Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-12-15
The Constitution Of Kansas

1
We have the Leavenworth Times, of No
vember 2 LIST, with the Kansas Constitution
complete. We shall here only remark on
those parts which are peculiar, and will
be drawn into discussion.
The first thing to be noticed is that It
begins with eve, THE PEOPLE," by our
delegates, etc., when it is notorious, first,
that the people did not make it, and sec
ondly, that they did not make it by Meir
delegates, for those delegates were elected
under fraudulent laws, and by fraudulent
means.
The next thing to he noticed is Article
7th, Section 1st, which declares that "The
right of property is before and higher than
any constitutional sanction, and the right
of the owner of a slave to such slave, and
its increase, is the same, and as inviolable
as the right to any property whatever
The second section provides that immi-
grants may bring their slaves with them
and protect them forever. This is called
the Slavery Article, and if it be passed,
slavery is solemnly enacted in the most
permanent form. In the Schedule it is
provided that this Constitution shall be
submitted to Congress-; but first the peo-
pie shall vote Constitution with slavery"
or Constitution with no slavery If the
no slavery vote prevails, then the Slavery
Article is to be stricken out with this pro-
W31: --"except that the right of property
in slaves noao in this Territory, shall in no
mo9ner be intertered with."
The attentive reader WI observe with
out being informed, that under this Con-
stitut'on slavery may really be in Kansas
forever New York emancipated her
slaves, Pennsylvania emancipated, but
Kansas cannot emancipate There are
slaves there now, and as the Legislature
is prohibited by the Constitution from in
teriering with them, their descendants may
remain there forever. But, what is the
effect of voting on the Slavery clause? 1t
is to make every man who votes on that
clause approve of every word in the Con-
stitution, whether he likes it or not IT
lie be apro-slavery man, he will, in voting
for slavery, vote fer the whole Constitu-
ton, whether he likes itor not. If he be
an anti-slavery man, he must vote for the
Constitution There is Bank Article in
this Constitution, and hard money Dem
ocrat must vote the Bank when he votes
against slavery. A pro-slavery man may
vote for slavery, but hemust also vote for
the Constitution.
In other words, every man who votes on
the slavery clause must vote for the Con-
stitution!
On this simple statement we think all
honest men will say, that of all the frauds
practiced i'll Kansas yet, this is the great
est. First: no vote Of the people is per-
mtted on the Constitution. Second when
the people do vote on the slavery clause,
they must vote for the Constitution wheth-
er or no. Not man in Kansas can vote
on the slavery clause saher aooy, without
voting for the Constitution! Third if
he swallows the Constitution whole, and
succeeds in excluding the slavery clause,
then he has the satisfaction to know that
slavery as it now exists there is perpetual
ted forever
Fourth: the Constitution provides for
no amendment until 1864. Thus there is
no getting out of the jaws of the demon
til! seven years have passed by. Now,
looking at this calmly. and with view to
the actual results of this Con stitution, who
can deny that this Constitution, or the
mode OF its creation is in direct conflict
with the principles of the Nebraska act =?
Can any one help believing that it is
purposed contrivance to impose upon the
mass of the people Constitution, wheth-
er they like it or not? We submit, wheth-
er this is thing which an honest Democ-
racy ought to support.-Cin. Gaz.