The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-12-17


Witch was not, properly speaking, a vessel of
war. She was small steamer engaged in sci
entiic enterprise, intended for the advantage
OF commercial states generally. Under these
circumstances, | am constrained TO consider
the attack upon her as uniustifiable and as
calling for satisfaction from the Parag layan
government.
Citizens of the u. S., also,who were estab-
llshed IN business In Paraguay, have had their
| property seized and taken from them, and
nave otherwise been treated by the auth orities
in an insulting and arbitrary manner. which
| requires redress.
KANSAS.
1t is unnecessary to state in detail the alar-
ming condition of the territory ef Kansas at
the time Of my Inauguration. The opposing
parties then stood in hostile array against each
other, and an accident might have lighted the
| flames of civil war. Besides at this critical
moment Kansas was left without Governor
| by the resignation of Governor Geary.
On the 18th of February previous, the terri
torIal legislature had passed law providing
for the election of delegates on the Sd Monday
IN June to convention to meet on the first
Monday of September, for the purpose of fra
ming constitutions preparatory to admission
| INTO the Union. This law was in the main
faiF aud Just; ana il is to be regretted that all
the qualified electors had uot registered them
selves and voted under its provisions.
| Al the time of the election for delegates an
extensive organization existed in the territory.
whose avowed object il was, if need be to put
| down the lawful government by force, and to
establish government of their own under the
50 called Topeka constitution. The persons
attached to this revolutionary organization alb
| stained from aking any part in the election.
Inc act OF the territorial Legislature had
omitted to provide for submitting to the people
the constitution which might be framed by the
| convention and i'm the excited state of public
Feeling throughout Kansas an apprehension
extensively prevailed that design existed to
force upon thema constitution in relation to
slavery against their viii. In this emergency
it became my duty, as it was my unquestion-
able right, having in view the union of all
good citizens In support OF the territorial laws,
| to express an opinion on the true construction
OF the provisions concerning slavery contained
| m the organic act Of congress of the Goth Nav,
1894. Congress declared it to be s'the true
intent and meaning of this act not to Iegislate
| slavery into any territory or state, nor to ex-
clude 1T therefrom, but to leave the people
thereof perfectly free TO form and regulate
| their domestic institutions in their own ways
| Under it Kansa, ''when admitted as State,''
was to 'be received into the Union, with or
without slavery, as their constitution may
| prescribe at the time Of their admission.v
Did Congress mean by this language that
the delegates elected to frame Constitution
should have authority finallv TO decide the
question OF slavery, or did they intend by
leaving it TO the people of Kansas themselves
should decide this question by direct vote?
| On this subject ] confess had never enter
| tanned serious doubt, and, therefore in my
| Instructions to Governor Walker on the 2Sth
! March last, merely said that when "a con-
| stitution shall be submitted to the people of
| the Territory, they must he protected in the
exercise of their right of voting for or against
! that instrument. and the fair expression of the
popular Will must not be interrupted by fraud
| or violence"
! In expressing this opinion it was far from
my intention to Interfere with the decision of
the people OF Kansas, either for or against
| slavery. From this have always carefully
abstained. Entrusted with the duty of taking
scare that the laws be faithfully executed -
my only desire was that the people of Kansas
! should furnish to Congress the evidence re-
| quired by the organic act. whether for or
against slavery and in this manner smooth
their passage into the Union. In emerging from
the condition Of territorial dependence into
! that of sovereign State, it was their duty. in
| my opinion, to make known their will bv the
votes of the majority. ON the direct question
whether this important domestic institution
should or should not continue to exist. Indeed
this was the only possible mode in which Their
| The election Of delegates to a. convention
must necessarily take place in separate dis
tricts. From this cause il may readily happen,
| as has often been the case, that majority of
the people Of State or Territory are on one
side of a question, whilst majority of the
representatives from the several districts into
| which il is divided may beupon the other side
| This arises from the fact that in some dis,rics
| delegates may Be elected By small m2iorities,
whilst in others those of different sentiments
may receive maiorities sufficiently great not
| only TO overcome the votes given for the for-
| mer. but to leave a majority Of the whole peo-
! pie in direct opposition 10 a majority of the
| delegates. Besides, our history proves that
Influences may be brought to bear on the rep
resentative sufficiently powerful TO induce him
| to disregard the viii Of his con gtituenrs The
| truth is that no other authentic AID satlsfac-
| tory mode exists Of ascertanine the will of
| majority OF the people of any State or Terri
tory on an important ard exciting question like
that of slavery in Kansas, except by leaving II
to direct vote, How wise, then, was il for
Congress TO pass over all subordinate and inter-
mediate agencies, and proceed directly to the
source or all legitimate power under our insti-
| buttons!
How vain would any other principle prove
| in practice! This may be illustrated by the
| case OF Kansas. Should she be admitted into
the Union, with Constitution either maintain
ing or aoolishing slavery, against the senti-
ment of the people, this could have no other
effect than to continue and to exasperate the
existing agitation during the brief period re-
quired to make the constitution conform to the
irresistible will of the majority.
The friends aud supporters of the Nebraska
| and Kansas act, when struggling on recent
| occasion to sustain its wise provisions before
the great tribunal of the American people.
| never differed about its true meaning this SUBJ
ject. Everywhere throus bout the Union they
publicly pledged their faith and their honor,
that they would cheerfully submit the ques-
ton of slavery to the decision of the bona
fide people of Kansas, without any restriction
| or qualification whatever All were cordially
united upon the great doctrine of popular SOW
ereigntY, which is the vital principle of our
free institutions. Had it then been insinuated
from any quarter that it would be sufficient
compliance with the reqnisition of the organic
law for the members of convention, there
after to be elected, to withhold the question on
| slavery from the people, and to substitute their
own will for that of legally ascertained ma
iority of all their constituents, this would have
been instantly rejected Everywhere II ey re-
manned true to resolution adopted on a cele-