Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-07-23
The administration and Kansas.

The Washington Union of a late date
contains an able and elaborate exposi-
ton of the national Administration,
with reference to the policy of Governor
Walker, in Kansas, and to which the
recent Georgia and Mississippi Demo
cratic State Conventions demurred so
vehcmently. The article is written in
excellent temper, and argues that in
urging the submission of the people in
their primary capacity, Gov. Walker is
simply urging adherence to the princi-
pie of popular sovereignty as embraced
in the kansas-Nebraska act, to which
every Southern supporter of the DEM
ocratic National ticket pledged himself
in the late Presidential canvass 1t
also argues that the President cannot
countenance my other course on the
part of the Convention, without, in effect,
endorcing and throwing himself upon
the principle of the Republican party,
which claims that the right to choose
institutions for the ncw State rests not
in the bona tfdeEoters thereof, but else
where. 1t holds that no power on earth
is vested with the right to choose those
institutions under the new law of the
Iai+eiteeEU&th principle of the
Constitution, save the people of KANSAS,
and cites the decision of the Supreme
Court in the bred Scott case to prove
the correctness Of this opinion.
The natural and proper conclusion
from these strong premises is, that
though contention may last for years
longer, when finally settled the institu-
lions of the State of Kansas must and
will be in accordance with the will of
its people and, further, that there can
exist no reasonable. hope hat the con
troversy will end until the question
shall have been disposed Of in that way,
upon the question Of the submission of
the Constitution to the people. After
showing that, though not 4 sine qua non
in all cases, in this case ii is absolutely
necessary, in order to bring about a ter
mination Of the controversy. The ar
ticle disposcs completely of the bugbear
of submission. in the following para
graph-that being the point on which
the objections at the South bears:
"But who are the people? What
shall be the qualifications of a voter on
the constitution when it comes to be
submitted We answer that this is for
the Convention to settle. Those who
think that the Convention might declare
the Constitution in full force by virtue
of their own will, can hardly deny thai
they might append tot a condition re-
quiring it to be first approved By the
people. If they can do this they can
say what classes Of persons shall be
counted as being part Of the people.
al Constitution exercised this power
they referred it to their constituents,
(the Statesl, and prescribed that their
appreciation should be given or with
held by State Conventions. The voters
were men enfranchised by the Conycn-
ton for the first time. OF course the
Kansas Convention will see that every
proper guard is thrown around the le-
gal voter, and that his boaa fde inten-
ton to remain in the Territory is tested
by a previous residence Of sufficient
length. We should say that the quail
6cations required to make a legal voter
uader the Constitution ought to entitle
an inhabitant to vote upon it-for or
! against its adoption.