Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-07-15
; EBENsBURG, JULY .l5. 1857.


Do you mean to tell me that l, ,73i votes con-
stitutes the whole number of votes in the
Territory of Kansas? A voice. % That was
year and a half ago." But should thoee
! 1.731 votes a year and half ago impose
constitution for all the time to come upou the
present people Of Kansas IA voice +" Not
againststheir will.' Should the Constitution
be submitted to their will or not? "A voice
:" Yes" = That gentlemen, is the great qucs-
tiep, so far as they are concerned But I
underetand you claim to be State now, and
that your so-called Legislature, chosen by
small number of votes, propose next week to
enact laws to be enforced IN Kansas. This
miserable minority, constituting not one tenth
of the present people of Kansas, propose, in
absolute defiance of the acts Of Congress, and
in open rebellion, mark you. gentlemen, not
only against the Territorial laws, but against
the laws and government of the United States,
| to assemble here, and, representing ,731
people, imposing this Constitution BY force
| upon the people of Kansas by the enactment
| of laws A voice. Where are those 10 600
voters that are not on the record p Some
Inadvertently omitted, many who would not
register, and thousands who have arrived
since the 18th of March last AS regards
the register, however, l say to you that it is
of comparatively little consequence if the
| Constitution be submitted to the whole people.
| 1t may suit the purposes of fraction to ask
such questions by those who refuse to register,
but the substantive is that the Constitution
can be of no force or effect unless it is sub
mitted to the people, and if it is not sub
mitted it is for them to declare wheth-
er they will adopt it or not. But here comes
body of men acting in difance Of the laws
of Congress and in open rebellion against the
government of the United States. representing
according to their own Statement, less than
one tenth of the people of Kansas, who come
forward and say that the people next fall shall
not decide this question! That neither you
nor nor any of our fellow citizens elsewhere
throughout the Territory shall have the right
to determine whether we shall accept the new
Constitution or reject it
l. Gentlemen, I come here for tho purpoee
of peace and pacifcation. / come here to in
| augurate the rule of law of justice, and of
the whole people of Kansas, by giving them
all an opportunity of adopting sheir own Con-
stitution instead of allowing handful of 1,
| 73l men to thrust Constitution on them, by
! adopting code of laws, prepared by their
various committees, cut and dry, to put in op-
Grafton as soon as they meet binding the
whole people of the Territory and 6epriyiug
!
of government and to adopt their own Con-
stitution. T-r
Now, then, I repeat that [ como here for
the purpose of restoring and perpetuating
peace, but tell youIcandidly TINT my instruc-
tions and my oath of Office require me to put
down the execution of such laws, and for the
good of the people of Kansas, they must and
will be put, down. ylCries of never never.
4 voice. Do not the people of the United
States say that those laws are rightT) The
people of the United States have just elected
President who declares that such laws wo,d
be unconstitutional. null and void. (A voice
81 who cares F') Nay, more the people
of the United States have just elected ma
jority to Congress who entertain the same
opinion with him. This is matter involv-
ing the peace. happiness and prosperity of the
whole people. Your towns will advance in
in portauce and wealth. your claims will in
crease in value, harmony and good will will
reign throughout the Territory if the people
who now here and who will be here IN
November or December next will only decide
! for themselves what shall be their own form
of government, and their own social linstitu-
tons But what is it this Legislature pro-
| poses to do. without the slightest necessity,
without the slightest pretext or apology uu
I speak not now as regards the past Iwish
| to God that you and |, and all of us could rub
out the past. { Ayoiee, g 1t cannot be donc;"
another voice, ''Rub out the bogus laws =
Rub them out. gentlemen, if you please, by
vote of the people. G We cannot get that
I Y ou can get that. CA voice, lsGive us fair
vote at the next election. " You will get it.
At the next election in October when you
elect the Territorial Legislature you can re-
peal those laws, and you can then also, by a
majority of your own votes, adopt or reject
the Constitution presented for your considera-
ton next fall. Now, what [ ask again, is
proposed to be done by this Legislature 2 1t
is proposed to put in operation body flaws.
But you must remember the passage of laws
:. It has been here y A law is, command;
it exacts obedience from the whole people,
and is to be actually put In force in the Ter
ritory- What is the consequence? Why
you thus produce an absolute. clear, direct
and positive collision between that Legisla-
ture and the Government ofthe United States
There are Two sets of laws to govern you
Every mans contract, every mans title. ey-
cry mans possession will then be involved in
difficulty, and in the course of three or four
months you will have large importation of
lawyers Ca voice We have plenty of
them now. ."-laughter38 twill involve you
in endless litigation, from which there will be
no possible axtrication. Nov, gentlemen. is
there any necessity for this ca voice mo.
none /; not q bit; there never was.o Can
lyou not peacefully decide this question in the
mode pointed out by tho act Of Congress, If.
as You can and will have, a fair aud full op-
| ,se>c. oin n A