The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-07-11

lie 10 II. Inc moment IL snouiu DeCohnS
. Slave State, and the federal authorities
should be withdrawn, the pro-slayGy au-
thorities would be thrust from the Terri
tory with them. Nothing but the respect
for the federal government tolerates them
here at this time. They are soaeerless,
only as they are backed By United States bay
oasts.
The State Legislature at Topeka adj
journed sine die. It is proposed at the
Topeka Convention on the 18th inst, to
galvanize the State movement again into
life, and it will probably be done by Its
supporters. But it does not follow that
it will exclude all other action to secure
our political position. The State move
ment is not necessarily in the way of the
plan suggested last week by US. Those
who think it will have the scrablance of
backing down" to leave the organiza-
ton, may continue their attachment to it
if they choose; while the PEOPLE will
take what they conceive to be the better
and more certain route to the same end;
and will labor with such poor sceapons as
the enemy has furnished them. They
have resolved to triumph, using the flint
lock" of bogus authority, prefering that
to waiting until they can get hold of a
"Sharp's rifle" in the shape of the Topeka
Constitution.
The Constitution, when framed, as we
before remarked, seemed TO be the off
spring of the then residents of the Terri
tory. Since then, our population has
been increased until it embraces more
than five times the number here when
that Constitution was adopted. While it
may express the views of majority NOR,
not one-ffth of the people have had any
voice in framing it; not onc-ffth are rep
resented in the government in any form.
The twenty-four thousand voters who
have been added to our population since
that time, are entitled to an expression in
the framing of State government. They
are entitled to representation in all the
offices, executive, legislative, and judicial;
and we speak in their behalf when VIC
urge that the present movement be not
pressed upon the people, but that the
whole thing be done over again; not that
we are unfavorable to theTopeka Constitu-
ton itself, or opposed to its serving us as
the basis for future action; but Toe merely
oppose it tor being IN the sOay Of something
i. else from srlieh Toe hare more hope.
! Last week We expressed ourselves in
favor of remaining in Territorial condi-
ton couple of years longer, until we
have grown strong with the nourishment
obtained from Uncle Sam. While this
is our individual preference, we expect,
nevertheless, to follow the leadership OF
the mass of the party, always keeping
the ultimate freedom of the Territory in
view. 1.-THE people prefer to form State
government during the ensusng fall OF
winter,a land if delegate convention called
for that purpose shall express itself favor
ably to the Topeka Constitution, or any
other fair method shall be devised by
which it can be submitted to the people
in their primary capacity, through the
ballot box, and if approved, then we shall
labor faithfully to secure its adoption by
Congress.
The shortest route into the Union, as a
State, will be found in prevailing upon
Gov. Walker to convene new Constitu-
tional Convention, by issuing proclama'
ton to that effect. He was in the habit
of speaking of the Topeka movement as a
small affair, owing to the very small num-
Der who took part under it. We showed
him, two weeks ago, that the delegates to
, the Topeka Convention had one thousand
:
delegates to the Leeompton Convention.
If the Governor opposed the Topeka
movement because of the meagre number
responding to it, with seven times greater
force he must oppose the Lecompton
movement, as it has only two-thirds as
| many endorsers as the former, while the
population of the Territory is five times
greater. Then. the number of votes was
estimated at 5000; now, they arc esti-
mated by Gov. Walker-and, we think,
not wide of the fact-at 10000.
Ii the Governor will issue his procla-
nation calling new Convention, after
the manner of California, and in advance
of the next session of the Territorial Leg
islature, We can soon have a Constitu-
ton on its way to Congress, which will
prove satisfactory. If he is unwilling to
do this, and the Lecolnptoh Convention
refuses to submit their Constitution to a
/ wv VI tho tSVpiSy tcttt Hot tft N"tctf 'fp
issue his proclamation, requesting the pee
pic, on some day which he shall designate,
/ to vote on the two Constitutions, nnder
such rules and regulations as he shall
deem just to secure fair expression of
the popular will ON that question, and
thus have this vexed question decided at
once? Though no cypress authority is
vested in him for such an act, yet it is well
for officials, at times, to assume ''respon-
sibilities." Gen. JACKSON did so, and
the act immortalized his memory. Others
can do the same thing, when the people
demand it, with certainty of a similar
result. No exceptions could be taken to
such action on his part, because he would
be seeking in a legitimate way, to find
out the real strength of the two parties,