The Washington union., 1857-12-02
MACK -nrrUsl4cAss NOT 10 VOTE IN KANSAS.

mont is not submitted for popular ratification They
concede and we all know. that but question of
high interest has occurred there concerning the in
sttutions Of the State Whether Kansas should be
free or slave State has been the great subject Of
controversy. Blackrepublcans interferod in Kan
sas matters and spent thousands upon thousands,
and, as they alleged, their sole object was to ex-
elude slavery therefrom To secure this one object,
they professed, they nominated candidates for the
presidency and all other offices in the Union, and
called upon all who preferred it should be free
State--whether whig, know-nothing proiessed dis
unionist, or democrat--to support them Many hon
est democrats, as well others, believing that this
was the sole object in view, were led to support
which there no foundation for.
Recent events are opening the eyes Of the people
the want of honesty and sincerity in the leaders
of the black-republican party both in and out of
Kansas When law was passed calling conven-
ton to frame constitution, they ordered those gov
erned by their mandates not to vote for delegates
and forbade them to have anything to do with the
election or the convention. They obeyed, and not
man Of them voted, and thereby threw the unre-
strained power over the whole matter iri the hands
of their adversaries. How this course would con-
tribute to make Kansas free State has never been
explained If they constituted threefourths Of the
voters, as they claimed they could have elected
majority of their to the convention and con-
trolled its action, and shaped everything to suit
themselves. Soon after, under another territorial
law, they attended the polls and elected members to
A. n Jai. to
Why they refused to vote under one territorial law
and consented to do under another is an un-
solved mystery. The convention framed con
sttution substantially unobiectionable in all its
Details except clause concerning slavery. Hav-
ing no direction from the Legislature on the sub
ject of submitting it to vote u the people, they
consulted the prccedents and found them both ways
They knew of no difference Of opinion in the Terri
tory concerning the constitution except upon the
slavery clanse and desiring to give the people full
opportunity to express their views upon that point,
they provided for submission of that question to
the voters now in Kansas. Here is provided a full
and fair opportunity to express their views upon the
great question long and violently agitated If in
the majority alleged, they control the result,
and secure that exemption from slavery which has
been the proessed object Of years of effort peace
able walk to the polls would secure Kansas free
constitution and State government with exemption
from anarchy and confusion, and thereby restore
peace and quiet within and without. This would
produce finaty to Kansas troubles and all excite
ment concerning affairs in that quarter. She would
then govern herself through State government ma
chinery Independently and to suit herself
When everything was about to be satisfactorily
closed the northern leaders forbade the black repub
cans to attend the polls to vote, not even to
cure freeState constitution. Their drill oficers in
Kansas announce that if tho constitution was verbatim
that contrived at Topeka, with slavery clause In
serted, they would not attend and vote it out, and
they issuing their orders that their subordinates
shall not vote, not even to expunge the slavery
clause They rallied few weeks since to vote, but
not permitted to do so. II the object is to
avoid slavery and to make Kansas free State, why do
they not make the effort now to accomplish that OBJ
jects Why not vote down what they profess to alb
hor9 They now insist that they will not even vote
against slavery, because the residue of the con-
stitution, about which there was no dispute, was
not submitted. They will not do 30 unless they
can vote upon some other question concerning
which they care nothing. This reminds us Of the
man who would not rescue his child from the
fire because he could not save its clothes Reflect
ing mon must see that this refusal to vote has for its
object purpose entirely different from the one as
sumed. If they sincere in their purposes they
would strike blow against slavery whether they
could hit anything else or not. They would put
down whatever they objected to whenever they had
an opportunity
Few would confde in respect that moralist who
shoald refuse to resist and suppress leading vice
because he could not give blow which would pros
trate every one which might exist. A wise reformer
grapples with evils within his reach, and prudent
one would prefer to assal them one at time. But
these men voluntarily permitted the whole subject
to go into the hands of those whom they knew to
differ with them to be dealt with they pleased.
They were the representatives Of all who chose to
have representatives. II was their own fault that
they made no effort to place their partisans in the
convention. There is no pretence that thse seonven-
ton does not truly represent Che voters who elected
them The principle of soif-govcrnment was fully
carried out in clothing them with the power to do
result instead Of acting the part actonists should
have made an honest effort to secure it. If they
of