The Kanzas news., 1857-12-12
RIA, KANZAS, DECEMBER IL. 1857.

IN the Old Dominion Douglas triumphant
at Washington! Douglas triumphant In
Kanzas Three years more and the Little
! Giant will be triumphant in the country,
and seated as President in the White House.
What happy expedient to settle the diff
culties in KanEas and relieve the Democracy
Who can stand before such a man? The
people win be gulled, and should We not
vote, it will only be said that it was faction
i lists who SO refused. In this emergency we
must rely on ourselves. He had no plan to
suggest; but one thing must be adhered to.
The Nebraska bill contained a distinctive
feature; that feature-Popular Sovereignty
had been trampled out by its parents
| Let the people of Kanzas take it up, and see
to it that it is fairly carried out. Let us in
our conduct give the country proof of our
determination to have that and thatalone-" :"
at this juncture, Gen. Lane reported the
Committee on Resolutions ready. TheJadge
gave way, and the following preamble and
resolutions were read:
We, the people of Kanzas in Delegate
Convention assembled, at Lawrence, this
ed day of December, 1857, do set forth
the following to our fellow citizens and the
people of these United States:
| Circumstances of an extraordinary char
acter threaten to imperil the peace of this
Territory, and to deprive a majority of our
people of their rights, as citizens of this re-
public, to govern the same.
On the 3Oth of March, 1855, an armed
force from Missouri violently took posses
sion of the polls in Kanzas, and fraudulent
| ly elected Territorial Legislature, with
fc oar To Xha 0f
jority of the people, and enacted laws cruel
and oppressive. A Legislature composed
in part of persons elected as above, and of
other persons elected in October, 1856, in
like violent and fraudulent manner, and un-
der degrading test oaths enacted by the pre-
vious body, pissed an act for the creation
of a Constitutional Convention under a
partial partisan registration and apportidn-
ment and in the election of members to
said Constitutional Convention, the law
providing for the same was never complied
with in many important and essential par
tieulars, especially in taking complete cen
sus of the people, and registry of the voters
of the Territory, fifteen entire counties be-
ing totally disfranchised and many voters
in the other counties left off. The Con-
vention that assembled in Lecompton in
September last, thus elected, have proceed
ed to frame a Constitution for the State of
Kanzas, in defiance of the fact that they, by
their own record, represented small mi
nority of the people of this Territory, being
only seventeen hundred out of twenty thou
sand voters, conceded to be in the Terrific
ry, that their proceedings were protested
against by the people on the ground of ille-
gality and unlairness, and that the presence
of portion of the United States army was
necessary to protect them during their sit
tings, against the indignation of an outrag-
ed people. In the face of these facts they
refused to submit the instrument they have
thus framed to vote of the people for rat
i6cation or rejection. They provide for a
swindle, styled by them an election, in
which neither the Constitution, nor any
material part thereof, can be elected or re-
jeeted. They have, pending this action,
provided for State election on the first
Monday of Janaury next, under said instru-
ment. and under the authority of a usurp-
ing Regency, unknown to constitutional
authority, and dangerous to the liberties of
the people, the design of the same being to
rob from the people of Kanzas their rights, |
as rescued through the ballot-box in Octo-
Der last, and destroy the only legitimate
Territorial Legislative body ever IN Kan
zas. This dangerous assumption Of power
calls for prompt and efficient remedy from
the people, the only legitimate source of
power; therefore
RESOLVED, 1st, That we utterly repudiate |
said constitution, framed at Lecompton,
that it is an instrument hostile to the popu- |
lar will, and appealing to the God of just ce |
and humanity for the rectitude of our in
tentions, we do solemnly enter into league |
and covenant with each other, that we shall |
never, under any circumstances, permit the |
said Constitution, so framed, and NOT SUB
MTTTED, to be the organ law for the State |
of Kanzas, but do pledge our lives, our for |
tunes and our sacred honors in ceaseless |
hostility to the same.
ResolUed, Cd, That we denounce the So
called election of December 21st, as a |
swindle, and the election of January 4th. |
1853, as crime and misdemeanor against
the peace of this Territory, and the will of
the majority.
ResoEued, Sd, That the Legislature elect
ed in this Territory on the 9Th day of Oc-
tober, 1857, Is the only legitimate law-ma-
king body that has ever been elected for
the Territory of Kanzas, and that its func-
tons shall not be suspended by any Con-
stltution or State Government until a fair
and impartial vote shall be had on the same.
Resolved. 4th. That this Delegate Con-
vention do hereby re-endorse the constitu-
ton known as the Topeka Constitution; and
do declare it to represent the wishes of the
majority of the people of Kanzas to-day.
and that when it shall have again received
the popular sanction, under authority of the
only legitimate Territorial Legislature ever
convened in Kansas Territory. recognized /
by the authority of the United States, that
we shall maintain it against all opposition
ResotUed, 5th, That, looking chiefly to
the above end, we respectfully memorialize