Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1856-12-05


is idle to suppose that the particular provis
sions Of their organic Law were the cause o
agitation. Those provisions were but tho
occasion or pretext of an agitation which
which was inherent in the nature of things
Congress legislated upon the subject il
such terms as were most consonant witt
the principle of our Popular Sovereignty
which underlies our government.
1t could not have legislated otherwise
without doing violence to another great
principle of our institutions the imprescript
1lble right of equality of the several States
4 We perceive also that sectional interests and
party passions have been the great impedi-
ment to the salutary operation of the or
ganic principles adopted, ,and the chief cause
: of the successive disturbances in Kansas
the assumption that because in the organi-
: zation of the Territories of Nebraska and
Kansas Congress abstained from imposing
: restrictions upon them to which certain
other Territories had been subject, therefore
disorders occurred in the latter Territory
is emphatically contradicted by the fact thai
mono have occurred in the former. The dis
orders were not the consequences in Kan
sas of the freedom of self government conce-
Ided to that Territory by Congress, but of
UNJUST interference on the part Of persons
inot inhabitants of the Territory such inter
ference wherever it has exhibited itself by
acts Of insurrectionary character or of the
obstruction to processes of law has been re-
PEELED or suppressed by all the means which
the Constitution and the laws place in the
hands of the Executive.
In these parts of the United States,
where, by reason of the infamed states Of
the public mind, false rumors and misrep-
Presentations have the greatest currency; it
has been assumed that it was the duty of
Executive, not only to express insurrection-
ary movements in Kansas, but also to see to
the irregularity of local elections; it needs
little argument to show, that the President
has not such power. All governments in
the Uuited States, rests upon popular cleo
! ton. The freedom of elections is liable to
be impaired by the intrusion Of unlawful
votes, or the exclusion of lawful ones, by
improper influences, by violence, or by fraud
But the people of the United States are
themselves the all sufficient guardians of
their own rights, and to suppose that they
will not remedy in due season any such Incl
dent of civil freedom is to suppose them to
have ceased to be capable of self govern
ment. The president of the United States
has not the power to interpose in elections
to see to their freedom to canvass their
votes or to pass upon their legality in the
Territories any more than in the States. If
he had such power the government might
be Republican in form, but it would be a
monarchy in fact, and if he had undertaken
to exercise it in the case of Kansas he would
have been justly subject to the charge of
usurpation, and violating of the dearest
rights of the people ofthe United States.
Unwise laws, equally with irregularities
at elections, are, in periods of great excite
ment, the occasional accidents of even the
freest and best political institutions. But
all experience demonstrates that in coun-
try like ours where the right of selfconstitu-
ton exists in the completest form, the at
tempt to remedy unwise legislation by re-
sort to revolution, is totally out of place, in
asmuch as existing legal institutions afford
more prompt and eifcacious means for the
redress of wrongs. confidently trust that I
now when the peaceful condition of Kansas
affords opportunity for calm reflection and
wise legislation either the legislative assem-
bly, of the Territory, or Congress will see
hat no act shall remain on its statute book
1iolative of the provisions of the Constitu-
ion, or subyersive of the great objects for
which that was ordained and established IL
ind will take all other necessary steps to as
ure to its inhabitants the enjoyment with
'ut obstruction or abridgement of all the s
Constitutional rights, privileges and immu-
lities of citizens of the United States as con II
emplated by the organic law of the Terrific
y. I
Full information in relation to the recent
vents in that territory will be found in the L
documents herewith communicated from {
he Departments of State and War. Irefer G
.ou to the report of the Secretary of the !
treasury for particular information concern Il
no the financial condition of the government E
nd the various branches of the public ser c
ice connected with the Treasury Depart t
nent
During the last fiscal year the receipts It
rom customs were for the first time more d
han sixty -four millions dollars, and from all r.
ources seventy three millions nine hundred s
nd eighteen thousand one hundred and II
fty-one dollars; which, with the balance on r
and up TO July 1st., 1855, made the total S
esource of the year to amount to ninety a
wo million eight hundred and fifty thous- P
nd one hundred and seventeen dollars. The Ip
expenditures, including the million dollars Il
l execution of the treaty with Mexico, and 9
xcluding sums paid in account of the pub e
C debt, amounts to sixty million one hun s.
red and seventy-two-thousand four hun n
red and one dollars; and including the %
liter, to seventy-two million nine hundred k
nd forty-eight thousand seven hundred and
inety two dollars. The payment on this b
count having amounted to twelve million p
wen hundred and seventy-six thousand
ree hundred and ninety dollars. On the Il
tn of March, 1853, the amount Of the pub o
9 debt was sixty nine million one hundred d
nd twenty nine thousand nine hundred and c,
lirty seven dollars. d
On examining the expenditures of the il
st five years, it will be seen that the aver re
&c, deducting payments on account of the rC
lblic debt and ten millions paid bV treaty fl