New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-07-14
ToOABSS KANSAS BIZ DIssEcrED.
LETTER FROM LT.-GOy. W. r. ROBERTS OF
KANSAS.

Senate BAL entitled a bu! to authorize the people
"of the Territory Of Kansas to form Constitution
and State Government &c ;" which passed the Sen.
ate On the I'd inst, is to hand.
In reply would say tina. my objections 70 The bill
are not confined to its details only-they may be
metded-but attach also to the principles upon which
it rests
|. The bill proposes 70 repeal and amend ctrtain
Territorial laws and to leave others in force and hence
as rmes the petition that the Legislative Assembly
was valid authority aud afxes the seal Of Congress.
siOns sanction and appreciation upon yelectea by
rule utterly subyersive Of that government; and in
so doing the Senate has sanctioned and legalHed az
far as it can, tho work of armed mod in open viola
ton Of the laws and Constitution Of the United States
in violating the great fundamental principle upon which
rests whole political fabric, popular sovereignty or
self-government.
L. is Lot necessary to weary your readers by insert.
ing here the proof Of this proposition, and shall only
refer them TO the testimony taken BY the Kansas To-
vesteating Committee reported to the House Of Rep.
esei tavcs on tho LIST inst. In this report the above
allegation is proven by testimony the most positive
and incoLtrOvertble.
H. But my objections to the bill do not stop here;
after thus acknowledging e validity o: the Terrific
rial Legislature the bill proceeds to repeal suadry laws
and parts of laws enacted by that body by the very
singular process of reenactiug cersn important pro-
yi4ors of the Constitution of the United States (See
bill, Sec 49, 1t also enacts new election law-as-
sumpg the power Of Congress to legsae for the Ter.
iory on the moot important subject of legislation,
that OF the elective franchise, while it has, in the
opinion of the Senate in full vi ally, local Legsa.
ture Of its own; thus utterly abandoning the whole
theory Of the Democratic creed in relation to the gov
eminent of the Teuiore,; and, as Demo Graz must
be allowed to enter my protect against this, ADAM
Sko fo,tk
abandonment is made necessary by assuming former
false hypothesis.
ILL., The bill further provides for the election and
organization of convention "to form constitution
"and State government and without submitting the
constitution thus formed to vote of the people or
future action of Congress, admits the State into the
Union "On an equal footing with the original States"
and makes the action OF that convention finally,
aud denies to the people the invaluable privilege Of
actirg in their primary and individual capacity ppon
the organic law of the land, ga right Invaluable to
them and formidable only 10 tyraats."
w. To give to Board Of COmmi. sioners, appointed
By he President, the power to determine who shall
vote for dt egaits to Convention. and to be the cole
Judges of Election and qualifications of said delegates,
AID to make the action Of that Convention final 10
mater go important as the to. nation OF Constitution
and State Gov eminent, is to erect power dangerous
to popular rights power irresponsible to the people
desIotism; and assuming the power of Congress
to do that for which there is warrant in the COnsi
tuti, D. and which is subyeoive Of the great principles
Of popular COVE rnu emf.
4. One effect Of refusing to submit the Constitution
to vote of the people would be to ebvate the
city of retaining in the Territory large body OF men
during the Winter, in order TO vote the CVns alton
in the Spring, it would be impossible to frame a
Constitution, publish il and give the people time to
discuss its provisions, in order to give an intelligent
vote upon its ratification, before probably, the let Of
March. am aware that il would be exceedingly IN.
convenient TO these people to stay in Territory
during the Winter rRbOut houses, and that houses and
provisions very expensive things; nevertheless,
NOT 81.
be lowed to finch their work by the 18th OF November
aid return TO their homes leaving the people to eney ~
government established against their own will and
wishes; end hence, rs citizen and friend of snsas
must most sOemIy protest against this feature of the
bill.
VI. The bill further provides that the ratio of repre-
senthtOn aud the appOrtlOn nent of delegates stall be
determined by the nuaber Of voters and not the
Der Of inhabitants in the Territory aud the respective
Districts; thus giving to the mere adventurer, the
"solcer Of FORTUNE upon the border the same repre-
sentative strength with the regular citizen permanently
located with his wife and family Of five or ten minor
children. The Injustice Of this provision is too glazing
to need commeIt ami iis object too plain to be misun
derstoOd
VII. The meration Of voters is fixed at time
WheI many of citizens have been driven from Their
bones and from the Territory, aud when an armei
mob, unrebulked by Government, has blockaded all
the 10 the country, net only preventing the
return of the few who might be able and who might
feel Inclination tt return from doing but robbing
and driving back all new emigrants from the Free
States who are seeking homes in the Territory Thus
forcing upos the people ihality at most inauspl,
ous time, and propo ing to establish tho institutions Of
Stare when the country is under the government of
an armed and irresponsible mob. What a mockery
of popular rights And what fraud upon people
who were induced To emigrate TO the Territory under
peC &c frt the Government that they should be left
"IrfGctly tr6e TO establish Their tnstGutions.
VIII In addition to this, the bill as far as it is in
tended "tO authorize ths people OF the Territory OF
Kansas 10 form Consultation and State GorerG-
"m.n MT" is gratoitous. We have asked for no such
authority. We cor tend as Democrats, that we have
authority whenever majority Of the people may 80
determine to call Convention, form Il Constitution
and State Government and TO apply for admissonir ito
the Union as q Free ard sovereign State. We ho!1
that the people better judges OF when this shall be
done IL an Congress be- and that to judge of and
TO DO this of the rights expressly reserved to the
people by the Constitution OF the United States, and
therefore, we have not asked OF Congress an authority
that expressly belongs to under the Constitutions
but what We DO ask IS that Congress should fuihl al
the requirements of the Constitution and extend over
us the protecting hand of the National Government
We ask of Congress, no impossblities-nor uncon'
s,i.utenal iDtermeddling with our domestic AFFAIRS
CONGRESS cannot g gre back our dedd, but 1t can
wipe out legislative government established by fraud
and violence and institute another that shall reflect
the will Of the people. 1t can refund to our people al!
tba osaes and damages that they have sustained by
reason Of this fraud and restore and to them
what is more valuable than gold, and sweeter than
hfe Tie free enjoy Bent Of all their political r'ghts as
AMERICAN citizens. We ask nations Interpretation
Of fraud unparalleled in the history OF our country:
let the nation wash her hands Of the disSraceful act
and let the history Of it 40 down to postcrity with
nsons condemnation indeibly engraven upon its fore
lead.
Let Congress, in the place of repeating certain laws
Of the Teritoii gisiature because OF then inher-
eat defects set them all aside because OF the inherent
detefs in tire power that made them Let this be done
ana the whole subject is open to Congress- the wrong.
of the people may bs rer.ssed their constitutional