Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-07-10
KANSAS AND GOV. WALKER.

KANSAS AND GOV. WALKER.
10 NE Editors Of tie Enquirer:
WASHINGTON, July 18th, 1851.
n,,eme,- This has been the dullest day | ever
witnessed in INV life. All business is suspended, but
M Celebration Of the anniversary relieves the tedlum
of the
oIony sunny lapsc Of u Summer days light"
And no RELIGIOUS exercises change and elevate the
every dsy inono:nny of thought. The learning our
bread in the sweat CT our race, Il NO vui'o on a. ravcr
is never 20 miserable rs when unemployed anu neve'
| an liable TO run into immortality and vice. Inc sreal'
| eat source of human happiness J.. continual neanny'
| moderate industry. Man is like the geo anu ihe am,
| ;ndrstry ia part OF his nature. lie is most miserable
| when all his wants are gratitied, for thea ne Is 6n.oy-
! ed with ennui, tsdium vitae, listlessness ana safety.
and il ready 10 exclRin, with Solomon vanity OF
~vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity Of vanltles; all Is
vanity ~ Life is a mere fox.hunt the chase 10 ex'
hilaratiug and delightful, but the brish 10 as unsatis'
factory as the wealth, tue wisdom and the Kingdom
of Solomon. Tie poor, if healthy, moral and proEta'
by employed, are the happiest, because they never
get the brush, never suffer from ennui aud safety
Uneasy lies the head that wears acrown!
Yet, despite my philosophy, l should like to try cne.
All this. however, is far from my purpose; for / sal
down 10 write To you about Gov. Walker and IS an
sas. and to help settle the affairs OF the nation. IL
nerous a nos moutons." Many object 10 Walkers
| course or conduct, because they say he Is interfering
with The freedom Ul cIctliUu. lHo ColEc "a pihuo
BILE, but utterly false. lie interleres as he shouid in
terfere, to procure a full and fair expression OF all the
voters OF kslsSs, of their wishes aud opinions a. 10
the projet OF the Constitution about 10 De submitted
TO them. Recollect, thee Ynder the law and practice
OF the territory, all meu vic declare themselves nc
tual, permanent residents, are eatGed TO vote Tor Ter
ritorial officers, no matter il they cGIe 10 the State
the very day of the election. This Is s prote. viori'
sion in q neg State, where it IL desirable to etcoL
rage iinmigrati"a, and where all are new corners.
Gov. Walkers CoIsss has been satisfactory to the
pro.slsvery men Of kanesE, snd offensive 10 the anti
slavery men. So much SO, ttat aimee b. delivored has
| inaugural on election tor members oi tie Convention
has taken place, tn which the unti.slaVeiy zen, gen
orally refused to tsks part, and thereby The ConSan.
ton and the framing Of the Constitution 0re ;hro%h
| entirely into the hands Of tie pro slavery men,: The
opposite party ara so much otiendsd with Walker
tina, they nave not Vuiy refused to .ote t'r members
of the Convention but continue their lreCsvaseie
Topeka proceedings. Now, | ask, ia il possible, that
Walkers course is preIudicisi and injurious 10 South.
en men, and yet they sustain him, o. ,hst Il Il par.
tiSl Qui favorable 10 Northern men, aud yst iheY 0p.
pose LINZ Mo-! such a state of things is incredible.
And yet the people of Kansas are the best, The only
competent Judges OF his course.
Walker il but carrying into practice, fsar!essiy
| and zsa!ous!y, tho p~riEciIiai CT the Kansas. Nebraska
Bil-the doctrine Of non intervention. ANY citizen
of this Union hns the rtyM to Use ii! lis Influence,
and all his intellectual ability, to secure G lag siection
in Kansas, or in any other territory or h,ste-kGd 70
use that influence and that ability to procure the re-.
lection Of q Constitution unfairly obtained. Whist
all have tie rfght thus To act. IL IL the Gaip ct Its ter
ritoriul Governor 30 to DO. lie lie placed IN power 10
protect and secure the people in the enjoyment aud
exercise of all their !esSl rights and privileges.
Some object, that tbs Governors course il indeli.
cate. Ia delicacy to stand in The gay Yhen the Union
ia jeoparded2 Gov. Wise did ECt tEink go, when he
invited a meeting Of the Southern ooSe:aors, and
thereby defeated Fremont, and saved his cca.t.y.
Would the South lave the prolet of a Constitution,
framed by the representatives Of the registered vO.
tiers only, iwiin are but II fraction of the people, and
represent but One party in the territury,l submitted
To Congress. and adopted by it. without consulting the
people of the territory! Surely no fair.miudsd man
would. Such injustice would be Indignantly resented.
