The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1857-11-28


From the Independence. No., Messsn..,
Kansas Affairs.
It was not our intention as puyl;.
Journalist, in speaking of Kansas mstt o,l'
to cater to the prejudices or desires os !:
Their this or that faction, but TO o;vo a.
facts as they exist in relation to the feol;sn S
of the people of that Territory on the s-n:
ing Questions which have agitated then,
well as the Union at large. Thu No" 3
prominent ofthese is the formation of
Constitution to govern them as Sts,s
and in this, Missouri, and especially -
border counties of Missouri, are mo,o :; ,.'0
mediately concerned than any Other Ne
ton of the country. For three years -.
have had continual din and t1rno;, !,
opposing factions in that distracted To.
ritory, which has extended to the how'd.
counties. Time and again have we booa
called on to furnishmen and money toc.,.-
on political campaign in Kansas and ~,
heated blood of factions has been infnsaS
among the masses until the whole corD..I
seemed inoeulated with raneor VIII
has led to numerous outbreaks and cr;n.l
which in ordinary times would b,rs
been deemed too barbarous for anv h..
the most savage tribes to have been cu;It~
of This feeling has been carefully nm:
tured and famed by willy demasognes
who have no other purpose to accomnIsS
than political advancement.
Although opposed at the start to the ~.
peal of the Missouri Compromise which
had given peace to the country for ovs-
twenty-five years, we acquiesced in a.
Kansas Nebraska Bill from the fact tba,
that bill embodied in it the rule Of ,Ss
majority. To this rule abstractlv 90, '
sidered, no republican in principle eopl5
object. but when compromise of oonfic..
ing opinions had been fairly settled We
in common with many Others, thought i
best TO let that compromise stand ratbs,
than reopen question fraught with 81
much peril to the very existence Of ON,
republic, as that of the Slavery ouestinr
Our predictions in regard to the troubIs
which the repeal of that bill would give
rise, have been fully realized, but we hal
and still have. hopes that the matte,
might be settled in the only possible wsv
it could be settled, to wit by the
full, free and fair expression of opinionin
the formation of State government by
the people of the Territories. In this +
seems we have to some extent been mis-.
taken, as the late Constitutional Convs,.
ton in Kansas have refused TO submit the
Constitution which they have made, 10
the vote of the actual inhabitants of that
Territory. If the delegates of that Con.
vention fairly reflect the opinions and
wishes of the people of the Territory. Of
course the Constitution they have made
will be ratified by the people, but if they
do not reflect the wishes of the people
they will not and should not submit 10 a
Constitution so made, and the only way
to ascertain this fact, is to permit them 10
vote upon it. But in refusing to permit
vote upon it it shows a fear of a rejection
of that work. We have not seen the
Constitution which has been framed for
the people of Kansas, and it NAV be un-
Objectionable, but if the Convention has
right to force a good Constitution on the
people they have the same right to force
bad one on them.
Another matter connected with the doings
of this Convention is the manner in which
the vote is to be taken on the only ques-
ton submitted to the people-the slavery
clause. There is no qualification for vot-
ers on that question, only the fact Of be.
ing in the Territory on the day of cleo
ton. This, of course, will invite a com.
petition between the people of Missouri
Iowa and Nebraska to rush into Kansas a,
the election in the greatest numbers pos
sible, and as consequence the actual resi-
dents will not have as much voice in the
formation of this Constitution as outsid-
ers. This interference of outsiders has
always been the cause Of difficulties in
Kansas and so long as If is kept up, there
will be continued strife. because no peO-
pie, worthy of freedom, will submit to
laws made by Others longer than they
have the power to overthrow these laws.
In Kansas this has been the sole cause
of all the troubles and the welfare and the
wishes of the people have been disre-
garded whenever they conflicted with
schemes of politicians.
Reasoning from the facts, as well as
from the tone of the most conservative
journals printed in the Territory, we are
constrained TO believe that unless there is
a fair test at the ballot-box by the people
of Kansas on the subject of the Constitu-
ton. under which they are 10 live, the
troubles in that Territory viii be renewed
with as much greater rancor and bitter
ness as the present population is greater
than what it was during the troubles Of
1856. These troubles are the very life.
blood of the abolition party in the States,
and if they are renewed because of the
refusal to submit the Constitution to the
people, it will at once ALLEVIATE all the
Democracy in the Northern States from
party fealty and throw the government Of
the country in the hands of the Abolition
lists.
For it was only the principle of submit
ting the question to voice Of the peO-
pie, that the Democratic party have been
enabled TO secure any of the Northern
States in their vote in favor Of Dir. Bu-
ebanan.
The Republicans as well as the radical
Abolitionists, viii of course make CON-
mon cause on this question with the Free
State Democrats, hence the refusal to sub.
NIT the Constitution to the people viii, u
sustained by Congress, lead, we fear, to
worse scenes than have yet been enacted
in that bloody land.
@ We understand that G. W. Brown,
Esq, of Lawrence notariety, at the late
Black Republican meeting held at lie,
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