True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-12-16


very. This will be rendered clear by a
simple reference to its language. twas
not "legislAte slavery into any new Terri
tory or State, nor to exclude it therefrom,
but to leave the people thereof perfectly
free to form and regulate their domestic in>
stiutiOus in their own way" According
to the plain construction of the sentence,
the words " domestic ins stitutions" have q
direct, os they have an appropriate, refer.
ence to slavery. domestic institutions"
are limited to the family. The relation be
tween master and slave and few others
are " domestic institutions" and are en-
tirely distinct from institutions of poIie
tical character. Besides, there was no
question then before Congress, nor indeed
has there since been any serious que 'tion
before the people of Kansas OF the coun-
try, except that which refers to the edo
mestic institution" of slavery.
The convention, after an angry and excl
ted debate, finally determined, by a major
ity of only two, to submit tho question OF
slavery to the people. though at the last
forty three of the fifty delegates present
affixed their signatures to the constitution.
A large majority Of the Convention
were in favor of establishing slavery in
Kansas. They accordingly inserted an
article in the Constitution for this purpose
similar in form to those which had been
adopted by other territorial conventions.
In the schedule, however, providing for
the transition from territorial to State
government the question has been fairly
and explicitly referred to- the people,
whether they will have constitution
"wilh or without slavery" 1t declares
that before the constitution adopted by
the convention "shall be sent to Congress
for admission into the Union as State" "
an election shall be held to decide this
question, at which all the white male in
babiants of The territory above the age OF
twenty-One are entitled to vote. They are
TO vote by ballot and the ballots cast at
said election shall be endorsed 'Consli'u-
tior with Slavery and Constitution with
no Slavery" If there be majority in
favor of the "Constitution with Slavery"
then it is 10 be transmitted to Congress
by The President of the Convention in its
original form. If, on the contrary, there
shall be majority in favor of the "Con
stituton with no Slavery" then the article
providing for slavery shall be stricken
from the Constitution by the President OF
the Convention" and it is expressly de-
clared that "no slavery shall exist in
Kansas, except that the right of property
in slaves now in the territory shall in nc
manner be interlered WITH" and in tha
event it is made his duty to have The Con
stitution thus ratified transmitted 10 the
Congress of the United States for the adj
mission of the State into the Union.
AT this election every citizen will have
an opportunity of expressing his opinion
by his vote "whether Kansas shall bt
received into the Union with or without
slavery" and thus this exciting question
may be peacefully settled in the very mode
required by the organic law. The election
will be held under legitimate authority,
aud if any portion of the inhabitants shall
refuse to vote, fair opportunity to do SC
having been presented, this will be their
own voluntary act, and they alone will be
responsible for the consequences.
Whether Kansas shall be free or slave
State must eventually, under some author
ity, be decided by an election; and the
question can never be more clearly or dis
tInctly presented to the people than it is at
the present moment. Should this oppor-
tunity be rejected, she may be involved
for years in domestic discord, and possibly
in civil war, before she can again reach
the point she has already attained.
Kansas has for some years occupied too
much Of the public attention. 1t is high
time this should be directed to far more
important objects. When once admitted
into the Union. whether with or without
slavery, the excitement beyond her own
limits will speedily pass away, and she
will then for the first time be lefr, as she
ought 10 have been long since, 10 manage
her own affairs in her own way. If her
constitution on the subject of slavery, or
any other subject, be displeasing to ma
.jority of the people, no human power can
prevent them from changing it within a
brief period. Under these circumstances,
it may well be questioned whether the
peace and quetness of the whole country
are not Of greater Importance than the mere
temporary triumph of either Of the polili-
cal parties in Kansas. o..
Should the constitution without slavery
be adopted by the votes of the ma jority,
the rights of property in slaves now in the
territory are reserved. The number of
these is very small but if it were greater
the provision would be equally just and
reasonable. These slaves were brought
into the territory under the constitution o.
the United States, and are now the prop
erty Of their masters. This point has at
length been finally decided by the highes
judicial tribunal of the country-and thi!
upon the plain principle that when con
lederacy of sovereign States acquire new
territory at their joint expense, both equa
Iity and justice demand that the citizen o
one and all ofthem shall have the right t
take into it whatsoever is recognized al
property by the common constitutions
TO have summarily confscated lhe prop
erty in slaves already in the territory
would have been an act of gross injustice
and contrary to the practice of the olde
states Of the Union which have abolished
slavery.
territorial government was established
for Utah by act of Congress approved III,