The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1857-09-17

,e'ritor'ai Legislature under Its express au-
ihorIty. and thus have suffered due govern.
ment itself to become an object of contempt
IN the eyes OF the people And vet this il
what you designate rs forcing "the people
OF Kansas to obey laws not their own, nor
OF the United States" and for which Won
have denounced me as having violated nv
solemn oath. / ask, what else could have
done, or ought to have dcnei Would you
have desired that should abandon the Ter
ritoral government, sanctioned, as it had
been. by Congress, TO illegal violence, and
thus renew the scenes Of civil war and blood
shed, which every patrio, in the country
had deplored I? This would. indeed, have
been to violate my oath of office. and to fix
a damning blot on the character of my ad
ministration.
/ must cheerfully admit that the necessity
for sending the military force TO Kansas to
aid in the execution of the civil law reflects
no credit upon the character Of our country.
But let the blame fall upon the heads of the
guilty. Whence did this necessity arise
A portion of the people of Kansas, unwilling
TO trust the ballot. box-the certain Ameri.
can remedy for the redress of all grievances
undertook to create an independent gov
ernment for themselves. Had this attemrt
proved successful, it woulI, of course, have
snhvelted the existing grovernmen;, prescirh.
ed and recognised by Congress. and subs,i
tnted a revolutionary government in its
stead. This was n usurpation Of the same
character as 1t would he for portion of the
people of Connecticut to undertake to estab-
llSh separate government within it's char
tered limits FOR the purpose of redressinp
any grievance, real or imaginary, of which
they might have complained against the
legitimate State Government. Such prin.
e'ple, IT carried into execution, would des.
troy all lawful authority and produce uni.
vcrsal anarchy.
l ought to specify more particularly
condition Of affairs, which have embraced
only in general terms, requiring the pres.
ence of military force in Kansas. The
Congress of the United States had most
wisely declared it to he "thc true intent and
meaning of this act (the act orgaizing the
Territory not to legisla,e slavery into any
Territory or State, norto exclu, cit therefrom.
but 20 leave the people thereof perfectly free
10 form and regulate their domestic institu-
tions in their own way, subject only to the
Constitution of the United States" AS a
natural consequence. Congress has also pre-.
>cribed bv the same act that when the Ter
ritory of Kansas shall be admitted AS State
it "shal be received into the Union, with
or withou, slavery. as their constitution may
prescribe at the time OF their admission"
Slavery existed at that neriod, and still
exists in Kansas, under the Constitution of
the United States. This poin, has at last
been finally decided 10y the higheS, tribunal
known TO our laws. How il could even
have been seriously doubted is a mvstery.-
If confederation Of sovereign States acquire
new Territory at the expense Of their com.
mon blood and treasure, surely one set of
the partners can have no right To exclude
the other from its enjoyment by prohibiting
them from taking INFO it whatsoever is re.
cOgnized 10 he property by the common
constitution. Blu; when the people the
bona .tide residents ri sucIi Teriitor y-pro
ceed TO frame State constitution. then it is
their right to decide the question for them
selves whether they will continue, modify,
or abolish slavery. To them, and 10 them
alone, does this question belong, free from
all foeign interference.
In the opinion of the Territorial legisla-
ture of Kansas, the time had arrived for en-
tering the Union. and they accordingly pass
ed n law to elect delegates for the purpose
Of framing a State Constitution. This law
was fair and just in its provisions. 1t con-
ferred the right of suffrage on every bona
fde inhabitan, Of the Territory" and. for
the preventing fraud. and the intrusion o!
cizens of near or distant States, most prop
e'ly confined this right to those who had
resided therein three months previous to the
election. Here fair opportunity WAS pre-
sented for all the qualified resident citizens
Of The Territory. to whatever sides they
nigh have previously belonged. to parlici
pate in the election. and TO express their
opinions. at the ballot box on the question
Of slavery. But numbers of lawless men
still continued 10 re.i>t the regular Terrific.
rial government. T!:ey refused either to be
registered or TO vote and the members If
the convention were elected. legally and
properly. without their intervention. The
Convention will soon assemble to perform
The solemn duty Of framing Constitution
for themselves and their posterity; and. in
the state of incipiem rebellion which still ex
ists in Kansas. It is my imperative duty to
employ the troops Of The United States,
should this become necessary, in defending
the Convention against violence whilst fran.
ing the Constitution. and in protecting the