The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-31
THE WASHINGTON UNION

hands It has been successfully met heretofore by the
democratic party Adhering 70 principles shall
be able to meet t again Our past trinmphs leave no
doubt Of future resuls The faithful maintenance Of
principles is the great element Of democratic strength
As it has marked history In the past it win In the
future
So far as the question of slavery in Kansas concerned
have shown that the policy of the democratic party has
been TO recognise the law and to carry out the will of the
people made known in the prescribed by law
The admission of Kansas State refers the whole CUES
ton to its citizens for their final decision, as IL has been
referred TO the people Of every other State in the Union
The opposition to this policy finds its main element of
strength in the desire Of our opponents 70 keep up the
element which has long distracted the country The
real issue is between peace and quiet, the one hand
and excitement turmoil and bloodshed, the other
The decision of the people upon such an issue cannot I've
matter of doubt Every good citizen is willing thaS
Kansas shall be aee slave State as her people may
prefer and her admission State In conformity to the
action OF the Lecompton convention will insure that
suit This being done, peace will he restored IN Kansas
and quiet in the balance of the country and the demo
cratic party viii have the qualification OF knowing that ID
has ali been accomplished through its fair just and
constitutional principles. s.ra nti sl n na..
al i am, very respectfully, yours
f.fi f ALA HOWELL COBB
To Messrs PLrrT, WrrrE, and Others. ,t@#fu
Isnl s3 Letter from Hon. John %. Floyd. l-#.u
-a.r sa hlauar tlwAsHfNGroN CIrY, Dec 2s, 1857.
GENTLEMEN have received the invitation with which
you have honored me, to attend public meeting to be
held in Philadelphia night called 70 endorse the policy
OF the administration in Kansas. regret that am
obliged by official engagements to decline IT, IL would
afford me especial pleasure participate with the people
of your great city in movement intended TO give the
authentic stamp of democratic sanction to policy which
has been confomed to the laws of the country and has
had other end than the peace and harmony of the
Union ....... ... f..r..a. .....
Whatever option citizens of the country may feel them
selves authorized to exercise in approving or dissenting
from the policy of the President in regard to Kansas the
written laws of the land had left him, at least none in
deciding upon his course of conduct The Kansas Ne
baska act had prohibited Congress from interfering In the
domestic affairs of Kansas and provided that the people
of the Territory should be left perfectly free to form their
domestic institutions in their the legislative
history Of the act showing it to have been contemplated
that this might be done by representatives chosen for the
purpose The legislature of Kansas which met next at
ter the passage of the act had accordingly provided that
in October 1885, at the general election OF the Territory
the people should vote whether convention for forming
constitution should be called not The people of the
Territory had at this election decided by large ma
ority that convention should be called The next sue
ceedng territorial Legislature had in pursuance OF TINS
vote, enacted law providing for of the people
and registry of voters and for the election of conven
ton. The provisions of this law were complied with and
convention elected The convention assembled, framed
costtuton and in the exercise of customary dlscre-
ton had decided to submit the leading question of
trovesy mbodied in einstrument-that of savery-to
the decision Of the people The proceedings from begin
had been regular authoritative, customary legal cons
tutiona Whatever irregularities in detail abuses in
the execution of particular and minor provisions had oo
Cured if any occurred such as only the local a
thortes could take cognzance of and correct Through
out these transactions there but question of
cng opinion which Congress not prohibited, either
by the letter spirit Of the Nebraska Kansas act from
interfering to decideand that was in regard to the time
when the inhabitants of the Territory would be compe
tent to organize themselves into State and apply for adj
mission into the Union Even this question Congress
had expressed opinion, affirming in advance, the de-
cson made by the people of the Territory in October
1856 for, bills authorizing the election of eonstitu
ona convention in Kansas had passed each house of
Congress in the summer preceding the bill OF each house
falling in the other through disagreement OF the two
bodies other provisions, although they agreed on the
fact that the time had arrived when Kansas might pre-
pare for admission State Congress had also acqu-
esced during the session of 1867 in the steps that
going in Kansas for calling constitutional conven
ton. 4s 8f6 saf5f
Thus the only question admitting of doubt which had
been left open by the Kansas Nebraska act had been de-
ccd by Congress and thus the competency Of Kansas to
frame constitution, and the regularity of every step that
they had taken in this behalf, were indisputable.
Such the laws which the President bound to
executed and such the Modes under which his
duty to that the people of the Territory should be
free to form their domestic institutions unmoleted and
undsturbed His only alternative was between enforcing
the laws and dsregarding the laws, There no OPP
on and he pursued the plain line of duty. He could
only enforce the laws they written To have done
less would have been pusanimous to have done other
wise would have BEEN in effect to abrogae them and to
interfere in matters which the national legislature and
the people of the Union had decreed should be left to the
decision of the Territory. nas7 .gb z H..
For one, do not fear the verdict Of the conservative
people of conservative Pennsylvania the conduct Of
their President On question: whether the laws of the
country shall be administered question whether
Executive who has faithfully administered the laws of the
country shall be sustained by the popular voice-l do
not fear the verdict of Pennsylvania State which has
sgnaly saved the Union will not speedily repent of
the noble net. State which, closing Her to the
arguments of sophistry, the appeals of faction, and
the camor of noisy and false philanthropy has recently
rcsouely voted her confidence in the integrity and
patriotism of james Buchanan, her own son. will not
turn her back upon him for executing the laws of the
land State which has supported her son during long
public will not forsae him in his last public
vice, when his only aspiration be to render her name
and his own iusrous by pure, honest, and faithful
administration Of his arduous office
am, gentlemen very respectfully, your obcdient SER
want, tssF 4#t AN JOHN b. FLOYD "
To Messs George Pitt, VIM. II. White, George X. Ber
reil, Jesse johnson, VIM. v. McCirath, Committee Of
Invitation, Philadelphia # .E..sr I'd |'H sflE"s'A Q.