Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1857-12-17


:, the Sfate of Kansas, except that the right
Of nronerty in slaves now in the Territory
shaIl in no manner be iuterfered with and
n thar event il is made his duty to have the
oor st;tntion thus ratified transmitted 10 the
Congress Of the United States for the admis-
SION Of the State into the Unioc.
At this election every citizen will have an
onportunity Of expressing his opinion hy his
vote whether Kansas shall be received int
the Union with or without slavery and thus
this exciting question may be peacefully set
tied in the very mode required by the organ.
ic law. The election viii be held under
legitimate authority, and il any portion of
the inhabitants shall refuse 10 vote. fair
opportunity to do so having been presented.
this will be their own voluntary act, and
they alone viii be responsible for the conse'
Quences.
Whether Kansas shall be free or a slave
State must eventually, under some authority,
be decided by an election and the question
can never be more clearly or distinctly pre-
sented to the people than it is at the preent
moment, Should this opportunity be rejected,
she may be involsed for years in domesti
discord, and possibly in civil war, before she
can again make up the issue now so fertu'
nately rendered, and again reach the poin.
she has already attained.
Kansas has for some years occupied too
much of the public attention. 1t Is high
time this should be directed to far more i'm
portant objects. When once admitted into
the Union whether with or without slavery.
the excitement beyond her own limits will
speedily pass away, and she will ihen for the
first time be left. as she ought t. have been
long since, to manage her own affairs in her
OWN way. If her constitution on the subject
of slavery or on any other subject be displeas-
ing to a majority of the people, no human
power can prevent them from changing il
within brief period Under these circum-
stances, it may well be questioned whether
the peace and quiet of the whole country are
not of greater Importance than the mere
temporary 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 slaTes now i'm 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 wero brought into tive 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 tribunal of the eountrv-and this
hPoh tHt pAati tEihGipIS Aubt when Il COu-
federacy Of sovereign State acquire Il new
territory at their joint expense, both equality
and justice demand that the citizens Of one
and all of them shall have the right to take
into it whatsoever is recognized as property
by the cnmmun Constitution To have sum.
marily confscated the property in slaves
already in the Territory, would have been an
act of gross injustice, and contrary 10 the
practice Of the older States Of the Union
which have abolished slavery.
a territorial government was established
for Utah by act Of Congress approved
Sept. 9th, 1850, and constitution aud laws of
the United States were thereby extended
over It so far a the same, or any provisions
thereof, may be applicable This act pre-
Tided tor the appointment by the President,
by and with the advice and consent Of the
Senate, of governor, who was TO be ex-
uffeio superintendent Of Indian affairs, a
secretary. three judges Of the supreme cpurt
marshal. and district attorney. Suisse
quent acts provided for the appointment of
the officers necessary to extend our land and
our Indian system over the Territory
Brigham Young was appointed first COVER
Dor on the Goth September 1850, and has
held the Office ever since.
Whilst Governor Young has been both
governor and superintendent Of Indians af-
fairs throughout this perind, he has been at
the same time the head Of the church called
the Latter-day Saints. and prufesses TO gov
ern its members and dispose Of their prop r
" By direct inspiration and authority from
the Almighty. His power has been, there.
fore, absolute over both Church aud State
The people Of Utah, almost exclusively,
belong to tins church, and believing with
fanalical spirit that be is gov rnor Of the
Territory By Divine appointment, they obey
his commands as If these were direct reTela-
tions from Heaven. If therefore, be chooses
that his government shall come into collision
with the government of the United States,
the members Of the Mormon church will
Weld implicit obedience to bis will I'm
fortunately, existing flcts leave but little
doubt that such is his determination. With
out entering upon q minute history OF occur
rences, il is sufficient TO say that all the
officers uf the United States, Judicial and
executive, with the single exception Of two
Indian agents, have found II necessary for
their own personal safety 70 wsthdraw from
the Territory, and there 10 longer remains
any government in Utah bur the despJiism
Of Brigham Young. This being the condi-
ton Of affairs in the Territory, | could not
mistake the path Of duty. As Chief Executive
Magistrate, | was bound to restore the
supremacy Of the Constitution and laws
within its limits. In order to effect this
purpose, appointed a new governor and
other federal officers for Utah, and sent with
them a military force for their protection.
and to aid as a posse coB'itattis. in case Of
need, in the execution of the laws.
With the religious opinions Of the Mormons.
as long as they remained mere opinions,
however deplorable in themselves and revolt
ing TO the moral and religious sentiments of
ali Christendom, had no right to interfere.
Actions alone, when in violation of the con-
stitution and laws of the United States,
become the Legitimate subjects for the juris-
dictiou of the civil magistrate. My instruc-
tions to Gov. Cumming have therefore been
framed in strict accordance with these
principles. At their date a hope was indul-