The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-12-20


We perceive, also, that Sect,
interests and party passions. bsy. lpaal
the great impeachment to the ss,.. eeeh
operation of the organic n. ::a'c'a'y
adopted, and the chief cans p.aneiples
successive disturbances in Ksns. 'he
The assumption that, because :
organization Of the Territories ~ u NE
braska AID Kansas, Congress sS H. ne
cd from imposing restraints upon ' ~
to which certain other Territor;aa''ae ia
been subject, therefore disordasss nad
Cured in the latter Territory. j. Oe-
phaticaily contradicted by the ssc,, sal'
none have occurred in the fo,m. 'ua'
Those disorders were not the
quenee, in Kansas, of the ffeeSo. uSe.
lf-government conceded to tbst = u
ritory by Congress, but of up;n.. az ::
reference on the part of persons II =,
inhabitants of the TERRITORY a ~
interference, wherever it has sxb;b;,s1a
itself, by acts of insurrectioparv n
scter, or of obstruction to process a@l,
law, has been repealed or supprsss.T
by all the means which the Cons.;.
ton and the laws place in the hand. :,
the Executive. u
Gin those parts of the United S,s..
by reason of the inAamed state of ~
public mind, false rumors and m;.r. '
RESERVATIONS have the greatest epr,.P
cy, 1t has been assumed that it wss u.
duty of the Executive not only 70 s as
press insurreetionary movements !.
Kansas, but also to see to the reonI., =
ty OF local elections. 1t needs l,tl.
argument to show that the PRESIDE.
has no such power. All goverpmpn,
in the United States rests substan,;aI
ly upon popular elections. The Frs
dom OF elections is liable TO he n
paired by the intrusion of upl,xfnl
votes, or the exclusion of lawfpl oD.s
by improper influences, by violence !,
by fraud. But the people of the Tn;tI
ed States are themselves the aIl.Srts
eient guardians of their own r;OI,s
to suppose that they will not remsSr
IN due season. any such incidents os
civil freedom. is to suppose them 10
have ceased to be capable of seize
eminent. The President of the Ifn;
ed States has not power to inferno.
In elections, to see to their freeJom
to canvass their votes, or to pass an
their legality in the Territories m0,.
than IN the States. If he had su,I
power the government might be y.
publican in form, but it would l.,
monarchy in fact; and if he had m,
dertaken to exercise it in the case q
Kansas, he would have been iustT
subject to the charge Of usnrpatio,
and of violation of the dearest riyb,,
OF the people of the United States
"unwise laws, equally with irec,.
iaritles at elections, are, in periods q
great excitement, the occasional inc.
dents of even the freest and best pola.
ical institutions. But all experiepr.
demonstrates that in a country III.
ours, where the right of self-eonstitU.
tion exists in the coinpletest form Il.
attempt to remedy unwise legisIstioa
by resort to revolution, is totally out
of place inasnuch as existing Ies,
, institutions afford more PROMPT an
. efheacIous means for the redress Of
wrong.
: :. 1 confidently trust that now. wben
E the peaceful condition of Kansas At.
fords opportunity for calm reflection
and wise legislation, either the lepi..
lative assembly of the Territory. or
Congress, will see that no act shaIlr.
main on its statute-book violatiye q
the provisions of the Constitution. or
subversive of the great objects for
which that was ordained and estab.
lished, and viii take all other necrssa.
, ry steps to assure to its inhabitants
! the enjoyment, without obstruction Oh
abridglnent, of all the constitutions
{ rights, privileges and immunities o.
citizens of the United States, as con.
templated by the organic law of ibs
f Territory"