The new State would forthwith change its Constitu.
ton, however go;d it might be, merely because it had
been paiIned upon it, and thus c:yiI discord would be
famed into higher excitement.
To submit tho Constitution to the registered voters
only, would be q trick equally unworthy OF SoatlI.
erners. Ii il said by SONS, that all might hsve re.
gistered themselves before the 18Th of March last,
and, 10y neg.ectiuE " do SO, they have forfeited their
right 10 vote on the Constitution. Now, the law as
certaining who shall vote for members Of the Con.
ventiou. ia special in its prJvisiuns, aud only refers
to that single occas!on-nOt to vO:,Ig on the Consti.
tuition when submitted, nor TO any other occasion
whatever. Tha general law nj suffrage S.ves all nc
tual residents the right to vote. But wodtd 1t be
Just or exptdient, even If it were technically right,
to refer the Constitution TO the registered voters only,
Should We punish men 70" c1iitunAcy, by INJECTING
on them institutions tn winch they are lnimical i
Ought u Constitution 10 be e.,gcted, like a Judgment
AZ law, Tor Default oil QppchfNiiGet NO. II9Ee, ana
Robiuson. aud their Topeka allies. aye criminals,
who should be punished like other criRirsls, not by
forcing upon them Il Constitution which they would
be sure to get rid Of i'll lees than a year.
Two other plans of procedure in this matter Ia.
main TO be considered. The uEe which seems most
popular with conservatives IL The South, IL, that the
Convention, To ascertain who are actual residents,
and 10 get a full and fair vote OF all actual residents,
shall exclude from tie privilege of suffrage all men
who have not resided in the territory Soc a period TO
be fixed by the Convention. Now this plan on it's
face defeats itself, and is not a submission 10 the peo.
Pile Of Kansas, but 10 II portion only OF thcnl. Ii can
never give satisfaction because 1t is against the geni
US, The feeling and policy Of the West, aud Of all
new settlements, aud takes away the right Of sui
irage which Ina been habitunly enjoyed. on the
very occasion ot all others, when the sense of the
whole people should be taken. For, i'll voting for
the organic law, society is for the moment dissolved,
and men are reini,ted, al least, to theoreticai equality.
Other equality never did, ~ can exist.
a Convention 10 frame Il Constitution may right
fully aud properly, and ia Indeed bound, 10 regulate
the time, manner and place Of submitting its work To
tho people, where the Legislature has been silent on
those subjects. Ii may require oa:hs, or any other
evidence, or test, 10 ascertain wl!u are voterS-but II
cannot determine who shall be vuters-that would
be to make the mere PROJECT Of q Consultation like III
actual Constitution. That would enable the Convcn.
ton To ratty and confirm is own work, by selecting
such a body of voters rs were known to agree in
opinion with the Convention. In the present in
stance, q reference back 20 the registered voters,
would, IN effect, be no more than the ratification by the
Convention ct its own work; for those voters concur
with their representatives in opinion cn the sutjects
which distract the Territory, whilst it is generally
| agreed, that u large majority Of the people of the
Territory differ from thuui.
The restricting the ordinary right of suffrage for
this special occasion is u measure OF very doubtful
expediency, whilst the right, to impose such restric.
ton, under the pretence OF regulating the manner nf
holding the election and ascertaining the sense of the
| voters, is more than doubtful. The Convention can
neither give, nor take away the right of suffrage; it
only meets to make a proposition 10 the people aud
TO Congressman to enact a a law.
Hence, I think il follows of necessity, that 20 other
plan than that Of Gov. Walkers, a submission to all
the present voters of the territory, TO all settlers at
the tune the vote is taken, is e%xpedient, legal or prac-
teal.
Bat mark what follows. To the South the Union is
chiefly indebted for all lis territory; the vas, North.
Western Territory amongst the rest. Opposition to
tue acquision Of territory hiss always existed at the
North, and but for the South, not an inch would ever
nave eeeu added to the Unisn. We have at least
eqaal right in it This opposition 10 increase of terri
M' , "as Always been most jealous aud into'erant III
massachusetts,: and with tho Federal Party in Massa.
cno4''s' inc sIres of the iutidels. the free lovers, the
asraf,shS' inc spiritual rappers, aud the abol,ipnisis,
Muo assface humanity in Boston; the sires Of tie
men, VINO are buying up The rabble, the prolutsriais,
VINO iniest and disturb society at home. armiu., ,i,,ia
with rides, aud sending them to Kansas, 10 ATTEMPT
To expel ignominiOusly from her fair fields tho Sor,b.
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