Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1856-03-27

until The % Gay Of JulN-iuUfc thah IAiSe
months aferwards-and That. too, when the
whole Tnion was convulsed GU account of al
leaed outrages in Kansas Territory, and yet no
law for he punishment or prevention OF them.
When at last they did meet, upon the call OI the
governor. at a point where they had previously,
IN an informal manner, protested against being
called. with an avowal Of their intention to ad
l0urn to the point at which they are now assem-
bled, Tor thereasons that the requisite aceomoda-
tons could NOT be had where there were no
facilities for communication With their families
or constituents where they could not even ind
the commanest food TO eat. unless al an enorm-
ous expense, there being no gardens yet made
By the squatteYs where The house in whleh "
wee expected to assemble had no-r0of o. IGOR
On the Saturday preceding the Monday OF oari
assembling, and for the completion Of wnichtn
entire Sabbath day and night was desecrated BY
the continual labor Of the mechanics where, at
least, one-half OF the members, employees, AID
almost all others who had assembled there ioF
Aasiness OF otherwise. had 10 camp out IN wag
<>os and tents during 4 rainy. hot season. and
where cholera broke out, as a consequence Of the
Inadequate food aud shelter and when. under
ALI these circumstances Of annoyance, they final.
" passed an act adjourning &c this point, Shaw
ne maneaL labor school, where ample accOmo-
= q tons sre provided. aod where the governor
1S4self had previously made il the seat Of gov
erh neat, they were met by his veto. which is
hes swifh Transmitted"
-<HHx Ian OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
>{otn committed have not considered il any
c1r<of their duty to examine and review
e1ch enactment and provision Of the large
<<Inmc of laws adopted by the Legislature Of
Kansas uPpn almost every rightful subject of
lcxislation, and affecting nearly every relation
md interest in life, with n view either to their
noproFa1 or disapprovai by Congress. for the
aaon that they are local laws, confined in
~ operation to the internal concerns OF the
Lc1ifory. the control ard management of
(E<ich, By the principles ofthe federal eonsti-
Ton. az well as BY the very terms of the
1nsas y ebraska act, are conided TO The peo-
3 Of tie 1~errif0ry. to be determined by Them
selves through their representatives in their
local Legislature, and not by the Congress, in
which they have no representatives, to give
Of Withhold their assent to the laws upon which
DER rights and liberties may depend. I'm
der these laws marriages have taken place,
children have been born, deaths have occur
red, estates have been distributed, contracts
have been made, and rights have accrued
which il IS not competent for Congress to
divcst. If there can be a doubt in respect to
the validity Of these laws, growing out of the
alleged irregularity of the election OF men,
bersS 81 the legislature, or the lawsHlness of
lnt DLtCc NItlC 1S StcotOlo NCIC lCitt niCu
it il competent for any tribunal to inquire in
20, with n view to its decision at this day,
and after the series Of events which have en-
sned. it must be a judicial question. over
which Congress cen have no control, and
which can be determined only by the courts
Of justice. under the protection and sanction
Of the constitution.
When it was proposed to the last Congress
10 annul the acts of the legislative assembly
OF Minnesota, incorporating certain railroad
companies, this committe reported against the
proposition, and, instead of annulling the local
legislation of the Territory, recommended
the repeal Of that clause Of the organic act Of
Minnesota which reserves to. Congress the
right to disapProve its laws. That recon-
mendation was based on the theory that. the
people of the Territory, being citizens Of the
United States, were entitled to the privilege
Of self government in obedience to the con-
s~titution and il, in the exercise of this right,
they had made wise and Just laws, they ought
to be permitted to enjoy all the advantages
resulting from them while, on the contrary,
if they had made unwise and unjust laws,
they should abide the consequences of their
own acts until they discovered, acknowledge
ed, and corrected their errors.
It has been alleged hat gross misrepresen-
tations have been made in respect to the
character of the laws enacted by the legisla-
tRre Of Kansas, calculated. if mot designed, to
prejudice the pubic mind at a distance
against those who enacted them, and to create
the impression that L was the duty of Con-
gress to interfere and annul them. In view
of the violent and Insured tionary measures
z (which were being taken to resist theslaws of
s the Territory, a convention of delegates, re-
o1,,o-4 o.row r1rfion sc 81. IT,.
tory of Kansas, was held ut the city of Leay-'
enworth on the 14th of November, 1855, at
which men of all shades of political opinions.
"Wkigs, Democrats, Pro-slavery men, and
Free-state men, all met and harmonized to-
gether, and forgot their former differences in
the common danger hat seemed to threaten
the peace, good order, and prosperity of this
community This convention was presided
over by the governor of the Territory, assist
ed by a majority OF the judges ofthe supreme
court and the address to the citizens of the
United States, among other distinguished
nan.er. bears the signatures of the United
States district attorney and marshal for the
Territory.
It is but reasonable to assume that the in
terpretation which these fnnctionaries have
given 70 the acts of the Kansas legislature IN
this address viii be observed in their official
exposition and execution of the same. In
reference to the wide spread perversions and
Misrepresentation of those laws, this address
. says:
1.-THE laws passed by the legislature have
been most grossly misrepresente1, with the view
Of preiudic!ng the public against that body, and
a. an excuse for the revolutionary movements
in this Territory. The limits of this address
will not permit a correction Of all these misre.
presentations but we will notice some Of them
= that have had the most wide spread circulation.
ut has been charged and widely circulated
that the Legislature, in order to psrpetuate their
rule. had passed a law prescribing the qualnica-
ton of voters, by which IL is declared that any
one may vote who will swear allegiance to the
fugitive slave law. the Kansas and Nebraska
bill. and pay one dollar Such is declared to
be The evidence OF citizenship. such the qualifi
q caxioa of voters. In reply TO this. we say that
40 e,ch law was ever passed by the legislature.
j The law prescribing the Qualification Of voters
expressly provides that, to entitle a person to
vote, he must be twenty-one years Of age, an
actual inhabitant of the Territory, and of the
county or district in which he offers to vote.
and shall have paid a Territorial tax. There is
no law requiring him to pay a dollar-tax as a
qualification TO vote. He must pay a tax, it il
frae. land this is by no means an unusual re.
6uirement in the States but whether this tax
IS levied on his personal or real property, his
money at interest, or as a pollfax, makes no
difference the payment Of any Territorial tax
~.entitles the person to vote. provided lac has the
other qualihcafions provided by law. The act
seems 10 be carefully drawn, with the view OF
excluding all Illegal and foreign votes. The
Urtcr must be TN inhabilant Of the Territory,
AID Of the county or district in which he offers
10 vote, and he must have paid Territorial tax.
The Judges and clerks are required to be sworn
and TO keep duplicate pollboxes; and ample
provision IS made Tor contesting elections, and
purging the polls Of all illegal votes Iii diff
icult to see how q more guarded law could bG
{rnneed, for the purpose Of protecting the purity
& [tctions and the sanctity Of the BallOt-box
7rke law does not require the voter 10 swear tc
Support the fugitive slave law or the Kansas and
Eebraska bill, unless he il challenged in that
<ase. he is required to take an oath to support
; each of these laws. As to the dollar law. (ss
called 1t is merely a poll tax, aEdhas no mort