Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-10-15

cept in dersion and with loathingsl Is .
bogus government-goverI mentl Are bogus
laws-lawsi Is this government estab.
lished,' and are these laws enacted'-ant
yet known to possess no orhe- or higher
authority than that derived from BORDER
RGFFIANsl Are we, the people of the Uni
ted States to be srultied into the belief OF
such a dogma! For that result, wait at least
for the more absolute dominion of tyrant.
Your Memorialsts will now present what
thev consider the fundamental error of your
reply. In their view. in recognizing the
Territorial Government and laws of Kansas
as a genuiae Government and valid laws
you have psrver;dd the general principle
!, upon which you rest your vindicaton, and
have violated its essential spirit and mean
ing.
That general principle may b. thus stated:
When rules of action claiming to be valid
| laws, present on the first aspect, evidence
that they proceed from rightlui law max
ing power, it is the duty OF the people and
the executors of law to recognize them as
authoritative. To this, a. general principle
| lOut suhSCTiUr- IL u tuc Ohif
means of giving practical authority to law
and of preventing violence and anarchy:
nor do hey yield to any man or class o. men
higher estimate o: lis imaoTtance. or a
! hrmer determ nation /, adopt and defend il
than themselves ch-ri~h Bui ln saw that
ALL laws, claiming 10 be valid aust b.
| recognized executed, and obeved as such, is
as preposterous 10 deny the general
| principle itself To mistake the general
rule Cor an universal ruiz, the coadtional
| 'Ur an uncondi,ion principle, mus lead 10
false reasoningan and TO practical conc usonS
OF the most dangerous character This, i'll
tn view o! Your Memorialists, who be lrv
that n, ne are too wise or to, good o err. is
what You (they trust Inadvertently have
done
| In Tsc"gn zins the Territorial Govern
ment and laws authoritative, have you
not violated the whole spirit and nearing
| OF th- general principle laid down! Have
you not wholly disreearded the essential
condition, that the only government which
! it is your duty to sanction must present
some evidence of rightful authority! You
recognize the Territorial laws as valid.
! What is this, but to act upon the principle
that, when the so-called government and
laws come bd'ore you, with"u, the shadow
Oi evidence of their proceeding from right
iul lawmakiug power, but wi h the most
decisive and over Hhe lining proof that they
have originated in a palpable and violent
usurpation-that even :hen-even in a ca e
So fagrant it is you: duty to sustain and
execute them, even by the armies o: the Uni
ted States!
Your Memorialis,s are here anx ious to
call your attention to an important distinc-
ton, which you appear entirely 10 overlook.
They readily concede that, in cases of no
unirequaEt occurrence, one government nay
properly recognize another as authoritative.
or vs. a government de (acto, on very low
degree of evidence, without rigidIy invest-
eating lis authority, or even considering its
origin. For example, TIE Government of
Great Britain, when Louis Napoleon was
en,hroned in France by The army of the Em-
pire, and with the acquiesence and consent
oI The p. pl md no right to interfere With
EOtCIiIul III tiluS eSldU tisEtu Ht DIIJ'
ism foreign government had no right of
question or of control in the matter. BIT
does it 'ollow, berause the Government of
Great Britain had No right to Interfere with
what was an undeniabie usurpatinn in a for
eign kingdom, that the Government of ths
Unted States had no right, and wer- not
hound to inerpcse and put down in une OF
their oacn Territories, it ruffian usurpation
from Miss luri! In respect to France, lher.,
was reason enough why other nations for
purposes of national intercourse should
recognize its present government as an 'es-
tablished government
| But is not the Construt ion of The United
States the supreme law OF the land Has
not our Government the right to authorize
and requisite the government OF IL own Ter
ri,ories! Can Congress or ihe President
abandon this right. or the duty which arises
/ from it! Il This Government .Iwes any duty
whatever tu TIL Country it is not most sa-
crediy bound 10 protect both State ami Ter
ritory against the imposition govern
/ meat and laws by violent ard ruff lnly in
sion from another State! Your Memorial
lists, then, streuuau-ly insist thai the only
prnciPe on which recognition can ever b.
/, just fed, IS that there is some evidence, be
| 1t mure or less, that the Governmen: FRO
cEEDs FROM AN AUTHORIZED LAW MAKING
POWER. And they further INSIST, that when
such government within our own borders,
under the supervision and control OF lhe
Federal Government, and ella ming to derive
ali its SANCTION from law Of Congress.
THE EVIDENCE OF ITS AUTHORITY MUST BE
CLEAR AND DECISIVE But now is it when
there is no such evidenced How is it when
all the evidence is strong against its author
ityi How is it when there is the best evil
dence the case admits of, even decS We, un-
questionable proof, that the sue tlled gov
ernment has no other authority than rLffian-
ism and outrage! Is such government to
be practica;y recognized, ami that too with
in the limits of our own Republic! There
surely may BE- cases in which it woild De
gross wrong TO sustain Territorial Gov
ernmenl which has no authority. And now
we ask, what government could you refuse
10 sustain, if not one that had its origin
SOLELY n a violent invasion OF ruffia ls from
another Statel This fact in the present case
can be denied; So eau Con, when his sun
shneth in the heavens.
, This usurped Government caanotb sane
toned by the law CT Congress authorizing
the formation IF Territorial Government.
That law declares the true intent and
meaning Of this act is to leave the people cot
the Territory perfectly free to regulate
their domestic institutions in their own way,
subject only to the Constitution Of the
United States. Tt. THE PEoPLE, and them
alone it expressly gives the right to make
their own guvernmen nj and laws. Here is
no sanction, no authority, for government
not framed BY the people, bu; founded sole
ly on INVASION. Can this law ehthron, in
rightiul sovereignty bandits from nel.h-
! boring State? As well say that it authorized
them to seize every acre of Kansas, for their