Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-12-07
The Constitution of Oregon.

While fanaticiSm is shrieking itself hoarSe
over the organization of Kansas as a State,
our territorial friends beyond the Rocky
Mountains seem to be doing this species of
work for themselves in a very quiet and or
derry manner. Happily for the people of
Oregon, and even for those of the estates"
there is neither Topeka, Lawrence, a
LecomptOn, nor a McGhee county, nor
Governor Walker in the whole area of that
Territory. Having obtained the lawful
permission to construct a constitution and
State government for themselves, these
people have set to work and completed the
Job, without unnecessary ado. This in
strument was submitted for the acceptance
or rejection of the people on the 9th ult.
What the result is, we do not know, as we
have no information from the territory
since that date. It is reasonable to pre-
sumo, however, that the people quietly VO-
ted upon it, and that it will be presented,
in due time, to Congress, with an applica-
ton to be admitted into the Union as
sovereign State. The convention adopted
a very perspicuous mode of determining
the question of slavery, or no slavery"
and which is, doubtless, satisfactory to
the people. We subjoin the provision
touching this question:
Each elector, who offers to vote upon this Con-
stitution shall be asked by the judges of election
this question:: Do you vote for the Constitution,
yes no? and also this question: Do you vote for
slavery in Oregon, yes or noS and also this qucs-
ton: Do you vote for free negroes in Oregon, yes
or noY And in the poll hooks shall be columns
headed respectively Constitution yes 'COnstitu..
ton no Slavery yes,' Slavery no., Free negroes
yes' Free negroes no. And the names of the
electors shall be entered in the polbOOSs, tOgeth
or with their answers 20 the said questions, under
their appropriate heads The abstracts of the votes
transmitted to the Secretary of the Territory, shall
e publicly opened and canVassed by the Governor
and Secretary or by either of them. in the absence
of the other; and the Governor, in his absence
the Secretary, shall forthwith issue his prOclama
] ton and publish them in the several newspapers
printed in this State, declaring the result of the
! said election upon each Of the said questions.
80 If a majority of all the votes given for and
against the Constitution shall be given for the Con-
sttutiOn then this Constitution shall he deemed to
/ he approved and accepted by the electors Of the
! State and shall take effect accordingly aud if a
majority Of such votes shall be given against the
Constitution then this Constitution shall be deemed
! 20 be rejected by the electors Of the State, ard
! shall be void.
-. If this Constitution shall be accepted by the
electors and a majority of all the votes given ioI
| and against Slavery, shall be given for Slavery
! then the following section shall be added to the
Bill of Rights and shall be part Of this COnstitu.
ton:
''SEC. -. Persons lawfully held as slaves in any
State, Territory or District of the United States
| under the laws thereof may be brought into this
| State and such slaves and their descendants mas
be held as slaves within this State, and shall no
be emancpated without the consent of their own
ers.
"Aud II a majority of such votes shall be givei
against Slavery, then the foregoing section shall
not but the following section shall be added &
the Bill of Rights, and shall be part of this Consti
tuition.
''SEC -. There shall neither Slavery nor iuvol
untary servitude in this State, otherwise than as
punishment for crime, whereof the party shall hav
been duly convicted.
"And if majority of all The votes given for an
against free negroes shall be given against fire.
negroes, the following section shall be added Il
the Bill of Rights, and shall be part OF this Con
stitution:
"SEC - No free negro or muatto not residin
in this State at the time of the adoption of tn
Constitution, shall come, reside, or be within tn
State, or hold any real estate, or make any cor
tracts OF maintain any suit therein; aud the Legi
aliVe Assembly shall provide, by penal laws, to
the removal by public officers, OF all such negTos
and mulattoes, anu ioR their effectual eXclusio
from this State, aud Tor the punishment OF person
| Who shall bring them into tue State, or employ
: haTbor them therein"