Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-07-14

your so- called constitution, as claimed by your selves, was but 1,731, whereas there are now registered over 10000 voters, residents here on the 18th March last, exclusive of the thou- sands omitted or who have arrived here since that date. The people! Do you mean to tell me that l, 73l votes constitutes the whole num- Der of votes in the Territory of Kansas? "A voice, "That was year and half ago"l But should those ], ,731 votes year and half ago impose constitution for all time to come upon the present people of Kansas? A voice, Mot against their wil"l Should the constitution be submitted to their will for adoption or not? IA voice, "Yes."] That, gentleman, is the great question, so far as they are concerned.
 But I understand you claim to be State now, and that your so called Legislature, cho- sen by a small number of votes, propose next week to enact laws to be enforced in Kansas. This miserable minority, constituting not one- tenth of the present people of Kansas, propose, in absolute defiance of the acts of Congress, and in open rebe lion, mark you, gentlemen, not only against the territorial laws, but against the laws and government of the United States, to assemble here, and, representing l, 1,731 people, impose this constitution by force upon the peo- pie of Kansas by the enactment of laws. A voice, "Where are those 10000 voters that are not on record?' Some inadvertently omitted many who would not register, and, thousands who have arrived since the 18th of March last. As regards the register however, l say to you that 1t is of comparatively little consequence if the constitution be submitted to the whole people. It may suit the purposes of faction to ask such questions by those who refused to register, but the substantive fact is that the constitution can be of no force or effect unless it is submitted to the vote of the people; and if it is so submitted 1t Is for them to de- clare whether they will adopt it or not. But here is body of men acting in defiance of the laws of Congress, and in open rebellion against the government of the United States, repre- senting according to their own statement less than one tenth of the people of Kansas, who come forward and say that the people next fall shall not decide this question: That neither you nor I, or any of our fellow citizens else where throughout the territory shall have the right to determine whether we shall accept the new constitution reject 1t!
 Alter continuing for some time in similar strain, interrupted by frequent questions from the assembly, he added
 Well, gentlemen, l pledge myself to you that so far as my power Is concerned, and l do not doubt that you not in any event to have re-enactcd here the scenes of the past; but, so far as my power is concerned, pledge myself that the people of Kansas and of Kan sas alone, and not the people of Missouri, or of Massachusetts, or of any other State, shall in terere even by one sing gIe vote to decide for the people of Kansas what shall be their insti- tutous. A voice, That is my doctrine. Cries of Good, good" But, gentlemen, they shall decide it for themselves. When these views of mine are not carried into effect; when you see that you will not have a full and fair opportunity to decide for yourselves what shall be your form of government and your social institutions, 1t will then be time enough to complain of me, but not till then
 Thssingular and gratuitous speech concludes as follows:
 Now then, gentlemen I return you my most sincere thanks for the kind and indulgept at tention with which you have listened to my remarks A voice, What as to the taxes?'7 Long before l am called on for any official action the reign of law, of justice, and of the people will be so fully established here that, as good citizens you will all cheerfully pay this small pttance to support your own gov ernment. A voice, "We will have great deal more confdcce in the vote of the people to be given next fall if you will tell us by what authority the judges are to be appoipted."1 1 VIII answer that question, for 1 have no doubt 1t is fairly asked and in a fair spirit. The voice, " l. certainly is'
 will say, then, to you, gentlemen, that if they do not appoint fair and impartial mode by which the majority of the actual and bona fie resident settlers of Kansas shall vote through the instrumentality of impartial judges, l will join you in all lawful opposition to their dougs, and the President and Congress will reject their Constitution. A voice, Will the convention appoint impartial judges? It is their duty to do so. A voice, "WiIl they do so?' Gentlemen, l am not the convention, but do not doubt they will give you impartial judges A voice, "l will ask the Governor il there is any one who will be allowed to vote for this convention except those regstered?"7 As regards the past have got no power to recall 1t. The past is irrevocable, even by Almighty power, and profess to have little power, much less such power as that. Over the past have no control, but over the future l have; and l say to you that unless full and lar opportunity Is given to the whole people o Kansas to decide for themselves what shali be ther form of government, including the great sectional question which has so long di vlded you-unIes>, l repeat, they grant you such an opportunity, 1 have one power of which no man or set of men can deprive me- and to which l shall unhesitatiuglv resort and that Is, to join you n lawful opposition 10 their acts.- [Cries of "Good good" and loui applause during which the Governor withdrew
 We find in this speech no expression of hope that the constitution to be adopted will exclude slavery from Kansas, further than Is indicated by the extracts above presented; vet It manlteStS far too great desire to court the favor of the free -sojlers and proposes plan for the convention which, il adopted, will offer every inducement for the black republicans to send to Kansas between the present time and the adoption of the constitution forced emi- grafton of abolitonists
 The disposition of the ambitious territorial Governor to force the convention to adopt his own plan, is manifested in this speech in a more exaggerated form than in his inaugural address. His great fault has been assuming too much. The Kansas troubles will never be satisfactorily settled by any one who has not sufficient discretion to avoid intermeddlng with the rls hts and duties of others
 Why Ben. McCulloch Declined.
 The w Washington correspondent of the N Y. Daily Times, gives the reasons why Major McCulloc declined the protfercd appointment