The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-12-10

sident ofihis conye ntion;" and it is express
ly declared that that emo slavery shall exi;
in the State Of Kansas, except that the righ
of propetiy In slaves now in the Terfitof
shall IN no manner be interfered With" an
in that event It is made bis duty tolhave tn
constitution thus ratified transmitted 10 III
Congress ofthe United States for ihs admis
sion OF the State into the Union.
At this election every citizen will have a
opportunity Of expressing his opinion b
his vote "Nhether KaRsns shall be receive
into the Union with or without slavery,
and thus this exciting question may be peace
fully settled in the very mode required b
the organic law. The election will be hel
under the legitimate authority, and If an
portion OF the inhabitants shall refuse to vot
fair opportunity, having been presente
to do so this will be their own voluntary &C
and they alone viii be responsible for tn
colsequenc'.
Whether X nsas shall be Free or Slav
State must eventually, under some authori
ty. be decided by an election; and the ques
ton cun never be more clearly or distinctl
presented to the people than il is at the pre-
lent moment. Should this opportunity b
rejected, she may be involved for years il
domestic discord, and possibly in civil war
before she can again make up the issue nov
SO fortunately rendered, and again reach lht
.point n, has already attained.
Kansas has for some time occupied toC
much Of the public atteEtiun. 1t is higl
time this should be directed TO fur more i'm,
portsnt objects. When once admitted into
the Union, wlether'with or without slavery,
the excitement beyond her own limits will
speedily pnss away, and she will then for the
first time be lett, us she ought tU have'beeH
lett long since,'to manage her own affairs in
her own way. If her constitution on the
subject ofslavery, or on any other subject, be
dlspleasi ing to a majority Of the people, nc
human power can prevent them, from chang
ing It within a brief period. Under these
circumstances, lit may well be questioned
whether the peace and quiet of the whole
C ,untry are not Of greater Importance than
the more temporary triumph OF either Of the
political pir,ies in Kansas.
Should the constitution without slavery be
adopted by the votes of the majority, the
rights OF property in slaves now in the Ter
'ritory artf rscd. Th, number If these is
very smsly but'if'it' were greater the provi-
sion woul,l'be egIsliyjus and reasonable
These slaves were brought into the Terri
tory under the Constitution Of the United
States, and are now the property Of their
masters. This point has at length been
finally decided by the highest judicial tribu-
nal OF the country-and this upon the plain
principle that when a confederacy of SOW
ereign States acquire new territory at their
Joint expense, both equality and justice de-
mand that the citizens Of one and all OF
them shull have the sight to t'ke into it
whatsoever is recogn zeo as property by the
common Constitution. To huve summarily
<coniscaled the property in slaves already in
the Territory would have been an oil gross
injustice, AZ contrary to the practide OF the
older Stttes of the Union which abolished
slavery.
A territorial government was established
for Utah by act OF Congress approved the 9th
September, 1880, and the Const tuition and
laws OF the United States were thereby ex-
stehded over 1t 80 far us tie same, Or any
eproyisions thereof, may be applicable. p
This net provided for the appointment by the
Preside. 1T, BY and with the advice and con-
sent OF III Senate, OF GUvernor, who was
IL be ex fficio Superintendent oi Indian al
fairs, n Secretary, 'three judges of the Su-
spreme Go t, u Nj rsLal, al d a District At
lorney. Subsequent acts provided for the
appointment Of tne Gfi ers necessary to ex-
tel our lUhd and uLr indian system over tae
Territory. Brigham Young was appoi t, d
the first Governor, OIL the % day OF Sep
stvmb. r, 1850, a. has held the office ever.
since. Whilst Governor Young has been
both Governor and Superi"t 'ndent OF lndiOn
Affairs throughout this period, lie has at the
same time been at the head of the Church
called Latter Day SAINTS, and processes to
govern it's members and dispose OF their
Droperty BY direct inspiration end authority
from the Almighty. His power has been,
'there ore, absolute over both Church and
>Stlte.
The people of Utah, almost Exclusively.
belong 10 this church, and believing with u
lana,ical spirit that he is Governor Of the
Territory by divine appointment, they obey
this comma1dsius if these were ditectreve-
lurions from Heaven. If, therefore, he
chooses that his government shall come in
to collision with the government OF the
United States, the members of the Nor
mon Church will yield implicit obedience
to his will. Unfortunately. existing facts
leave but little doubt that such rs his deter =
minution. Without entering upon mi
lute history of occurrences, tits sufficient
tn saw that all the officers of tho United
.Stat, 1, ;, judicial and executive, with the sim.
gle exception of two .Indiai' Agents, have
found it necessary for their own personal
safety to withdraw from the Territory, and
fhere no longer remains any government in
Utah, but the despotism OF Brigham Young.
This being the condition OF affairs in the
Territory, | could not mistake the path OF
duty. As Chief Executive Magistrate,
was bound to restore the supremacy Of the
constitution and laws within the limits. In
sorder to effect this purpose, appointed q
new governor and. other federal officers for
Utah, and sent with them military force
for their protection, and to aid as u posse
,commitatus, in the case of need, in the ex-
ecution Of the laws.
With the religious opinions of the Nor
mons, Dc long ds theyremained mere opin-
ions, howeyer'depl pl6rdblein themselves ont
revolving to the moral and religious 'senti-
.mer,ts Of all.OhFi istendom, i had no righ
10 interfere. ACTIONS alone, when in viola
,ioh bf'ihe Uonstitution aud laws Of the
United States, become the legitimate sub
ipcts Tor the jurisdiction OF the civil magis
trute. MY Instructions to Governor Cum
lining have therefore been framed in strict ac-
cordance with these principles. At thei
date hope was indulged that no 'necessit.
might exist for employing the military il
,restoring and maintaining the authority
Y 4 4 Il