Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-06-12
Gov. Walkers Inaugural.

we nave at last the inaugural auoFess
delivered by Gov. Walker, at Lecomp-
ton, on the 9th ult. 1t is unnecessarily
long and wordy. 1t would fill ten col
umns in our paper. We give below some
extracts from the address which show his
mode of reasoning on the slavery ques-
ton, and its connection with the Terri
tory. He commences as follows:
Fellow-citizens of Kansas-At the
earnest request of the President of the
United States, l have accepted the posi-
ton of Governor of the Territory of
Kansas. The President, with the cor
dial concurrence of all his cabinet, ex-
pressed to me the conviction that the con-
dition of Kansas was fraught with immi-
neEt peril to the Union, and asked me to
undertake the settlement of that momen-
tous question, which has introduced dis
cord and civil war throughout your Dor
ders, and threatens to involve you and
our country in the same common ruin
This was duty, thus presented, the per-
Torrance of which / could not decline,
consistently with my view of the sacred
obligation which every citizen owes to his
country.
I
The mode of adjustment is provided
in the act organizing your Territory,
namely, by the people of Kansas, who,
by a majority Of their own votes, must
decide this question for themselves in
forming their State constitution.
Under our practice, the preliminary
act of framing State Constitution is uni
formly performed through the instrument
tally of convention of delegates cho-
sen by the people themselves. That con-
vention is now about to be elected by
you under the call of the territorial leg
islature, created and still recognized by
the authority of Congress, and clothed
by il, in the comprehensive language of
the organic law, with full power to make
such an enactment.
The territorial legislature, then, in as
sembling this convention, were fully sus-
tanned by the act of Congress, and the
authority of the convention is distinctly
recognized in my instructions from the
President of the United States. Those
who oppose this course, cannot aver the
alleged irregularity of the territorial leg
islature, whose laws in town and city
elections, in corporate franchises, and on
all other subjects but slavery they ac-
knowledge by their votes and acquies-
cence. If that legislature was invalid,
are we without law or order in Kansas.
without town or county organizations, all
legal and judicial transactions are void,
all titles null, and anarchy reigns through
out our borders.
1t is my duty, in seeing that all con-
stitutional laws are fairly executed, to
take care, as far as practicable, that this
election of delegates to the convention
shall be free from fraud or violence, and
that they shall be protected in their de-
alterations.
The people of Kansas, then, are invit-
ed by the highest authority known to the
Constitution, to participate freely and
fairly in the election of delegates to frame
constitution and State government
The law has performed its entire appro-
pirate function when it extends to the
people the right of suffrage; but it can
not compel the performance of that duty
Throughout our whole Union, however
and wherever free government prevails,
those who abstain from the exercise Of
the right of suffrage authorize those who
do vote to act for them in that contingent
ey, and the absentees are as much bound
under the law and constitution, where
there is no fraud or violence, by the act
Of the majority of those who do vote, as
though they had participated in the cleo
ton. Otherwise, as voting must be vol
untary, self-government would be imprac-
ticable, and monarchy or despotism would
remain as the only alternative.
You should not console yourselves, my
fellow-citizens, with the reflection, that
you may, by a subsequent vote, defeat the
ratification of the constitution. Although
most anxious to secure to you the exer-
else of that great constitutional right, and
believing that the convention is the ser
want, and not the master of the people.
yet have no power to dictate the pro-
ceedings Of that body. cannot doubt.
however, the course they will adopt on
this subject. But why incur the hazard
of the preliminary formation of consti.
tuition by minority, as alleged by you
when majority, by their own votes
could control the forming of that inetru-