The Kanzas news., 1857-12-19
That Pledge.

GAS the representatives of the people of
Kanzas, duly elected and commissioned, we
take the liberty of frankly stating to your
Excellency, that We shall not deem it neces-
ssry or proper, if you call an extra session
of the said Legislative Assembly, agreeably
to our urgent and earnest request, to meet
the present extraordinary crisis in our Ter
ritorial history, for the said Legislature to
enter upon, or engage in any business other
than that which may be necessary, an oar
Judgment, to counteract as far as We can le-
gally, the proceedings for the pretended sub
mission of the so-called Lecompton Consti-
tuition to vote Of the people, or to give the
bona .ede citizens of the Territory fair and
impartial opportunity. through the ballot
box, TO express themselves in favor of or
against that instrument"
Signed by Lymau Allen, G. w. Deitzler,
and others, members of the Territorial Leg
islature.
The above is the gist of the pledge made
to Acting Governor Stanton, by the mem
bers of the Legislature, and on the strength
of which the special session was called
Lanes pledge was couched in similar Ian
guage and is of the same purport. The
construction put upon these pledges By Lane
in bis speech at LecomptOn on the 7th inst,
was that the Legislature should do nothing
that did not Immediately effect the Lecomp-
ton Constitution. This was also the con-
struction put upon them by some of the
members of the Legislature, and was un-
derstood to be Stanton's construction. This
was the plea on the part of the members of
the Legislature for refusing to carry out the
wish of the Lawrence Delegate Convention.
"Our honor is at stake''-the "bonor of
the great Free State party, as Lane express
ed it,-"and nothing can be done which
does not Immediately effect the Lecompton
Constitution Consistency is a jewel, :"
and after these vehement protestations about
''sacred honor" ''plighted faith,'' &C., we
had expected to see these men live up to the
letter of this pledge as construed by them
selves. But it seems that almost any kind
of legislation will sseffect the Lecompton
Constitution" excepting submitting the To-
peka Constitution to vote of the people,
as designated by the Delegate Convention.
They have passed militia law, which al
though good in all its provisions, is just as
inconsistent with this pledge as would be a
submission of the Topeka Constitution to
the people. Nor is this all A bill provi-
ding for the election of Delegates to Con-
stitutional Convention, framed by Mr.. Lane
himself, was introduced into the House on
Tuesday last,-but defeated by small ma
jority-whieh will, undoubtedly pass, with
some slight modification. This bill will,
it is understood, be signed by Gov. Stanton
without hesitation. The drift of all this is
easily to be seen. The Democracy hate the
Topeka Constitution. The only position
ever occupied by the people of Kanzas in
which they were at all formidable to their
enemies was in adherence to and support of
that Constitution. Governor Stanton hates
it. He is pledged to destroy it. Hence his
anxiety to prevent the people from again
giving it their endorsement.
1t is not the letters and words of the To-
peka Constitution to which We adhere, and
which We cherish. 1t is the principle in
volyed in its formation-the right of the
people to govern themselves-which is the
inherent and vital principle of Republican
ism. This feeling is shared, we firmly be-
lieve, by large majority of the people of
Kanzas; and we are sorry to see the most
prominent supporters of that Constitution
made the instruments in the hands of de-
signing demagogues for its overthrow.