The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-03-08

ment, as required; who did sit at the
Shawnee Mission, understood to form no
part of the Territory of Kansas; who turn
ed out liine of its legally elected members
and received in their stead nine persons
not legally elected; who filled a vacancy
by appointment, and not by election of
the voters of the district, &C., to say
nothing of the Draconian character of the
enactments.
The President says 'sthe constitution
al means of relieving the people of unjust
administration and laws. by change of
public agents, and by repeal, are ample" 7"
This is usually the case, and ought al
ways to be so, but the ease of Kansas is
an exception. The administration of
Kansas has its head at Washington, and
We have not so much. as vote in favor
of its continuance or removal, while the
repeal of any laws, under present arrange
ments. by the people. is out of the ques-
ton, as the Legislature has disfranehised
a large majority of them. No man, in
fayor'of a change or repeal of certain
laws, can vote under our new order of
things, and, consequently, no peaceable
way of establishing a government of the
people is left but to form State Consti-
tuition and ask for admission into the
Union. This has been done, but the
President objects to our constitution, and
calls the movement for State govern
ment revolutionary, and intimates that
the forces of the Union must, if necessa-
rY, be brought against it, although he
admits that it was not revolutionary for
other territories to do precisely what we
have done. as California, Michigan and
others. His reason is that the Constitu-
ton of Kansas was formed by a party and
not by the whole people. What are the
facts? A bill calling for a convention
for the formation of State constitution,
is said to have passed through one House
of the Mission Legislature and was de-
feated in the other only because they
feared the result would be Free State.
In July and Aug. paper was circulated
for the signatures of all such persons as
were desirous of forming State govern
ment, and between one and two thou
sand persons signed it. August 18th
a general mass meeting of citizens, ire
spective of party, was held at Lawrence
pursuant to public call signed "many
citizens" ''to take into consideration the
propriety of calling Territorial Dele
gate Convention, preliminary to the FORM
alton of State government. and other
subjects of public interest" At this
meeting all parties participated, and the
following preamble and resolution were
adopted with but one dissenting voice,
and that was an acknowledged disunion
Abolitionist, the only one of that party
at the meeting.
WHEREAS, The people of Kansas Ter
ritory have been, since its settlement, and
now are, without any law making power,
therefore, be it
RssolUed, That we, the people ofKan-
sas in mass meeting assembled, irrespec-
tive of party distinctions, influenced by
common necessity, and greatly desirous
ofpromoting the common good, do here
by call upon and request altoona Jfde cit
izens ofKansas Territory, ofwhateEer po-
liticalviews or predilections, to consul to-
getherin theirrespectiveelection districts,
and, in mass convention, or otherwise,
elect three Delegates for each Represent
ative to which such district is entitled, in
the House of Representatives of the Leg
islative Assembly, by proclamation of
Governor Reeder, of date 10th March,
1855; said delegates to assemble in con-
vention at the townof Topeka on the 10Th
day of September, 1855, then and there
to consider and determine upon all SUBJ
jects of public interest, aud particularly
upon that having reference to the speedy
formation of State Constitution. with an
intention of an immediate application to
be admitted as State into the Union of
the "United States of America.
This was the first public action taken
by the people in their sovereign capacity
upon this subject, and all parties and sects
participated.
The next action was at party conyen-
ton held at Big Springs on the 9th and 9th
of September. A committee on State
organization was appointed, and made
the following report:
"Your committee, after considering
the propriety of taking preliminary steps
to framing a constitution, and applying
for admission as State into the Union.
beg leave to report that, under the pres.
ent circumstances, they deem the move.
ment untimely and inexpedient."
The following was offered IS q substi-
tute for the report
"Resolued, That this convention, in
view of its recent reputation ofthe Acts
of the so-called Kansas Legislative As
sembly, respond most heartily to the call
made by the Peoples Convention, of the
18th ult., for Delegate Convention oI
the people of Kansas Territory, TO be
held at Topeka on the 18th inst, TO con.
slider the propriety of the formation of :
State constitution. and such other matters
IS may legitimateiy come before it =
This is substitute was agreed to.
Thus itappears that lhis party consen
ton simply approved Of the action Of ths
citizens convention at Lawrence, and iel