Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1857-12-11
TEE KlNSas CONSTITUTION.

In the last number of the black-I.ocofoco pa
per of this place, is an attempt to defend the
acts Of the late outrageous bogus Convention
of the Border Ruflaus in Kansas, in not allow
ing the people of the Territory the privilege of
voting upon the waoIe Constitution under
which they are to be governed. Itsays, "now,
that the question of slavery is placed in the
hauds Of the people Of Kansas, to be fairly and
honestly decided by them, they must have some
excuse, however trifing it may be, for their
men to stay away from the polls, SO that the
pro-savery men can have everything their own
way" This is the lnerest gammon. 1t is not
true that the people of Kansas have the power,
under the constitution, to "fairly and boEest-
ly'' decide the question of slavery. it allows
them simply the privilege of voting "Constitu-
tion with slavery" and "ConstitutioE with no
slavery, as will be seen by referring to Section
IL, as published in the black Gazette last week.
This privilege of voting for this section amounts
TO Just nothing at all, and If carried against
slavery II would only prevent the taking Of
eny more slaves there, but would not interfere
with those already IN the Territory. The whole
constitution Is Que of ihe most Objectionable to
the free State men, aud they have right to
vote for, or against, the wtoic CONSTITUTION, in
stead of single clause. Should ,be Constitu-
ton be adopted without the section in favor Of
slavery,h is still a slaue State, as mach So in
deed as Maryland, and many other slave State.
They have slavery, out their Constitutions pro-
hibt the importing more Of them into their
States. This would be exactly the state of az
fairs in Kansas. 1t is we'll known that there
are many hundreds of slaves now in Kansas,
who have been taken there by Shareholders,
and these would still continue to be slaves and
their descendants after them, even though the
people do vote against the slave clause. To
prove tbesc facts, We again refer our readers to
the schedule of the Constitution as published in
the last weeks Bedford Gazette, latter clause
Of the / lth Section:
But If, upon such examination of said poll
books, 1t shall appear that majority Of the
legal votes east at said election be in favor of
'ae ''Censtitutiou with no slavery" then the
eesNele providing for slavery shall bo stricken
rom ~ the Constitution BY the President of this
S"h'ea'ion. and DO slavery shall exist in the
T,Il otats Q! Kansas, EXCEPT THAT TIE
EldmI III OF PROPERTY IN SLAVES NOW
IN THIS TERRITORY SHALL IN NO
~ = - y N-A aE INTERPRETED WITH"
NoW, what does all this moan, Isit not the
ln'''s' h0@bug to pretend that the people of
ha0'as ''ave TIE right to settle the question Of
slavery Tor themselves! 1t will still exist. po
matter how 'as people vote. as auy one not
"ll'uly bhnd aud rrejudiced, can see, and the
oniy way to defeat it, would have been 10 have
submitted the acfote Constitution 70 tho ne,,l.
10 section lob, as viii be seen, b. ,o.;n 70
ferring to the last weeks Gazette. th;s cons,,.
"t'on, Objectionable as tits, cam OF be s..mond-
e'' altered, or changed" s'until after the yogr
t'-' yuV 'aonsand eight hundred aud sixts-toutiy
"Da' 'hlnk you of that, readerl And vet ,I,e