Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-04-03
KANSAS MESSAGE.

@hS 'oihp wing 10 u POttiOu VI oON. nOD-
ison's Message to the Legislature Of Kansas.
1t is taken from the st. Louis Republican,
1t will be remembered that a skeleton of
government still exists In our midst, un-
der. the Territorial form, and although this
was but the. .foreshadowing of a new and
better convenant, collision with it should
be carefully guarded against. A Territori-
al Government Is transient in its nature;
only waiting the action of the lpeope to
form a government of their own. This
action had been ts.kn Aby the people Of
Kansas, and IL ohi} remains for the Gen.
eral Government te suspend its Territorial
appropriations, recall its officers, and admit
Kansas into the Union as sovereign
State. sS
The rsaeOhs why the Territorial govern.
mcnt should be suspended land Kansas ad-
mitted into the onion as a State, are
various. In the itst place it is not gov
vernment of the people. The executive
and judicial oaieers are imposed upon the
people by distant power, and the officers
thus imposed srt foreign to our soil, and
are accountable not to the people, ssbut to
an executive two thousand miles distant.
American citizens have for a long time
been accustomed 10 govern themselves, and
to have a voice in the choice of their of.
icers, but in Territorial government they
not only have no voice in choosing some
of their officers, but are deprived Of vote
for the officer who appoints them.
Again: Governments are instituted for
the good ans protection tof the governed,
but the Territorial Government of Kansas
has been, and still is, an instrument Of OPP
preston and tyranny unequalled in the his
tory of our Republic. Tne only officers
that attempted to administer the laws im-
partially have been removed, and persons
sustained who have aided in our subjuga-
tion. Such has been the conddct OF the
officers and the people Of neighboring
State, either intentionally or otherwise that
Kansas to-day is without single law en-
acted by the people rf the Territory. Not
man in the country will attempt to deny
that every election had under the Terri.
torial Government was carried byi armed
invaders from an adjoining Stale, and for
The purpose of enacting laws in opposition
The TerTitoriai government ehvuid be
withdrawn because it is imperative. The
officers of the law permit all manner of
outrages and crime to be perpetrated by the
invaders and their friends with impunity,
while the citizens proper are naturally law
abiding and order.loving, disposed rather to
suffer than to do wrong. Several of the
most aggravated murders ON record have
been committed, but as long as the murder
ers are ON the side of the oppressors no
notice is taken of them. Not one
of the hole number has been brought to
justice, and not one will be by the Terri
torial officers. While the marauders are
thus in open violation of all law nine
tenths of the people scorn the recognize as
law the enactments Of foreign body of
men, and would sooner lose their right
arms than Bring an action in one OF their
misnamed courts. Americans can suffer
death but not dishonor, and sooner than
the people will consent to recognize the
edicts Of lawless invaders as laws, their
blood will mingle with the waters of the
Kansas and this Union be rolled together
in civil strife.
Not only is the Territorial Government
the instrument Of oppression land subjuga.
tion of the people, but under it there Is no
hope of relief. The organic act permits
the Legislature to prescribe the qualification
of voters, and the so-ca!led Legislature has
provided that no man shall vote in any
election who will not bow the knee to the
dark image of slavery, and appointed of
fcers for the term of four years to see that
this provision is carried out. Thus nine
tenths of the citizens are disiranchised and
debarred from acting under the Territorial
Government.
Even il allowed TO vote; the Chief Ex-
ecutive of the country says he has no pow
er to protect the baiiot-bcx from invaders,
and if the people organize to protect them
selves, his appointees intimate that they
must be tisarmed and put Gown, hence.
whether allowed to vote or not, there is no
opportunity for the people of the Territory
to rule under the present Territorial Gov
ernment Indeed, the laws ale SO made g.
construed that the citizens OF neighbor-
ing State are legal voters in Kansas, and
of course no United States force can be
brought against them. They are by law
entitled to invade us aud control our elec-
tons.
The settlers of Kansas have suffered
severe losses and injury, from repeated in
VISIONS from neighboring State, and it is
highly proper that Congress be memorial
lied upon this subject. Especially should
the General Government repair the injury
it has inflicted. All the invasions have
been permitted by the officers of the Gov
ernment, without any opposition. while at
least one was invited by them. 1t is the
duty of the Federal Government to protect
infant Territories In their rights, but Kans-
as has not only not been protected, but it
has been actually oppressed by those whose
duty 1t was TO defend it.
1t is unjust to any community to send
among them officers, with Government pa
tronage, whose political sentiments are Op-
posed to the sentiments of the people, par
ticularly swhen those officers mount the
stump, and shoulder the rife, for the pur-
poss of crushing out all whS diisr from