The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-07-11
kansas and Her Constitution.

The Richmond Examiner, which has al
ways been regarded as one of the foremost
and ablest of the Southern Rights Journals
comes to the defence of Governor Walkers
position, in favor of submitting the constitu-
ton to the people, with great vigor and
earnestness The Washington Union re-
publishes the Examiners article, which is
very long and very able.
The Louisville Democrat, another South
ern paper, whose fidelity to the South and
to Democracy can never be impugned sus-
tains the same idea The following is the
I Democrats article:
Gas to Kansas, whether it will be free
or slave State depends on her population
! They will have their own way as sure rs the
| sun will rise and set on the Territory.
/ There is no power TO prevent it. There is
! no power in the Federal Government to pre-
I vent it if it were desirable. There are scvc-
/ raj papers that are usually considered Dem
ocratic. They are not, however, party pa
! pers, nor do they profess 10 be. They are
/ Southern and sectional. They are not at all
pleased with the prospect that Kansas may
| become free State. They denounce Walk
/ er because he proposes to submit the Con-
I stitution TO be made to the vote of the poo
pie after it is finished 1t is not the custom
/ these days 10 put a constitution in operation
until it is passed upon by the votes Of those
who are to live undcr it. The ratification
/ of it at the polls is the only conclusive proof
7 that they approve 1t; that is their constitu-
ton. The Congress of the United States
will require that evidence of approval; and
it ought to require it, if any question is
raised on the point. 1t would be folly to
thrust upon Kansas a constitution that a
majority there did not approve. Il would
make the Territory a State. and the Const-
tuition would not last three months. Il
would be succeeded by one ultra. on the
other side, on The question Of slavery. It's
! astonishing TO us to sec men proposing TO
encounter impossi Utilities; talking Of Con-
gTess imposing pro slavery anti-slavery
constitution upon Kansas DO they forget
that State can alter q constitution as soon
rs IL becomes State? And do thew suppose
that the majority viii not be certain to do IT,
IL an issue is made with them by any action
If Congress? Congress, when il dec,arcd
that the people Of Kansas should be left to
form their own domestic institutions, only
uttered the voice Of manifest destiny The
declaration diG'n alter the future Of Kansas;
and all the fuss the factions have made
about it only shows their folly 1t is pre-
cisely what the people Of Kansas viii do.
sooner or later, let the Federal Government
do what it pleases. The Democracy OF the
country win not make Kansas slave Stat
or free State either, and the best reason
in the world for it is, theycaHtd0 IT, They
never pretended that they could. They
don't intend to try. They have promised
not to do either. According to their Theory
of the Federal Government, they have no
power over the subject. All they can or
will 10 is t. see, when tie Constitution OF
Kansas Is presented to Congress, that it has
On f.igy made and fairly adopted, and re-
nnb,,, n il. its rovisions, aud the population.
Of Kansa. is efficient II it be satisfactory
in these respects, Kansas will be received
without word Of objection from Demo
Gratis"