Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-07-28
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WHO ARE THE "lNHABlTANrs' OF KANSAS


mitted to vote. ,-, .,n.
In denounciue Gov Walker for using the "o'u
b,h,.n, the onpepeus of the Administration
.,,., ;,e,cu,abs ignorance Of the meaning OF 'ne'
-, that it is very different IN its s'sh
c. 60, Tho vord .citizen," and that II embraces
-, ~ .sdveuturers" and "visiters VINO
NAV happen 10 be in Kansas when tue "oas",I'..n
ia submitted to the people. Ihey say 'ha' @. -.
are allowed to vote, tue AID ooc'e.o'
Of Massachusetts will pour in their thousands y,
,o,.l VOTERS and that every man in Kansas VIII oe
authorized to vote, whether he is there WIN 'n0
pose of residing permanently or not.
The word "inhabtant," with this class Oh aA''
enemies, is "Papdora's box" from when all SUITS
os nonsdc yseabonds issue to shs the True voice ~
the citizens Of Kansas. ,s f,o,,
We have been utterly at loss to understand "0u'
,,ba, legal decision, essay on citizenship o'c''p'
~ ob,er d,cta of some obscure Judge, they haSe
,.,ed their mistaken idea Of the meaning OF tue "o'o
;,hah;tsn, Aud as all the rules of CONSTRUCTION re-
,r,e tina. words should be regarded as haV'ng oeeh
nod in their usual sense we propose to see how TAT
Gov Walker merits the abuse OF shy intelligent 'uan'
for wishing the "inhabitants' OF Kansas ~ 'o'' ~,
the ratification or The rejection OF the CONSTITUTION VI
Kansas. To ascertain precisely what 10 the exact
meaning Of the obnoxious word about whlch u
much has been written, We shall quote the dehnnon
which we find in the unabridged Dictionary OF Moan
Webster:
LAT. IyHABIrANcY: residence, habtancy perna'
nent or LEGAL RESIDENCE in town or parlsh' OF 'ne
domciliation which the law requires, ent'te pau
mar n de,nand support from The town or parish 10
which he lives.
Cd. Inhabitant. A dweller, ONE WHO RESIDES permd
asu,,v IN A PLACE, as distinguished from an o'.A
e,os,r IopcER OR vIsITER, az the inhaohan's VI
town county or State The condition or quahnc'''on
,shcb constitutes person or uhsbitant OF ato"n Or
parish.
Sd. Inhabitation; ABODE, or,
uoro e have all the approved definitions OF "inna-
,;,o,ov" and of "iuhabitant." 1t means LEGAL RE.
s,nrsc,. In its application to Kansas it means one
wbo ia there to "resids permanently" and without
DENYING to the word its usual force II can % COZ
.rued into meaning nothing more nor less tnan tna'
an nhabitan Is one who is not visitor VINO IS not
mare ,ciourner in Kansas, who ia not mere emissa-
~ of an aid society illegal voter from missouri
but one who has gone to Kansas TO make tnat teIri
torv bis "permanent residence" Who has better
r;obt ~ decide what shall be the organic law OF
K,vs,s than the man who declares Kansas to be his
.neroapent abode1" Do either of the words "ctlzen
or resident" express fully that very essence OF
the right of suffrage. the antmus manend'' the de
Termination to reside permanently-to remain IN Inc
territory than the word nbabi.ant' Far from having
employed a word Of either ambiguous or OF sinister
import, Gov Walker has been singulary fellcltous IL
selectips the very word which be has employed &c
define those who are entitled vote i'll Kansas Car
his asssilants tell US who have better right t'
exercise the right of voting in territory than those
actual settlers who have removed 10 The territory
.s-at5 or-ue1ns,y5 she. If the "dre'ler" canno
vote, who cant Ii one possessing illegal residence
10 not to cay what shall be the organic law Of tbt
oaiy State tckere he has Legal residence, who are
to votel
Gov. Walker has said those who have legal re-
sidence," or in other words, those who are "perms
nent residents" Of the Territory may vote; and this
with the usual qualifications which hedge in the
right of suffrage in this country, is all he has said
In saving that "inha6itaats" shall vote, no pro.
hioits the right to vote of visers. and shuts
the door in the face of every species Of fraud upon
the people Of Kansas.
The proper definition Of the word ''inhabitsnt"
is sustained by the s,rc, language Of the legal def
milton of the word. Webster's definition is denti.
cal almost with that of Bowler, in bic Law Dcton-
ary-ths bes, now n the hands of the profession.
This is his definition: H.. lsHABITASr, one who
has h,s domici in place, is ntabitant of that
place; t2) one who has an ACTIVE FIXED RESIDENCE
in place.
1t cannot be asserted. that Walker, in using the
word inhabtant, meant anything else than "a free
white male citizen Of legal age" For, when we look
at the definition of the word citizen, we find that it
means, "a native Of city, OR AN ISHABITAET.'-
The words citizen and nhabitapt have the same
meaning. Yet, Gov. Walker has been denoun ced
for not using the word Citizen" instead Of inhab
tant."
The definitions of Webster and Bowler are sup
ported by the decisions OF both the American aud
English Courts where they hsve been called upon to
decide what was the meaning Of the word "nhabi.
tant.''
1t has been decided that mere intention 10 remocc
will not make a man an inhabHaat of a State, al.
though, as sign Of such Intention he may hare sent
his ~ie and children to reside there: nor will his in.
teution to quit his residence, unless coasumma,ed de-
prve him of his rights an iuhabitant.
See lst Dallas, 4SU; let Ash, l26; 10th Yes, 500.
Gov. Walker requires the highest qualification Of
PERMANENT REsIDEscE known to the law, when he
says that the right Of suffrage belongs to the 'inhab
tants o! kansas." 1t is now settled that not even
those who in Kansas with the intention TO rcnore
can vote unless he is there as an actual settler aumus
nonendi.
10 those familiar with the language Of vircinia's
cessions of the "Northwest territory in 1885, in &C.
cordance with the provisions of the famous ordnauc.
Df fhQra in
Of the word ''inhabttau,s," by Gov. Walker. The
original sin Of using it lies with the great men of this
State, who worded the deed of cession in l7Ss. NV
which Virginia ceded that vast domain out of which
five large States have sinoe been carved by Congress.
The propriety of using the obnoxious word was
conceded when the import Of words was as maturely
considered as it now is, and by men fully as capable
of determining the rights Of ctizenship in the terri
tories as any of tn denouncer. of Gov. WaIker.
On the 18th of July. 1877. Congress passed the
ordinance of 1877. On the 3uth of Dscembsr. I7ss
the House Of Dslegstesof Virginia passed IN ac, an.
titled IAN act concerning the Territory coded by this
Commonwealth to the United States" Heuinp's
Statutes at Large. VOL II; p. 7SO; chap.7s.
In this deed of cession the word inhabitants" is
every where used in preference to the words re.
sideuts" and Citizens" Whenever reference TO
the people of the Territory is made, the word is
inhabitants" For example: HenDg 18th vol;
page 7sl.
And whenever any Of tho States" referring to
the hve States to be formed out of said Territory
shall have Go.OOO free INHABITANTS therein, said
State shall be admitted by it's delegates into the Con
gress OF the United States, an equal footing with
the original States in all respects Whatsoever, and
shall be at liberty to form permanent Constitution
ana STATE 'o0ern"e"s'' &C.. sc. Here the word
"inhabtsnts' has retereuce to "PERNANEsr RESI-.
DENTS" and is used as more explicit. than ei,hsr
"citizens" or residents" If the decision, Of our
highest legal tribunals. and the definitions os az.