The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-12-12
Buchanan's Warwick Speaks.

The man who contributed more than any
other dozen men to elect Mr.. BUCHANAN to
the Presidency, was Col. JOHN FoRNEY, of
Pa. He now publishes the Free Press in Phila-
delphia, and on the goth broke ground against
the Kansas Constitution, in the following
style:
We publish this morning the schedule ad-
opted by the Kansas Constitutional Conven-
ton. Contrary to utat aoe c0nceipe TO be the true
intent and meaning of the Kansas Nebraska act
the resolutions of the Cincinnati Platform,
the Inaugural Address of Mr.. Buchanan, the
recommendations of Governor Waller, the
pledges of many of the members of that
Convention, the general expectations of the
country, and in defiance of the true principles
of liberal Democratic government, that body
has refused to submit its work fairly to the
citizens OF Kansas. There is no honest sub
mission of the new Constitution to the action
of the people. 1t is provided that they may
vote for "the Constitution with Slavery or
for "the Constitution without Slavery but
tn y cannot vote against the Constitution, ne
matter how much they may be opposed to its
provisions. They are not allowed an oppor-
tunity of saying whether they do or do not de-
to be their fundamental law, and by the ab-
negation of this privilege they are deprived
of the full exercise Of that right of forming
their own institutions, to which they are en-
titled by every consideration of Justice and
right. The proposed election is in less COM
plete and more offensive form than that by
which Louis Napoleon obtained the confir-
nation of his assumption Of the position of
Emperor from the French people. While he
refused to give them an opportunity to vote
for such candidates as they preferred, he still
submitted the proposition whether he should
not be placed upon the throne. He at least
gave them chance to cote him doun if they
desired to do So This right the Kansas Con-
stitutional Convention has refused to the pco-
pie Of that Territory. The pervading idea
of Democratic Government is that all public
representatives and officials are mere SER
wants, whose highest duty is to guard the
interests aud carry out the will OF a higher
power-that of the people, the only true
soyereigns. The Convention has acted as
though it was the master instead or the SER
va t-as though twas determined to fssten
and make binding its action upon its constit-
uency. This strange and unjust proceeding
necessltates the conviction-that it was "a
iraid of popular condemnation, afraid to trust
lis work to the free action of the people
ai aid to do its duty, and to place the power
OF final judgment upon its proceedings where
it helonged-in the hands of those most
deeply interested in them. If the Constitu-
ton suits majoritysof the people of Kansas,
they would vote for it in any event, and it
would become their fundamental law. If it
'oes not conform to the views and REQUIRE
ments OF majority Of the citizens of Kansas
they should have an opportunity OF voting a.
rainst it. This proposition seems so clear
that we are surprised that it should be ques
toned in any quarter. Even the Convention
was not altogether destitute OF some idea of
the justice of this principle, 70" it proposes
to leave the people to say whether they are to
Lave the Constitution with or without Sla-
very. What right had it to limit the power
OF the people to action upon merely one ques-
ton, and to confne their judgement even up-
on that by narrow boundaries ? The whole
power belonged to the citizens of the Terri
tory. There was no warrant for dividing it.
and we can conceive no just and proper rea-
son for thus dwarting their sovereignty.-
The whole affair wears the aspect of mere
trlck-an unworthy expedient-which should
meet with no favor There are other features
of this schedule at an extraordinary charac-
ter but we shall not comment upon them
now. We regret and dep!ore the action of
the Convention, and considering in how
slight degree it represented the whole body
of the people of the Territory, are greatly
disappointed that it did not magnaniRously
crown its labors by submitting them fully
and fairly to all its citizens, and thus have
closed forever the mouths of those who have
clamored so loudly against the Democratic
party on the score Of alleged frauds in Kan
sas, and brought the exciting drama of the
Territorial difficulty to final Close