Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-10-08

ders of the days ofyore, who would M
stay whipped They have taken the lei
ter Of Mr. Buchanan in reply to thei
memorial upon Kansas affairs into seriou
consideration, and finding it unsatisfac
tory and inconclusive, have addressed
second letter to the President, in whicl
they pretty effectually use him up.
The whole gist of this controversy be
tween the President and his Connectieu
letter writers is briefly this Are all or
CARNATIONS claiming to be Government
and to have the right 10 make laws, ex
isting in our Territories, to be receiyet
and regarded as bona tide and rightfi
Governments without regard to the man
ner i'll which such organizations becom,
possessed Of power? And if not wa.
the organization which claimed to be tn,
Government of the Territory of Kansas a
the time ofthe elevation of Mr. Buchanan
TO the Presidential chair, such a Govern
ment as could, by its origin, It's spirit anc
Its purpose claim the support and pro
lection of the National Government p
Mr.. Buchanan affirms these propositions,
and the Connecticut memorialists DENY
them.
These gentlemen commence their Sc
cond letter by remarking that the Presi-
dent has attempted no denial of the facts
"that the fundamental principle of Tie
Constitution of the United States and OF
our political institutions is that the people
shall make their own laws, and elect their
own rulers; and q" that Gov. Walker. of
Kansas, openly and avowedly represents
and proclaims, that the President of the
United States is employing through him
I "alker) an army, one purpose of which
Is to force the people of Kansas to obey
laws which are not their own nor of the
United States; but laws which, it is no.
torlous, AMI established upon evidence,
they never made, and rulers they never
elected" These truths the President, in
his letter, either passed over in silence
or explicitly avowed. But he also asserts
that there was government in Kansas
which he was bound to sustain when be
"@.ss.sAaa ! ,,-sa4I. q n,
But nothing can BE truly gouernmem or
laac aehich has no authority 4; and nothing
should be treated as government or lar
achich presents no evidence Of authority.
Can anything which tramples under
foot all human rights, and is known
outrage upon our Constitution and our
political institutions, whatever be its name
or form, be justly regarded as govern
ment or law having authority under our
Constitution /? Can such an outrage be
clothed with authority BY President,
Senate, Congress, or whole Congress
of Presidents Can usurpation beget a
valid government or law, or impart that
right to govern which implies an obliga-
ton to obey? Its might may make it
matter of prudence to avoid its wrath by
submission, but can usurpation create an
obligation to obey when none exist >
When rules of action, claiming to be val
id laws, present on the first aspect, evil
dence that they proceed from law max
ing power, it is the duty of the people
and the executors of law Ito recognize
them as authoritative But to say that
ALL governments and ALL laws claiming
to be valid, must be recognized, executed
and obeyed AS such, is as preposterous as
to deny the general principle itself. To
mistake the general rule for the universal
rule. the conditional for an unconditional
principle, must lead to false reasoning and
TO practical conclusions of the most dan
gerous character
The only principle upon which gov
eminent, within our own limits, and
claiming to derive its power from an act
of Congress, can be rightfully recognized,
is that there exists clear and decisive evil
dence that the government in question
proceeds from an authorized law making
power. Under our national Constitution
all power is inherent in the people. In
the Nebraska Kansas bill it was declared
that "the true intent and meaning of this
act is to leave the people of the Terri
Tory perfectly free to regulate their do
nestle institutions in their own way, sub
ject only TO the Constitution of the United
States" To the people, and to them
alone, it expressly gives the right to make
their own government and laws. Here
is no sanction, no authority, for gov
eminent not framed by the people. but
founded solely on invasion. Can this
law enlhrone in rightful sovereignty ban
dts from a neighboring State As well