The Kanzas news., 1857-10-03

/ the deploraDie conQlIlon OF h2nzaS Iof the
last three years, and the ciyilwar which has
SO long ragged in this Territory, and the i'm
minent danger of a renewal of that conflict,
growing out of conflicting views as to the
qualifications of voters ut the ensuing cleo
ton, the President and all his Cabinet have
deemed the occasion sufficiently solemn and
important to express their fall, unanimous
and entire concurrence in the views as to the
qualifications of electors at ,he October cleo
ton on those points set forth by me in this
address, and previously communicated by
me to the Secretary of State.
1t is obvious that the Territorial Govern
ment of Kanzas must be maintained, either.
by superior physic.ii force, or, as in ali
other States and Territories, by the majority
of qualified voters at the election.
never contemplated the use of the mill
tary force but in execution of the laws; to
protect the citizens in the exercise of their
legal rights; as posse conastGtus to arrest
offenders, where the civil authorities might
prove incompetent without such aid; and
where the law authorized military power to
suppress insurrection or rebellion. Phys
ical force and the bayohet constitute the
real power in nearly all monarchies and
despotic governments; but here it is the will
of the majority of the people qualified to
vote upon the Constitution and under the
laws, which is to govern; and the sooner
all such questions are decided by full and
fair vote of the qualified electors at the polls,
the better; and then, and not till then, shall
we have peace and repose in Kanzas. I'm
less force is to be substituted for the elect
i've franchise; unless despotic and monarch
ial principles are making here insensible
progress, sooner or later the question must
thus be decided; and the sooner the better,
not only for the true interests of this Ter
ritory; but for the security of the Union
and The cause of self-government, here and
throughout the world.
The eyes of our country and the world,
are now directed with intense interest to the
coming election in Kanzas in October next
Whether the people of this Territory are,
indeed, capable of self-government; whetl-
er the scenes which have disgraced Kanzas
and our country for the last three years,
are to be renewed indefinitely; whether vio-
lence, injustice or insurrection on one or
both sides are, for the moment, and for the
moment only, 10 decide the question; or
whether our political differences are to be
settled here, as in all other States and Ter
ritories, (under the provisions of our or
ganic law) by the full, free and fair exer-
mentous questions to which you must all
now soon answer. The test oath is express
| ly repealed as qualification for voters by
an act of the Territorial Legislature of the
! 18th of February, 1857.
! The people of Kanzas have now, there
fore, an opportunity, in conformity with
! the Constitution of the Uuited States, the
organic act OF Congress, and the laws of this
Territory; to decide by the elective fran
chise, the choice of their Delegate to Con-
gress, their Territorial Legislature, and all
their county officers.
The troops at my disposal, which are fui.
~ competent TO the task, will at the request
of citizens of both PARTIES, be stationed at
the points where violence has been threat
ened or anticipated, not for the purpose of
overawing the people, or of interfering, in
any way, with the elections, or of inhuen-
cling them in any respect whatever, but, by
their mere presence, guarding the polls
against any attempt at insurrection or vio-
lence, from the mere knowledge of the fact
that it can and will be suppressed, but, if
necessary, also to protect and secure by law
full means, all the just rights of the citizen
In exercising the elective franchise under
the decision of the proper authorities, and
to act as posse cOnaitdtus for the arrest of
offenders. l should have greatly preferred,
as expressed in my letter of acceptance of
the office of Governor of this Territory,
never to have been required to call out the
troops, even as precautionary measure
AS il is, not drop of blood has been shed;
and insurrection has been suppressed, until
it recently appeared in a compulsory tax law
| by the insurgent government at Lawrence,
and in confiagration of dwellings, and ex-
pulsion of peaceable citizens in IFS vicinage,
after it was known the troops were ordered
to Utah. and when it was falsely supposed
that they would not be replaced by others.
Indeed, if the revolutionary government of
Lawrence had not been encountered by the
immediate movement of troops there, it is
now clear that similar insurrectionary local
governments, based on my presumed acqui-
escence, would have been organized through
out Kanzas, In open defiance of the laws of
Congress and this Territory, and rendered
peaceful settlement impossible. 1t will be
remembered, that In open defiance of the
laws of Congress, and of this Territory,
and after the refusal of the so-called Tope-
ka State Legislature to grant them a char
ter, they nevertheless organized city gov
ernment, clothed with all the usual powers
Legislative, Executive and Judicial. 1t
will be recollected also, that after my proc
lamation of the 18th of July last, and the
simultaneous movement of the troops there
as precautionary measure to maintain the
authority of the Government, and arrest
the spread of this insurrection throughout
the Territory, they then professed through
their organs, that what they had called a
Government, and to which they had giyeu
all the powers of Government, was a
mere VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION for the re-
moval of nuisances from the streets &c
But now, when it was enormously believed
| by them that the troops would all be re-