The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-06-26
KANSAS.

people OF nat Territory bnOuu 10 carry OUT
the principles of the Kansas-Nebraska bill or be
mistaken in adopting form of government best
suited to their own condition and wants The
announcement Of Governor Walkers inaugural has
been the occasion for violent assaults both upon him
and the administration, and it is difficult to say
whether those assaults have been most violent and
Yindictive at the North or the South. As matter
of course the assailants in the sections differ
very widely in their construction of that document,
and the motives which dictated it. At the North it
is charged that the administration is lending all its
power and influence in favor of making Kansas
slave State whilst at the South it is with equal
earnestness alleged that the administration is in full
cooperation with the freeState to make Kansas
a free State. We undertake to say that both charges
are unfounded and, as is gen ally true in such
cases. the truth lies just half way between the two
sets of assailants. The policy of the administration
is to enforce in good faith to both sections of the
Union, the principles of the Kansas bill-prnoipes
which were designed to insure to the people Of
that Territory the right to decide for themselves
whether Kansas should be slave or free State.
When the Kansas bill was passed it was the univer
sal sentiment of the democratic party that the people
of the Territory should decide that question for them
selves Upon that point there no difference of
opinion between northern and southern democrats.
All with equal earnestness accepted and defended
the principle as the only fair and constitutional
mode of adjusting vexed and dangerous issue.
Upon one point there did exist in the democratic
party difference Of opinion, and that to the
time when this decision should be made by the peo
AZ liz, tl,o Go,,tb
holding that this right could only be exercised when
the people come TO form their State constitution;
whilst the other portion held that the power resided
in the territorial Legislature II is true that this
diversity of opinion was regarded by the larger
portion of the party as more theoretical than
practical--as it thought that the practical
result would be the same under either theory. How
ever that may have been, the question was very
properly referred to the only tribunal provided by
the constitution for its souton-the Supreme Court
of the United States. The principles announced by
that tribunal in its late decision in the bred Scott
case have settled this point of disputes and the doc
trine announced by the President in his inaugural is
both recognised by the court and acquiesced in by
the democracy of the Union.
The time then, for the people of Kansas to decide
the question Of slavery in that Territory is in the
adoption of their State constitution. They can make
it slave or free State as they please or, following
the example of many of her sister States, say moth
ing about slavery in her constitution and leave the
matter open for the future consideration and decision
of her people. This is their right and to the main
tenance of that right of the people of Kansas the
democratic party, North and South East and West,
is solemnly pledged 1t is the duty of the admins
tration to see to it, that the principle thus recognised
and approved shall be fairly, fully, and faithfully
carried ont, to the extent of its powers How shall
this be done Let it be borne in mind that the sole
object to be attained is to ascertain the will of ma
jority Of the people of Kansas on the point of ma
king il slave or free State.
The FIRST step is the election of delegates to con-
vention, who shall fairly represent the voice Of the
people. This has been provided for in the law of
the territorial Legislature, by which representation
has been duly proportional to the different counties.
A fair election has also been provided for, by re-
curing certain length of residence, and by throw
ing around the voters every protection againstfaud
and violence. The required residence of several
months was necessary to prevent the influx of such
TO control her elections, but with idea Of becom-
ing permanent citizens of the Territory State. 1t
was wise and just provision and has received the
sanction OF every one who desired to fair and
honest expression of opinion by the bona de citizens
of Kansas. When the delegates thus chosen shall
have completed the business for which they shall
have assembled--to wit the formation of consti-
tution--there will remain but one question for fur
Their division and distraction and that question will
be- Is the constitution thus formed approved by the
people of Kansas and does it reflect their will
the question not only of slavery, but upon all 9TH
ers If does, every one win say that with that
constitution, whether slave, free, or silent on that
point she should be admitted a State. II it does
not then no one will pretend for a moment that
constitution condemned by majority Of the people
should be forced upon them, no matter under what
forms and by what authority adopted. Granting the
correctness of the proposition just stated, ask
how can that FACT, so important to be known, be
certainedY We will not say that there is no other
mode Of ascertaining it, but will say that the most
satisfactory and conclusive evidence that the cons
tuition is approved by the people viii be the rataca-
tion of il by them at the polls. To those who object
10 the submission OF the constitution to the people
for ratification we PROFOUND the inquiry, Are you