The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-06-24
From the n. Y. Journal Of Commerce.
THE TOPEKA LEGISLATURE.


The Territory in the execution of their duty and to defeat
be wise and equitable measures that have been taken
tr the adoption by the people of a State constitution
aGoyernor Robinson has transmitted his message in
which he recommends immediate and thorough organ
izaton Of the State government by the Topekaes Of
course declares the Topeka constitution the only clear
expression Of the popular will Of Kansas pronounces il
impossible for freeSatc 10 vote at what he terms
the bogus election and Expresses his determination
10 maintain the position of resistance usurped author
y at all hazards and at all times In short the .goy
ornor and the legislature endorse fully tho resolu-
tons adopted some weeks ago by :he Topeka convention
10 those Who read them without the superior light Of
their famer these resolutions appear to cast one of
three equally dscrcditabe imputatons upon the To-
pekaies. First, that they do not constitute three
fiS Of the entire population of the Territory as they
have always boosted oad that they have not the cou
age express their opinions or third that they cannot
afford to deprive themselves and the party with which
they are identified OF the political capital which Kansas
ottages have furnished abundantly They say in the
first of these resolutions that the people THAT IS the
Topcaes) of Kansas Territory cannot participate in any
election under such regulations he regulations prescribed
by law without compromising their rights as American
citizens sacrificing the best interests of Kansas and icon
arlng the public peace" If they admit that the form
place. and time of election of members to frame STATE
constitution should be regulated in suitable rnarnn 4.
hard to how compliance with these regulations
compromises any rights of an American citizen or how
by refusal TO vote at ALL those rights the interests OF
the country and the public peace are better protected
and preserved than by the manly assertion of the most
valuable privilege freeman possesses, in the manner
provided by law. The Topokaites do not mean this
They rather consider that all regulations and legal re-
sicions to the in which the election shall be
la11 ada t,,,, cha H. rs
and Objectionable This also the opinion of Dor and
his adhercns and they generally regarded as rebels
The second Of the Topeka resolutions gives further in
sight into the argument against the possibility Of the
"frce-statc men voting at the lcgalyappoined cleo
ton 1t says:
Having suffered under the misrulc of persons pre
tending to be legal officials of the Territory we have lost
all confidence in their integrity in the administration of
the laws, h0pOer just those lars may appear their face"
If this means anything it is that because former Off
Gals of tho Territory may have L1cE open to censrc and
may have passed Objectionable laws the present officials
who act equitaby and wisely and are determined to pro
tect citizens of all parties in the free expression of their
opinions not entitled to obedience but on the CON
trary are to be resisted at all times and all hazards
this is not treason it certainly is rebellion The third
resolution enunciaes an entirely principle of govern
ment and at variance with the generally received opin
:
hat with the people of any Territory alone rests the
right to change the form of their government subject to
the approval of Congress- given before after steps for
State government have been taken and further that
territorial government is extra-constitutional and at
BEST under ordinances Of Congress purely temporary
The obvious construction Of this is that utterly ire
spectve of the existing government and of all law it is
allowable for portionof the inhabitants of Territory
to constitute themselves Me people," and change the
xrJa
please provided Congress gives previous or subsequent
sanction to their proceedings They arc to count them
selves judges of their qualifications and having sat
sfed themselves that they the people, proclaim
the fact and organize government If this reason
ing were correct there might be any quantity of gov
enments, all equally legal and binding and worthy Of
respect thousand persons might assemble at Topeka
call themselves the people and being satisfied of the fact
vote for particular form Of government Another thou
sand might meet at Lcavenworth another thousand or
fifteen hundred at Shawnee and so on until the entire
population exhausted and they might honestly believe
themselves the people, and each adopt separate govern
mcnt subject to the approval Of Congress But what
could Congress do They must repuatc all such pretended
governments and consider the action of the various sec
tons calling themselves the people as pure anarchy and
tumut The process Of ascertanng the will of the peo
pie of Territory is clearly Defined and is only legally
ea government in the manner prescribed by the cons
tuition The proper measures have been taken by the
territorial government of Kansas to hold the election for
members of a constitutional convention but 'thc free
State mem refuse to comply with them, and declare
their fourth resolution that the Topeka convention the
people, and the Topeka constitution the form Of the State
government which Congress is bound to adopt The fol-
lowing is the resolution
Resolved That the constitution framed at Topeka by
the representatives Of the people of Kansas and ratified
by popular VOTE is still the choice of majority of our
citizens the form of our State government and that
maitrin il and urge Congress immediate admission
as State under it .
Congress must have greater faith than we have in the
mere assertion Of the Topekacs they believe that they
are the representatives of the people of Kansas or that
their constitution was ''ratfed by popular vote The
Iopekates however say that their constitution Is the
only constitutions and that Congress ought to admit them
at once as State under its provisions They declare
that 1--WE maintain it'tha is, that they will persist in
asserting that their constitution adopted without the
8cmbance Of law authority is to override and annul
hat which convention properly assembled in obedience
to the territorial law may adopt 1t is needless to say
which of the two Congress must adopt that which ena
mates from few political deniagogues and their misgui
led followers acting in defiance of the constitution or
mat which has been prepared by the persons duly elected
Tor that purpose and adopted in strict observance of the
plain provisions of the law
The absurdty the mposturc OF the Topelnites and
heir resolutions papable that hope confidently
nat many reeState will not be deceived by their
arguments suffer themselves to be made the tools of
faction to the prejudice of their interests and tran
utility