The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-12-19
Fresidsni,s Message.

The Chicago Tines has a fuller syn
opsis than we have seen elsewhere Of tie
Presidents Message. We extract the
following in regard to Kansas -
The President considers the Kansas
question at length, saying that under the
Kansas n ebraska act, the Convention was
not bouDd TO submit any other portion OF
the instrument to an election but that
which relates to the domestic institution
of slavery. This vii, be rendered clear
by a simple reference to ifs language. AZ
this election every citizen will have an
opportunity of expressing his opinion by
his vote, whether Kansas shall be recciy-
ed into the Union with or without slave.
~, and thus the exciting question mag
be peacefully settled III the very mode
required by the Organic law. The cleo.
ton will be held under the legitimate gu.
thority. and if any POI tion Of the inhabit'
ants shall refuse TO vote, fair oppOrtu-
nifty to do SO having been presented, this
will be their own voluntary act, and they
alone will be responsible for the eonse-
quences whether Kansas shall be free
or slave State, must eventually, under
some authority, be decided by an election,
and the question can never be more eleal-
" or distinctly presented to the peOPs;
than it is at the present moment. Should
this opportunity be neglected, she may be
involved for years in domestic diseord,
and possibly in civil war, before she can
again make an issue, now so fortunaie!
rendered, and again reach the point she
has already attained. Kansas has for some
years occupied too much public aiteniIop'
and it is high time that this should be d.
rected to far more important objec;s II
once admitted in the Union. whether with
or without slavery, the excitement beyond
her own limits will speedily pass away
and she will then. for the first time, Be
left, as she ought to have been long slnee'
TO manage her own sffsiFs, iii her Own
way. Ii her constitution, on the suhJea
of slavery, or any other subject, be Dis,
pleasing to majority of the people o.
the Territory, no human power can pre-,
vent them from charging il, within biiei
period. Under these circumstances i
may, it viii, be questioned whether the
peace of the whole country is not o.
greater importance than mere triumph
of eitherof the political powers in han
sas, should the Constitution without slave
~ be adopted by the votes of majority
The rights of property in slaves now il
the Territory are reserved. The nGH-
berof these is very small, but if it "eie
greater the provision would be equaii!
inst and reasonble. These slaves we're
brought into the TerEitoy under the Uon-
stitution of the United States, and are
now the property of their masters. IN;
point has at length been finally dec'oeu
by the highest judicial tribunal Of inc
country, and this on the plain principe
that when q coDfederacy of Sovereign
States require a new Territory at tneA
joint expense, equality and justice esi
mand that the citizens, of one and al 2.
them, shall have the rightto take into y
whatever is recognized As property BY 'n'
common Constitution. To have cobiiseA
ted the property in slaves already ID JIG
Territory would have been an act Oh s'osss
injustice, and contrary TO the prac.iee :.
the older Statesof the Union which law
abolished slavery.