Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1857-12-19

! @
except on the subject of slavery. The
truth is, that the general provisions OF our
recent State constitution are SO similar
and. I NAV add, so excellent-that the
difference between them is not essential
Under the earlier practice of the govern
mept. no constitution framed by the con
vention of a territory, preparatory to its ad
mission into the Union as a State, had
been submitted unto the people. | trust,
however, the example set down by the last
Congress, requiring that the constitution Of
Minnesota should be subj ct to the appro-
val and ratification of the people OF the
proposed State" may be followed on fu-
ture occasions. took it fer granted that
the convention of Kansas would act in &C
cordance with this example, founded, as 1t
is, on correct principles: and hence my IN
struction to Gov. Walker, in favor OF sub
hitting the constitution to the people, were
expressed in general and unqualified
terms.
In the Kansas-Ne Nebraska act, however,
this requirement, as applicable to the
whole constitution, had not been inserted,
and the convention were not bound by its
terms to submit any other portion OF the
instrument to any election, except that
which relates to the domestic institution
Of slavery. This will be rendered clear by
a single reference to its language. 1t was
mot to legislate slavery into any Territory
or State, nor to exclude it therefron, but
to leave the people thereof perfectly free
to form and regulate their domestic insti
~tutions in their own way" According
to the plain construction OF the
sentence, the words domestic insti-
t%ution,' have a direct, as we'll as they have
an appropriate, reference to slavery. "Do-
mestic Institutions" are limited to the fam
lily. The relation between master and
slave and a few Others, are domestic in
stitutions," and are entirely distinct from
institutions of a political character. Be
sides, there was no question then before
| Congress, nor indeed has there since been
any serious question before the people OF
Kansas or the country, except that which
| relates to the domestic institution OF
slavery.
Tho convention, after an excited and
angry debate, finally determined, by a ma
jority Of only two, to submit the question
Of slavery to the people, though at the last
f~orty-three of the fifty delegates present
affixed their signatures to the constitution
A large majority Of the convention were
in favor Of establishing slavery in Kansas.
They accordingly inserted an article IN the
constitution for this purpose, similar IL
form to those which had been adopted by
other territorial conventions. Ia the schad
ule, however, providing for the transition
from q Territorial to a State government
the question has been fairly and explicitly
referred to the people, whether they vii
have a constitution with or without slay
cry" II declares that, before the consti
tuition adopted by the convention "shal
be sent to Congress for admission into the
Union as a State" an election shall bt
held to. decide this question, at which al
the white male inhabitants Of the t~errltor,
above the age of twenty-one are entitled
to vote. They are to vote by ballot: ant
ssthe ballots cast at said election shall b
endorsed Constitution with slavery ans
Constitution with no slavery" If thers
be a majority in favor of the "Constituliot
with slavery" then it is to ba transmitted
to Congress by the President Of the con.
~vention in its original form. If, on the
contrary, there shall be a majority in favor
Of the sConstitution with no slavery
"then the article providing for slavery shall
be stricken from the Constitution by the
President Of this convention; and it is ex-
pressly declared that "no slavery shall ex-
list in The State of Kansas, except that the
right Of property in slaves now in the Tel.
fitory sh III in no manner be interferet
with and in that event it is made hi;
duty to have he Constitution thus ralif-
ed, transmitted to the Congress of the
United States for the admission of The
State into the Union.
At this election every citizens will have
Ar opportunity of expressing his opinion
by his vote whether Kansas shall be re
ceived into the Uuion with or without
slavery" and thus this exciting question
may be peacefully settled in the very
mode required by the organic law. The
election will be held under the legitimate
authority, and if fanny portion Of the inllab.
itants shall refuse to vote, a fair opportuni
ty to do SO having been presented, this
will be only their voluntary act, and they
alone will be responsible for the conse-
q~uences.
Whether Kansas shall be a Free O,
Slave State must eventually, under some
authority, be decided by an election; and
the question can never be more clearly OF
distinctly presented to the people than it
IS at the presens moment. Should this
opportunity be neglected, she may be in
vowed for years in domestic discord, and
possibly in civil war, before she can again
make up the Issue so fortunately rendered,
and again reach the point she has already
attained.
Kansas has for some years occupied too
much ofthe public attention. It is high
4 49,, =