Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-12-17

ed true to the resolution adopted on a certain occa
sion recognizing the right Of the people of all the
Notwithstanding Kansas and Ncbraska-act
ing through the legally and fairly expressed will o
a majority of actual residents, and whenever tho
number OF their inhabitants ustifies it, to form
stitution with or without slavery, and be admitted
into the Union upon The terms Of perfect equait,
with the other States"
The convention to frame a constitution for Kan
sas met Oh the first Monday Of September last
They illed together by virtue OF act Of the
territorial legislature whose lawful existence had
been recognized by Congress in different forms anc
BY different enactments A large proportion Of the
citizens of Kansas did not. think proper TO register
their names and TO vote at the ele ton for delegates
but IN opportunity to do this having been fairly offer
ed, their refusal 10 avail themselves OF their right
could in no m.nner affect the legality OF the con
vention.
This convention proceeded TO frame consti
ton for Kansas, and finally adjourned on the 7tl
day OF November. Bet little difficulty occurred in
the convention, except on the subject Of slavery
The truth is, thIt the general provisions of our
cent State constitutions are smar-lnd, | may
add, so exccllent-:hat the difference between them
is not essential. Under the earlier practice of the
government, no constitution framed by the conrcn
ton OF territory preparatory to its admission into
the Union as a Site had been submitted unto the
the last Congress- requiring that the tuition OF
Minnesota ''should bc subcc, to the approval and
ratlications OF the people OF the proposed State,
may be followed ON future occasions. ltook il for
granted that the convention of Kansas would act in
accordance with this example, founded rs il is on
correct principles; and hence my instructions 10
Gov. Walker, in favor of submitting the constitu-
ton To the people, were expressed III general and
unqualified terms.
In the Kansas Nebraska act, however, this re.
quircment, applicable to the whole constitution,
had not betn inserted, and the Convention were not
bound by its terms to submit any other port IN oil
the instrument To election, except that which re
lates to the "donessic institution" of slavery
This will be rendered clear by single reference 70
Its language. 1t was not to lcgslate slavery into
any Territory State, nor to exclude it thcrerom
but TO leave the people thereof perfectly free to
form and regulate their domestic institutions in their
own way" According q the plain construction of
the sentence the words domestic institutions"
have direct as they have appropriate reference
To slavery. domestic Institutions" are limited TO
the flmiy. The relation between master and slave
and few Others are domestic Institutions" and
entirely distinct from institutions ola political
character. Besides, there was no other question
then before Congress, nor indeed has there since
been any serious question before the people of Kan
sas the country, except that which relates to the
domestic institution of slavery.
The convention, after an excited and angry de
bate, finally determined, BY III jortv of only two,
to submit the question of slavery to the people,
though the last forty three of the fifty delegates
present affixed their signatures to the constitution.
y large majority of the convention were
i'll favor of establishing slavery in Kansas.
They accordingly inserted all article in the
constitution for this purpose similar in
form to those which had been adopted by
other territorial conventions In the SEIZED
ule, however, providing for the transition
from territorial to state government,
the question has ben fairly AMI explicitly
referred to the people, whether they will
have a constitution with or without Sla-
very" 1t declares that, before the con-
sttution adopted by the convention shall
Union as State" an election shall be
held to decide this question, at which all
the white male inhabitants Of the territory
above the age of u are entitled to vote.
They are to vote by ballot; and 1.-THE ballots
cast at said &c ,tion shall be endorsed Con
stitution with slavery" and Constitution
with no slavery" If thee be a MAORI
in favor of the Constitution with slavery
then it is TO be transmitted to Congress by
the President OF the convention in its orig
inal form. If, on the contrary, there shall
be a majority III favor of the CONSTITUTION
with no slavery" "thcn tn. article provi-
ding for slavery shall be stricken from the
by the President of this con-
vention;" and it is expressly declared that
"no slavery shall exist in the State of
Kansas, except that the right OF property
in slaves now in the territory shall in no
manner be interferred with" and III that
event it is made his duty to have the Con-
stituton thus ratified. transmitted to the
Congress of the United States for the all
mission Of the State into the Union.
at this election every citizen will have
an opportunity OF expressing his opinion
BIZ his vote "whether Kansas shall b, re-
reived into the Union with or without sla-
and thus this exciting question may
be peacefully settled in the very mode le
1uircd by the organic law. The election
will be hela under the legitimate author
ity, and if any portion of the inhabitants
Shall refuse to vote, fair opportunity
10 do so having been presented. this
will be only their voluntary act and they
lone will be responsible for the conse-
luences.
Whether Kansas shall be a Free or
Slave State must eventually. under some
authority, be decided by an election; and
the question can never be more clearly or
presented to the people than it
IS at the present moment. Should this OPP
portunity be rejected she may be involvei
for years in domestic discord, and possibly
in civil war. before she can again make up
the issue so fortunately rendered. and again
reach the point she has already attain
Ell.
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 hor own
limits will speedily pass away, and she
will then for the first time be left, as she
ought to have been long since, to manage
her own affairs in her own way. Ii her
on the subject of slavery, or
on any other subject, be displeasiny to
majority of the people, no human power
can prevent them from changing it within IA
brief period. Under these circumstances,