciyiliza-
j ton, but not without a cOntemporaneou,
/ pledge 10 the American people and to man
kind, that neither Slavery nor involuntary
seryitude should be tolerated therein forever.
1 In 1854, Congress directed a removal Of the
IpIt 4 t,l
Kansas 10 civilization, but by the same net
rescinded the pledge Of perpetual dedication
/ to Freedom, and substituted for il another
which DECLARED that the future people of
Kansas should be left perfectly free to es-
/ tablish or Is exclude Slavery, rs they should
decide through the action Of republican
Government which Congress modelled and
authorized them to establish; under the pro-
lection OF the United States. NOtwithstand-
ing this latter pledge, when the newly ASSOC
| Grated people of Kansas, in 1855, were pro-
ceeding with the machinery Of popular cleo
| tons, In the manner prescribed nv Congress
p, 70 CHOOSE Legislative bodies for the purpose
/ OF organizing that republican Government.
armed bands of invaders from the State of
4 Missouri, entered the Territory, seized the
! polls, oserpowered or drove away the inhab-
/ ltants. usurped the elective franchise. depos-
4 atca lilst anu spurious Dhlt0IS without
| gard 10 regularity Or qualification, Or Of mum
| bers procured official certificates of the re-
| suit by fraud and force, and thus created and
constituted legislative bodies Is act FIR and
IN the name of the people Of the Territory.
| THESE legislative bodies atterward Assem-
! bled, assumed 10 be legitimate Legislature.
\ SET forth code OF municipal laws. created
i pubhc othces and filled them with officers ap-
/ pointed for considerable periods bv them
4 selves. and thus created complete nnd elIee-
i tive foreign tyranny over the people oil thu
! Territory. These high handed transactions
\ We're consummatea with the expressed ppr-
! pose Of establishing African Slavery IN
permanent institution within the Territory
by force, IN violation Of the natural rights III
tic people solemnly guaranteed to theul bv
the Congress OF the United States Tie
President Of the United States has been IN
accessory to these political transactions. with
fasl completely n regard 10 the purpose for
\ winch they were committed. H. has aaOpt-
4 ed the usurpatlon, and made it his own, and
he Is now maintaining it with the military
arm Of the Republic. Thus Kansas has
1 been revolutoni4ed, anl she now lies subiu-
gated and PROSTATE at the foot Of the Presl-
/ dent OF the United States, while he, through
| The agency Of foreign tyranny established
within her borders, IS foreibly introducing
and establishing Slavery there, ii contempt
and defiance ct the organic law. These
extraordinary transactions have been attend
Cd by evil connections, in which property,
life, and liberty, have been exposed to vo-
lence, and these connections still continue to
threaten not only the Territory itself, but also
the adjacent states, with the calamities IT
civil war.
TUE AecusER.
am fully aware Of the gravity If tile
charge against the President Of the United
States which this statement aud the condi-
tons and relations Of Kansas imports. /
shall proceed, without fear and without re-
serve, TO make them good The maxim. that
a sacred veil must be drawn over the begin
ming of all Governments, does not hold un.
der our system. | shall first call the acous-
er into the presence OF the Senatc-then
examine the defcnees which tho President
has made-and, last, submit the evidences
by which he is convicted.
The people Of Kansas know whether these
charges are true or false They have adopt
ed them, and, on the ground Of the high po-
lltlcal necessity which the wrongs they have
endured, and are yet enduring, and the dan
gers through which they have already passed,
and the perils to which they are vet exposed,
have created, they have Professionally organ
lied themselves as State. and that State is
now here by It's two chosen Senators and one
Representative, standing outside at the doors
Of Congress, applying TO be admitted into
the Union, as means Of relief iudispensa-
bic for the purposes Of peace, freedom and
safety. This new State is the Presidents
responsible accuser.
! The President of the United States. with
out waiting Tor the appearance Of his aceus-
er at the capital, anticipated the accusations,
aud submitted his dcfences against them to
Congress- The first Que Of these defenees
was contained IN his annual message, which
was communicated to Congress on the 3Dth
Of December, 1855, examine il. Yon
shall see at once that the Presidents mind
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