Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-12-25

Tor ratification or rejection. lhcsc VleW-
were clearly understood, by TIE President
and all his Cabinet. They Were distinctly
set forth IN my letter Of acceptance to
this Office, on the 10Th Of March last, aud
reiterated in my Inaugural Address on the
27th of May last, as follows {; "Iudced,
can not doubt that the Constitution will be
submitted for ratification or rejection by a
majority Of the then actual JyHo n,le resi-
dent settlers of Kansas"
With these views well known to the
President and Cabinet, and approved by
them, | accepted the appointment of Gov
eruor Of Kansas. My instructions from
the President, through the Secretary Of
State, under date of the thiriicth Of March
last, sustain "the regular Legislature Of
the Territory in Assembling Convention
to form COustitution,' and they express
the opinion Of the President that when
such Constitution shall be submitted to
the people Of the Territory, they must be
protected in the exercise Of their right Of
voting for or ocainst the instrument. AMI
the fair expression CT the popular will
must not be interrupted By fraud or VIC
lence.' repeat then, as my clear con
viction, that unless the Convention sub
nit the Constitution to the vote Of all the
actual resident settlers in Kansas, aud the
election be fairly and justly conducted, the
Constitution viii be, and ought to be, re-
icc'ed by Congress. His inaugural most
distinctly asserted, that it was not the
question Of slavery, merely, (Which l be-
lieved to be of little practical importance,
then, in its application to Kansas but
the eutire Constitution, which should Lc
submitted to the people for their Ia,!Gca-
ton or rejection. These were my words
ou that subject in my inaugural at Is
not merely, shall slavery exist in or dis
appear from Kansas, but shall the great
principle Of self-goyernmeut aud State
sovereignty be maintained or subverted ?'
In that inaugural, | proceed further to
say, the people "may by subsequent
vote, defeat the ratification Of the Consti
tuition" l designate this as "great con
right and add, "lbat the Con-
veution is the servant, and not the master,
Of the people,
In my official despatch to you of the ,
Of June last, copy of that inaugural al
dress was Transmitted to you for the fur
ther information Of the President and his
Cabinet. No exception was ever taken to
any portion Of that address. On the con
trary, it is distinctly admitted, by the
President, in his message, with commend,
able frankness, that my Instructions in IA
vor of the submission of the Constitution
TO the vote Of the people, were general
and unqualified" BY that inaugural ,aud
l subsequent address, | was pledged to tie
people Of Kansas to oppose, hy ali "Iawiul
MEANS" the adoption Of any Constitution
which was not fairly and fully submitted
o their vote for ratification or rejection.
These pledges l can not recall or violate,
Without personal dishonor, and the aban.
lonment Of fundamental principles ; and,
therefore,, it is impossible for me 10 sup
'ort what is called the Lec0mpton Con
titution, because it is not submitted to
he vote of the people for ratification or
election.
| have ever uniformly maintained !Lo
rinciplc that sovereignty is vested ezelu-
lively i'll the people Of each State, ,aud that
t performs lis .irst and highest function
n forming State Government and State
Constitution. This highest act Of syver-
ignty, in my Judgment, can only be per-
ormcd by the people themselves, and can
ot be delegated 10 conventions or other
ltermediate bodies Indeed, the whole
oetrine Of the sovereignty ofconyentious,
5 distinct from that Of the pcople-of
onventional or delegated sovereignty, as
ontra distinguished from State or popular
]yreiguty-has ever been discarded by
lr, and was never heard of, to my know
dge, during the canvass of 1896. This
the great principle of State sorrcignty
y the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions |
1898 and 80, sustained by the people
the great political revolution of 1900,
ID embraced in that amendment TO the
cderal Constitution, adopted under the
lspiccs Of Mr. jefferson, declaring tina.
he powers no: delegated to the United I
ates by the Constitution, nor prohibited i
: it TO the States, are reserved to the
atcs' respectively, or to the people. The 7
scryation to 'the States,' is as separate 7
ates, in cxcsing the powers granted by q
cir State Constitutions; and the reserva- j.
N to "ihe people" is the people of the q
veral States, admitted or inchoate, iu I
ercising their sovereign right of framing ''
amending their State Constitution. This p
,w Was set forth in my printed address, II
livered at Na,chez, Mississippi, in jan p
- 1000 .x,;,., NulI;s ,.l;.h re