The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1857-09-16

lists in Kansas under the Consultation Of
the United States. This point has StiaSt
been decided by the highest trib6nsi
known to our laws. How it could ever
have been seriously 2abted is mystery.
If confederation Of sovereign States &C.
qnire q new territory at the expense fof
their common blood aud treasure, surely
one set of the parties can have no right to
exclude the other from the enjoyment, By
prohibiting them from taking into Il what
soever is recognized to be the property By
q common constitution Bot, when the
people, the bona tide residents Of such Ter.
ri.ory. proceed to frame State Constitu-
tion, then Il is their right 20 decilerths
important question for themselves, whether
they will ,countenance, modify or abolish
SiaxeFJ. TO. them and to~them alone.
does this question belong, free from all
foreign interference. In the opinion lof
the Territorial Legislature of Kansas, the
time had arrived for entering the Union.
and they accordingly passed lz~f to elect
delegates for the purpose of framing .
State Constitution. =
This law was fair and just in its provi.
sions. It conferred the right Of suffFate
upon every bona jfds inhabitant.ofthe Ter
ritory, and for the purpose of preventing
fraud and the intrusion of citizens of nesf
or distant States, most properl} confded
this right to those who had resided there's
in three months previous to the electiou:
Here fair opportunity was presented for
all qualified resident citizens Of the Terri
tory, to whatever organization they might
have previously belonged TO participate
in the election, and to express their opin-
ions at the ballot-box on the question Of
slavery. but numbers of lawless men still
continued to resist the Territorial Govern.
ment. They refused either to be recoe.
nized or vote, and members of the Conyen-
ton were elected legally and properly With
out their intervention. The Conyention
viii soon assemble to perform the s6lemp
duty Of framing Constitution for them.
selves and their posterity, and. IN the state
of incipicnt rebellion which sffi1 exists In
Kansas. imperitiye duty to employ fha
troops Of the United States.-Should
this become necessary in defending the
Convention against violence whist fram-
ing the Constitution, and in PROTECTING
the bona tide inhabitants aualiked to vote
under the provisions Of this iustruneat,in
the free exercise Of the rights Of su6rnxc.
when it shall be submitted to them Tor
their APPRECIATION or rejection. I haze en-
tire confidence in Gov. Walker that the
troops will not be employed except to re-
sist actual aggression. or in the execution
Of the laws, and then not until tho power
of the civic magistrate shall prove unavail-
/! ing. Following the wise example Of Mr..
Madison towards the Hartford Conyen.
tion. illegal and dangerous combinations
such as that of Topeka Convention, Win
not be disturbed unless they shall astihpt
to perform some act which viii bring
them into a duel collision with the Con
stitution and the laws, and in that event
they shall be resisted and pat down BY tho
whole power Of the government In per-
! forming this duty shall have the appfo.
! baton of my own concience, and az I-hum-
1 h1v $rnc% nf M GnA thank fop l6<