The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-09-11

NV, or NJ least against the common un-
Outstanding which prevails among men
IS to what is natural law."-Works Of
Daniel Webster, vol. 5, p. 500.
Again:
ut will not be contcnded that this sort
II personal slavery exists by general law.
do not mean 10 say the validity of that
ocal law, where it is established, but l
NY it is after all local law. It's nothing
more, and wherever that local law does
not extend, property in persons does not
exist. Well sir, what is now the demand
on the part Of our Southern friends
They say, 1--WE will carry our local laws
with us, wherever VIC 60" This demand,
/, for one, resist, and shall resist. Itgocs
upon the idea, that there is an inequality,
unless persons under this local law, and
holding property by authority oft that law,
can 60 into new territory, and there cstab-
lish that local law, to the exclusion ofthe
general law."-Webster's works, vol. 8,
p. 900.
Such were Mr.. Bcnton's, and Mr.. Web.
ster's ideas, in regard to this new dogma,
and yet Mr.. Buchanan declares, "How
such principle was seriously doubted is
amystery." For ourselves, We have ceased
to regard the shuflngs, inconsistencies,
and monstrous perversions of the consti
tuition, Of the shareholders, and those who
are indebted to their votes, for the honon
and Omoluments of office, as mysterious.
But apart from his declaration of q
constitutional hcrcsy, the letter in ether
respects is most disingenuous, full o
sophistry, and pcrvcrsions of public mat
tiers relating to Kansas. In entering oil
his exposition Of the facts he says
"When I entered upon the duties Of tn,
Presidential office on the 4th Of March
last, what was the condition Of Kansas
This Territory had been organized under
the net Of Congress CT the 30th May, L.
81, and the Government in all its branch
cs was in full operation. a Governor
Secretary Of the Territory, Chief Justice
two Associate Justices, Marshal ant
District Attorney had been appointed by
my predecessors, by and with the advice
and consent Of the Senate, and were all
engaged in discharging their respective
duties. A code of laws had been enact.
ed by the Territorial Legislature, and the
Judiciary were employed in cxpounding
and carrying those laws into effect"
What was this code of laws referred to
Why, simply the laws passed by the bor'
der ruffians of Missouri-laws which the
people of Kansas have never aeknowl
edged and which they rcpudiatc and scorli
They were not enacted by the people o
Kansas, and ifthc President found ju.
dietary expounding and carrying these
into effect, he found it engaged in bust
ness which it had no moral right to be
engaged in. The starting point of thu
difficulties in Kansas, is in the validity o
these laws. Mr.. Buchanan cognizant o
the difficulty says
at is quite true that controversy had
previously arisen respecting the Terrific
rial Legislature, and of the laws passed
by them, but at the time entered upon
my official duties, Congress had recog
nizcd this Legislature in different forms
and by different cnactments. The dele
gate elected to the House of representa-
tivcs under n Territorial law, had just
completed his term of service on the day
previous to my Inauguration"
Now Congress by no act has ever re,
cognizcd the validity of those cnactmcnts,
on the contrary the House OF Rcprcscn-
tativcs directly declared the illcgality
of the Border Rutlian Legislature, by
adopting the Topeka constitution, and
when it found the Senate would not
accept ofthat, by passing Dunn's Bill as
it was called which set aside all Of the
former proceedings on account of the
border rufiian outrages and provided for
anew, preliminary to the form
alton of State constitution by the peo-
pie of Kansas. So far as the case Of the
territorial delegate from Kansas to whom
Mr.. Buchanan refers, no such inference
as Mr.. Buchanan makes is fairly deduct
bic. The House had refused to recog.
nize either Mr.. Whitfield or Gov. Reed
err, the first on the ground, that the bogus
avs under which his elect ion was held
vas void, and the second on the ground,
hat he was chosen informally, though it
vas made to appear that majority of
he people Of Kansas voted for him.
subsequently, new election was ordered
~ the bogus authorities, and the free
tate men, not acting, Whitfield was
gain elected, and no one appearing to
ontcst his seat he was admitted, not on
he authority Of the territorial laws, but
On the ground that there was nothing to
how that the people of Kansas he'd
hoscn him, and that being merely del
gate and not representative in Con-
,ress, Congress could act its pleasure in
dmitting him as n delegate from Kan
as. He served but a short time and
hesc arc the circumstances under which
e came in. The use which Mr.. Buchan-
n makes Of this case, shows that he has
kill as Especial pleader, though it evinces
rant Of opcnness and candor. Wequotc
rom the Boston Journal an extract show