White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-12-31

adopted BY the convention. . shah be sent 70
Congress for admission into the Union rs a
State" an election shall be held 10 decide this
question, at which all the white male inhabit-
ants Of the territory above the age Of twenty
one are entitled to vote. They are to vote by
ballot; and "the ballots cast at said election
shall be endorsed constitution with slavery, and
constitution with no slavery" II there be a
majority in favor Of the constitution with sla-
very" then it is to be transmitted 70 Congress
BY the President Of the convention in its origi-
nal form. If, on the contrary, there shall be q
majority in favor Of the " constitution with no
slavery, " then the article providing for slavery
shall be stricken from the constitution by the Pres
ident of this convention" and it is expressly
declared that no slavery shall exist in the State
Of Kansas, except that the right Of property in
slaves now in the Territory shall in no manner
be interfered with" and in that event it lie made
his duty TO have the constitution thus ratified
transmitted to the Congress of the United States
for the admission Of the State into the Union.
At this election every citizen viii have an op-
pOrtunity Of expressing his opinion by his vote
"Shether Kansas shall be received into the
Union with or without slavery" and thus this
exciting question maybe peacefully settled in the
very mode required by the organic law. The
election will be held under legitimate authority,
and If any portion of tho inhabitants shallrefuse
| to vote, fair opportunity to do so having been
presented. this win be their own voluntary act,
and they alone viii be responsible for the cOnse-
quenees.
+ Whether Kansas shall be free or slave State
must eventually, under some authority. be deci-
ded BY an election; and the question can never
be more clearly or distinctly presented to the
people, than IT is at the present moment. Should
this opportunity be rejected, she may be involv-
ed for years in domestic discord, and possibly in
civil war, before she can again make up the is
sue now so fortunately rendered, and again reach
the point she has already attained.
Kansas has for some years occupied too much
Of the public attention. II is high time this
should be directed to far more important OBJ
jects. When once admitted into the Union,
whether with or without slavery, the excitement
beyond her own limits viii speedily pass away,
and she will then for the first time be left as she
ought to have been long since, to manage her
own affairs in her own way. Ifher constitution
on the subject Of slavery, or on any other sub
ject, be displeasing to a majority Of the people,
no human power can prevent them from chang
ing il within brief period. Under these cir
cumstanees, il may well be questioned whether
the peace and quiet of the whole country are
not Of greater Importance than the mere tempo
rary triumph of either of the political parties in
Kansas.
Should the constitution without slavery be
adopted by the votes of the majority, the rights
Of property in slaves now in the Territory are
reserved. The number Of these is very small ;
but if it were greater the provision would be
equally just and reasonable. These slaves we're
brought into the Territory under the constitution
Of the United States, and are now the property
Of their masters. This point has at length been
finally decided by the highest judicial tribunal
of the country; and this upon the plain princi-
pie that when a cOnfederacy Of sovereign States
acquire new Territory at their joint expense,
both equality and justice demand that the citi-
zens Of one and all of them shall have the right
to take into it whatsoever is recognized as prop
erty by the common constitution. To have sum-
marily con6scated the property in slaves already
in the Territory, would have been an act of
gross injustice, and contrary to the practice of
the oldest States of the Union which have abol-
ished slavery.
A Territorial Government was established for
Utah, by act Of Congress approved the 9th Sep
TENDER, 1850, and the constitution and laws of
the United States were thereby extended over
it " so far as the same, or any provisions thereof
may be applicable" This act provided for the
appointment by the President, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate, of q Cover
nor, who was to be ex-officio Superintendent of
Indian Affairs, Secretary. three Judges of the
Supreme Court, Marshal, and District At
torney. Subsequent acts provided for the ap-
pointment of the officers necessary to extend our
land and our Indian system over the Territory.
Brigham Young was appointed the first Cover
nor on the Doth September, 1850, and has held
the Office ever since. Whilst Governor Young
has been both Governor aad Superintendent Of
Indian Affairs throughout this period, he Ms
been at the same time the head Of the church,
called the Latter-day Saints, and processes to
govern its members and dispose of their proper
ty by direct inspiration and authority from the
Almighty. His power has been, therefore, abb
solute over both Church and State.
The people of Utah, almost exclusively, be-
long to the church, and believing with fanati-
cal spirit that he is Governor of the Territory
by divine appointment, they obey his commands
as if these were direct revelations from Heaven.
If, therefore, he chooses that his Government
shall come into collision with the Government
of the United States, the members of the Nor
mon diursh viii yield implicit obedience to his
will. Unfortunately, existing facts leave but
little doubt that such is his determination
Without entering upon minute history Of &C.
currCnees, it is sufficient to say that all the Off
GERS of the United States, Judicial and E1ecu.
tive, with the single exception Of two Indian
agents, have found il Unnecessary for their ownp
sonal safety to withdraw from the Territory, and
there no longer remains any government in
Utah, but the despOtism of Brigham Young
This being the condition of affairs in the Terri
tory, could not mistake the path of duty. As
Chief Executive Magistrate, was bound to re-
store the supremacy of the constitution andlaws