The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-01-28
THE KANSAS DIFFICULTIES.
,mnortant Message from the President.

The following IN the impor'ansihessase ifoni tne
p-as,aa,t communicated to the House on Thurs
day;
ro ri, Senate dnd Hoass Of Representatives.
circumstances have occurred to disturb the
rourse of governmental organization IN the TERN
tory of Kansas, and produce there condition o
,hjncs which renders IL incumbent on me to cal
,So.r attention TO the subject, and urgently recon
mend the adoption by you of such measures o
LEGISLATION as the grave exigencies Of the case ap
pear 10 require. ,
A brief exposition of the circumstances referred
10, and of the causes, will be necessary TO the fui
understanding OF the Recommendations WHICH ~ IL
proposed to submit.
The act TO organize the Territories Of Nebraska
and kansas was a manifestation of the Legislative
opinion of Congress on two great points of constr
tu,ionaI construction: One, that the designation OF
the boundaries of a new Territory and provision
far its potical organization and administration as
Territsrv are measures which of right fall with
In the mowers of the General Government; and
the other that the inhabitants ofany such Territory,
considered as an incohate State are entitled in the
~arci.e If self government to determine for them
,elvps what shall be their own domestic institu-
lions subject only to the Constitution and the
Iows duly enacted by Congress under 1t, and TO
the mower of the existing States TO decide, accord
inc 10 the provisions and principles OF the Constr
trtion st what time the Territory shau be receiv-
al az a State into the Union. Such are the great
affirmed by that act.
Rssed upon this theory the act Of Congress de-
med for each Territory the outlines OF republican
government, distributing public authority among
lawfully created agentS-exeeutlVe, JuaielaL ana
Ior;slatiye-to be appointed either by the General
i9vernment or by the Territory. The legislative
functions were entrusted to Council and House
NJ Renre,entatives duly elected and empowered
70 enact all the ocallaws which they mghtdeem es,
sentisl to their prosperity, happiness, and good
government Acting III the same splrlt, Congress
also det.r. tho persons who were IN the first IN
stance t. be eousidered is tho people OF each Ter
ri,ory, LG.cting that every free white male in
habiiaa. 0f tLo same, above tho age OF twenty-one
wears, Ls.ug .n actual resident thereof, and pos
sessiue iLo qualifications hereafter described.
should DJ uatl.oi TO vote at the hrst election, and
be eligible 10 any Office within the Territory Tut
that lie Qualifications of voters and holding cltice
at all uualduent elections should be such az might
bo p,osc1.Jed by the Legislative Assembly: Pro-
yided however, that the right of suffrage and OF
hoid;u, uLico should be exercised only by citizens
OF tho United States and those who should bave
declared On cath their intention to become such,
and have taken an oath to support tho Coustitu-
tio Of the United States and the provisions Of the
act: AND provided, further, that no officer, soldier,
seaman, 0. marine, other person in the army or
navy Of the United States, or attached to troops in
their service. should be allowed to vote to hold
Office in either Territory by reason OF being on SER
vice therein.
snch Of the public officers of the Territories as,
by the provisions of the act, were to be appointed
by the General Government, including the Govern
ors were appointed and commissioned in due sea-
son-the law having been enacted on the 30th of
Nav. 1854 and tbs commission of the Governor Of
the Territory of Nebraska being dated ON the I'd
day of August, 1854 and of the Territory of Kan
eas, on tho 10Th of June, 1854.
Among the duties imposed by the act on the Co
yernors was that OF directing and experimenting
the political organization of the respective Terri
tories The Governor of Kansas was required to
cause census or enumeration of the Inhabitants
and qualified voters of the several counties and
districts of the Territory to be taken by such per-
sons and in such mode as he might designate 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 super
intend such elections and the returns thereof; to
declare the number of the members of the Council
and House Of Representatives for 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 duties were devolved on the
Governor of Nebraska.
While, by this act, the principle of constitution
for each of the Territories was one and the same
and the details of organic legislation regarding both
were as nearly AZ could be identical; and while the
Territory of Nebraska was TRANQUILITY and success
ruly organized in the due course of law, and its
first Legislative Assembly met on the 10th of JAN
nary, lSOO, IDe organization OF hanSaS was long
delayed. and has been attended with serious diff
culties and embarrassments, partly the conse-
auence of local NAL administration, and partly of
the unustiable interference of the inhabitants of
some of the States foreign by residence interests,
and rights to the Territory.
The Governor of the Territory OF Kansas, com
rnissioned rs before stated, on the 2eth of June,
1884 did not reach the designated seat of his 60
Vernment until the 9TH of the ensuing October and
even then failed to make the first step in it legal
orRaniZation-tha of its inhabitants-until SO late
q day that the election of the members of the LIE
sisaive Assembly did not take place until the 30th
of March, 1855, nor its meeting until the second OF
July 1855 SO that, for year after the Territory
was constituted by the act of Congress, and the
officers to be appointed by the Federal Executive
had been commissioned, it was without a complete
without any legislative authority, with
ont local law, and of course, without the ordinary
guarantees of peace and public order.
In other respects the Governor, instead Of exer
cising constant vigilance and putting forth all bis
energies to prevent or counteract the tendencies to
legality. which are prone to exist in all imperfect
ly-Organized and newly associated communities, al
lowed his intention to be diverted from official OBJ
legation by other Objects and himself set an exam
pile Of the violation ofaw in the performance of acts
which rendered it my duty, in the sequel, to re-
move him from the office Of chief executive magis
trste of the Territory.
Before the requisite preparation was accomplish
cd for the election of Territorial Legislature, IN
election of delegate to Congress has been held in
the Territory on the 29th day Of November, 1854
and the delegate took his seat in the House OF Re
without challenge. If arrangements
had been perfected by the Governor SO that the
election for members Of the Legislative Assembly
might be held in the several precincts at the same
time as for delegate to Congress, any question ap
pertaining to the qualification of the persons vo
ting as people OF the Territory, would have passed
necessarily and at once under the supervision OF
Congress as the Judge of the validity of the return
If the delegate and would have been determined
before conflicting passions bad become infiamed
by time, and before opportunity could have been
afforded for systematic interference OF the people
Of individual States.
This interference, In so far as concerns its prf'
mary causes and its immediate commencement, was
one of the incidents of that pernicious agitation
On the subject of the condition of the colored per
sons held to service in some of the States, which
has so long disturbed the repose Of our country.
and excited individuals, otherwise patriotic and
law abiding to toll with misdirected zeal in the
attempt to propagate their social theories by the
perversion and abuse Of the powers of Congress.
The persons and parties whom the tenor of the
act TO organize the Territories of Nebraska and
Kansas thwarted In the endeayer TO impose,
through the agency Of Congress, their particular
views OF social organization on the people Of the
future new States, now perceiving that the policy
OF leaving the inhabitants of each State to Judge
Tor themselves In this respect was ineradicably
rooted In the convictions Of the people of the
L hion ihen mad recourse, in the pursuit of their
general OBJECT, TO the extraordinary measure of
propaganda colonization Of the Territory of Kan.
sas 70 prevent the free and natural action of its