Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-06-17
EDGEFIELD, S, @, JUNE Il, 1851.

slavery constitution which will then be framed 2
The address, we repeat, is free State docu-
ment throughout, and pledges the personal and
official influence Of the Governor of Kansas to
make tia Free State. How
The destiny Of Kansas, as free or slave, Will
turn upon the mode in which its Constitution
is submitted to the people, if it is submitted.
That Constitution will allow slavery, and the
delegates who will frame it propose, that it shall
be submitted for ratification or rejection, their
constituency, to the people Of Kansas who elect
ed them,' to those who by the census taken un-
der the Constitutional Convention act, were
ascertained to be, actual bona fde residents Of
the Territory. This is the policy Of tbo.e Of
the pio-slavery men Of Kansas, who yield the
point that the Constitution must be submitted.
IF this policy is carried out, the Constitution
will lie ratified by the popular vote, and Kansas
will be admitted into the Union, as a slave
State. But Governor Walker, dictates a differ
ent policy, l. G., that the Constitution shall be
submitted "for ratification or rejection, by a
majority of The Men actual bona fide resident
settlers of Kansas" in other words, that it shall
be submitted to all the inhabitants of the Ter
ritory at the time Of 1ts adoption. -: -
There is no provision IN the Constitution
which requires that the, people Of a Territory,
met together in Convention to frame State
Constitution shall submit their action b ck
again to themselves the people. There is no
precedent which requires this, for it is fact
that nearly two-thirds Of the States Of this
Union, are members of the confederacy under
Constitutions which, up to this time, have never
been submitted to their people for ratifica-
tion. There is no reason TO justify the alleged
necessity for such submission, for in every
proper view of the nature Of a convention Of
the people called expressly BY a competent au.
thority, to frame State constitution, it is an
embodiment of the sovereignty of the people
il is fhe peope, aid there is no reason in appeal
ing from the people-to tue people. But not
withstanding there is no provision Of the Con-
stltution, no precedent, and no reason requiring
1t, Gov. Walker asserts that the right Of the
people of Kansas to pass upon the State Con-
stitu.ion, to be adopted by the people of Kan
sas in convention, is "a great constitutional
right,n "clcar and unquestionable right"
I" fundamental right" q " part of their inherent
and inalienable sovereignty" andl declares if
the people are not permitted to exercise it, that
Congress will reject the Constitution, which
the people in convention shall adopt. If Wal
ker's policy is carried out, if the Constitution
is submitted, AMI submitted to all the inhabi-
tants Of the Territory at the time Of its adop-
ton. the Constitution will be rejected, for the
Territ"ry in the meantime can be flooded by
elnigrants from the North, and Kansas will be
admitted into the Union, if admitted at all, as
free State.
Perhaps this solution of the Kansas question
would strengthen the Democratic party of the
Northern States, as it would enable them to
boint the reoplc of those States to on extern
sioinis6f the "arca of freedom" under the prac.
Jtical operation of the principles n the Kansas
Ne6faska Il s6iK and thus sd6ni6unds the Black;
Republicans, Who have always contended that
that bill was practically a>surender of the ter
ritorics Of the Union to slavery. Perhaps there
are men at the South conservative, cautions
men, of that class WHO woult. sacrifice aprinci-
pic or an interest to shuttle off a grave iss',e.
who would accept it as final settlement Of an
irritating and annoying question. But no re-
suit could be more disastrous to the, interests
of slavery and of: the South and it sheuld be;
resisted at all hazards and to the last extremity.
There are two ways in which it may be avoided.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention
may ref ise to carry out the policy dictated by
Gov WalkerS or at the eleventh hour, an in
nundation Of dactual settlers from Missouri may
meet the innnndation of "actual settler" from
the.free States, and rescue tlle pro-slarery Con-
stitution at the ballot box.
HH