The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-07-10
THE GREAT QUESTION BEFORE THE COUNTRY
OPINIONS or THE PRESS THE PRINCIPLE OF
POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY MUST BE MAIN

THE GREAT QUESTION BEFORE THE COUNTRY u
OPINIONS or THE PRESS THE PRINCIPLE OF
POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY MUST BE MAIN
TANNED.
The following article ON q The vexed constitu-
tional questions Of kansas is copied from the Rich
mond Enquirer of last Tuesday issue:
1t is not very difficult matter, sure, to
tain the principles of conduct which should govern
the democratic party on the Questions OF KANSAS. At any
shall do with very cool Indifference to the clamo
now rife ON the subject
In the first place it Is clear that all citizens bound
by the laws Of the country The Legislature Of Kansas
ii under the control Of Congress but at present all egs
ative powers ntrusted by express delegation from
Congress- to the hands of tho territorial government Of
Kansas. Congress has, by the most formal and positive
enacmens transferred the entire conduct OF affairs IN
Kansas TO the local government The principles Of the
Kansas Nebraska act upon every mans tongue but
how few there who have taken the pains TO examine
the act itself Take single provision of that act
With unmportant exceptions of power TO tax the
lands Of the United States and of nonresidcns the fol-
lowing section hands all powers OF legislation TO the
Territory
Sec. a. And b 10 further enacted, That The Legislature
porer IF The Territory shall enrd q ALL NGHIFuL SUB
JECS of legislation consistent with the constitution of
the United States, sc.
Such is the tenor and spirit Of the whole act being
the intention and policy Of Congress to leave the people
of the Territory perfectly free to form and regulate their
domestic institutions in their own way
,,ansd ~ t,er o,y,, .,,rs hv tbc M;ssn,r
Compromise, Congress- in the Kansas Nebraska act took
especial pains to that impairment by declaring il
noperayc and void, adding as the reason and cSiia
nation of doing 80 the declaration
peing ,he true nten. anu meaning u 'his NV no'
70 ic5isttc slavery ihto any lcrri'y " nc' ho' " sN
cludc it therefrom but 70 arc The people thereof perfectly free
% Jorm ana regulate sr domestic "a0so " he" oen ray
Sc
Having thus transferred all powers of legislation to the
1crritoryto sthe Territory in its entirety and not to
its legislature or any particular department of its govern
mentCongrcss has from that day TO this abstancd from
all legislation OF interference in its affairs 1t could ut
any moment have expressly repealed modified its gen
era grant of legislative powers tacitly resumed po
ton of those powers by exercising them itself but it has
never done So and from the passage Of the organic
1854 until this day athe Territory Of Kansas has pos
sess all powers Of legislation in the Territory not in
consistent with the constitution Of the United States
Among these powers of legislation those for
thorizng convention of the Territory and for framing
constitution preparatory to its admission as State into
the Union Accordingly last winter the territorial legs
ature enacted law providing for an enumeration of the
Inhabitants and the ELECTION Of constitutional conye
ton This law was PASSED with the knowledge Of Con
grcss and by its tact consent Indeed the whole coun
ry except the Topeka faction within the Territory and
the black repubcn marty Mt the North acauiesced in
this law and tacitly-sanctioned and approved it.
Thus not only has the entire power over this subject
been surrendered bv Congress to he TERRITORY is to
W.
ercse of this power has been acquiesced in by Congress
The whole subiectmattcr has been left the manage
mcnt of the Territory and there is no power but Con
grcs that can interfere TO control the manner in which
their work shall be conductesl-Congress itself being
estoppe from interference by the principles Of the Kan
s,s Nebraska act and y its silence last winter in the
ncpicncy Of this movement in the Territory for Il con
ycntion
Thus the Territory of Kansas has been clothed by
Congress with the same powers over the whole subject Of
the framing Of d constitution and its adoption by the
people as Il would have over the subject ii t were mn in
dependent sovereign State We in Virginia or they in
South Carolina OF Massachusetts or Kaschatka have no
more right TO interfere IN the matter as ,hey snail choose
70 manage ~ ny our clanor o. o.nerWse' 'han c peo
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eis nm e ,., ~, ..,.,., .,,o,. =. 4,
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, -. 80 s,i e; az ,f 800 liz 10 -
wav \, -pD .1' G#I
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