Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-11-30

MONDAY, NovEMBER 80, 1857.
The Kansas COnventlOn-VFin il be
Sustained

tionable right to submit or not It's laoors 20
the people for acceptance or rejection ell
Their in part or as whole. In determin-
ing to submit single isolated provision
that of slavery or no slavery, 1t acted
within the legitimate scope Of its authority
and is responsible alone to the people OF
the territory for that action. If the call
of the Convention was authorized, if It's
members were elected fairly, after due no.
tice and in accordance with law, it became
lawful body, an authoritative represent
alive and exponent of the people and the
sentiment of the territory, and its action,
whatever it might be, so that it did not
transcend its powers, is valid and binding
binding on the territory and binding on
Congress. Whatever we at distance may
think Of the prOpriety or expectancy OF
that action, does not affect its validity;
neither has Congress, nor the President, the
right or power, under the doctrine of non
Intervention, to say that the action is
wrong, and that therefore they will oppose
or reject the admission of Kansas as a
State The Constitution of the Union
prescribes only one condition for the ad-
mission of new States, and that is, that the
Constitution of the State applying, shall
be republican in form and spirit. If this
condition is complied with in the case of
Kansas and its Constitution has been
framed by an assemblage of men, legally
elected for that purpose, we know of no
principle of law or justice, either in the
Acts of Congress, the Constitution of the
United States, or in republican philosophy,
which would enable or justify Congress in
rejecting her application.
The form in which the question of slavery
or no slavery is to be propOunded to the
people, constitutes a stumbling block
against its validity. But if we are right
that the whole matter rests exclusively in
the bosom and discretion of the Convention,
how can it be that an error of Judgment,
if it be one, can inValidate law, or an
act done in pursuance of law? The Con-
vention doubtless committed many errors
in iudgment-it has refused to furnish a
copy of its constitution for the inspection
of the people, or the officers of the gov
ernment-it has submitted the question of
slavery to all the people of the territory,
including loafers, squatters and aliens, that
may be in the territory on the 2lst of De
cember, without regard to length of resi-
dence, or other qualifications of an enlight-
ened and permanent sovereignty-it has
attempted to say, and made most bung-
ling failure in saying, that the constitution
shall not be altered or amended for seven
years to cOme-and if we had the instru-
ment before US, we have no doubt that
there would be other particulars, which, in
our opinion, would be Objectionable; but
how can this nuIlify and dissipate the sol
emu and sacred sanctions of the law, by
which it is surrounded, and under which it
is supposed to act? How can it be said
that the Convention is spurious or that the
constitution is bogus for any of these reas-
ons? We hold therefore that the Conven-
ton should be sustained by the President
and before Congress the questions
of State policy altogether with the people
of the territory or the State after it is ad-
mitted. These are matters local and with
in the exclusive jurisdiction of the people
of the State. If it should appear that the
constitution contains provisions which are
grossly violative of discreet policy, and in
any respect insupportable, let them, by
virtue of the high prerogatives of sove-
reign state, send representatives to a Con-
vention to alter and modify it so as to meet
the wants and wishes of the citizens of the
State. With these views, we approve the
course of Mr.. Buchanan, in saying, as an
nounced by telegraph, that the Convention
must be sustained, even at the risk of
rupture with Gov. Walker, and the free
soil, abolition, national democracy of the
North. We hope he may have the nerve
to defy the enemies of law aud order, of
whatever name and of whatever section.
If this approval from a political foe, who
abates no jot or little of opposition to his
general politics, will, in the least, strength
en- his resolution, he is welcome to it.
After all, what has been the flesh and
blood, the bone and marrow, of all the
wrangIing in Kansas, if it has not been the
question whether it should become free
or slave State ? Upon all other ques-
tons there has been no issue practically
before the people. They have discussed
nothing else, they have voted nothing else,
they have fought, in organized mobs, routs
and riots, at the polls and away from the
polls, to the shedding of blood and the
taking of life, for nothing else. What
else of political moment could have been
submitted. The Convention has PROFOUND
ed that proposition to the people What
else can the fanatics desire. They have a
majority in the Territory, as is now ascer-
tanned beyond a doubt. They can make
the State free or slave, by the simple act of
voting on the 2lst of December. What
more could an unreasOning and fanatical
imagination conjure up as desirable. If
they will vote, they can accomplish their
wishes-if they refuse TO vote, who have