The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1857-12-16

from the cOnnict. Inc prc'cAt upon WHICH
e attack was made was decree Of the Pre-
dent Of paraguay Of October, 1854, lr"hibit.
% foreign vessels Of war from navigating the
ycrs of that State. As Paraguay, however,
as the owner of but one bank Of the river OF
lat name, the other belonging TO C"rricntas. n
tate Of the Argentine Confederation, the right
its government to expect that such decree
ould be obcycd cannot be acknowledged
Tut the Water Witch was not prof. erly speak
~. a vessel Of war. Sha was a small steamer |
nsaged in a scientific enterprise, intended for |
he advantage of commercial States generally. |
lnlcr thesl circumstances. am constrained to |
o,,sidcr the attack Upon her as uni ustifiahle,
nd rs calling for satisfaction from the Para
,uavan government.
Citizens of the United States, also, who wcrc
established in business in Paraguay, have had
heir property seized and taken from them. and
AVE otherwise bcen treated by the authnritiics
n On insulting and arbitrary manner, which re-
luiscs redress.
A dcmanl for these purposes will BE- made in
firm but conciliatory 9. hit. This will the
more probably be granted If the Executive
hall have authority to use other means In the
event Of refusal This is accordingly recon-
ncndcd.
1t is unnecessary t, state in detail the alarm
ng condition of the Territory Of Kansas at the
lime Of my inau guration. The opposing par
lies then stood in hostile array against each
other, and any accident might have relightcd
the flames of civil war. Besides, at this criti-
raj moment, Kansas Was left without Cover.
nor by the resignation of Gov. Geary.
On the 10Th Of February previous, the terri
torial Legislature passrd law providing for tho
election If delegates on the third Monday Of
June to convention to meet on the first Mon
day Of September, for the purpose Of framing
q constitution preparatory to admission into the
Union. This law was in the main fair and Just
and it is to be regretted that all the qualified
electors had not registered themselves and vo.
ted under it's provisions.
At the time Of the election for delegates. m
extensive organization existed in the Territory.
whose avowed ob;ecti was to put down, 1t
need be, the lawful government by force, and
to establish government Of their owA under
the so-called Topeka Constitution. The rcr.
sons attached to this revolutionary organization
abstained from taking any part in the elcc-
ton.
The act of the Territorial Legislature had
omitted t. provide for submitting to the reol lie
the Constitution which might BE- framed by the
Convention; and in the excited state of public
feeling throughout Kansas an apprehension OK.
tensively prevailed that design existed to
IOrCe Ill ON tUCD u NOuStltUtIUu IcAuSiOu w
Slavery against their will. In this emergency
it became my duty, as it was my unquestiona.
bic right, having in view the union Of all good
citizens in support Of the Ter: itorial laws. to
express an opinion on the tue constitution Of
the rovisions concerning Slavery, contained in
the organic act Of Congress of the Goth OF Nay,
1854. Congress declared to be ''thc true In
tent and meaning Of this act not to lcgislate
Slavery into any Territory or State, nor to ex
clude it thercfrom, but to leave the people
thereof perfectly free to form and regulate
their domestic institutions in their own way
Under it Kansas, when admitted as a State,
was to ''be received into tho Union with ~,
without Slavery, as their Constiti. ton may ire
scribe at the time of thc!r admission"
Did Congress mean by this language tha
the delegates elected to frame constitution
should have authority finally to decide thu
leaving it to the people, that the people. of Kan
sas themselves should decide this question by
direct vote? On this subject, confess. hat
never entertained serious doubt, and there
fore, in my instructions to Governor Walker q
the 18th March last l merely said that ''whcr
a constitution shall be submitted to the pcopl.
of the territory, they must be protected in tho
exercise of their right Of voting for or agains
that instrument, and the fair expression Of III
popular will must not be intcrrul ted by fraut
or violence
In expressing this opinion it was far + ON IN,
intention to interfere with the decision OF III
people either for or against slavery. From thi
have always carefully abs aimed ]nst:ustc,
with the duty Of taking 'carc that the laws b
faithfully executed, my only.dcsire was thai
the peo; lc Of Kansas should furnish to Coz,
gress the evidence required by the organic ACT
vbot1 f.r of ole n nj.
her smooth their passage into the Union. j
emerging fr M the condition of Ter ito:ial dc
pendence into that Of a sovereign satc, it wa
th'ir duty, in my opinion to make known thei
will by the votes Of the majority, on the direc
question whether this imr or ant domestic in
stiIu.ion should OF should not continue to ex 81
Indeed tits was the only possible mode in whicl
their will could BIZ auth, ntically aseertained
The election of delegates TO convent
must N ccssarly take plae in separate district.
From this c: use it may readily happen, as In
of en- been the cesc, that majority Of the pee
l,of a state or territory are Oh one side Of
question. which a majority Of the re, resent
tivcs from the scs eral districts into which i,
divided may be Oh the other side. This ari: c
Fl ON the fact that in some districts delegate
mry be elected ty SIN III majori,ics, Wits. il
others those Of different s, iments may re
ceive majoritics sufficiently large not only t.
ovt rcome the votes given for the former. bu
to leave large majority OF the whole cop.
in direct opposition 10 maj rity Of the dele
gates. Besides, our history proves that intlu
cnces may be brought to bear on the rcprcsen
tative sufficiently powerful to induce him t
disregard the will of his constitute nts. III
truth is that no other authentic and fatisfacto
ry mode exists Of asccrtai,ing the will of tn
majority of the eople of any state or ter;itor.
on an important and exciting question like tina
of slavery in Kansas, excclt BY leaving it to
direct woe. How wise then was it for Cunerts
to piss over all subordinate and intermeaia,
agencies, and proceed directly to the sourcc q
all legitimate power under our institutions.
How vain would any other principle prove il
ractise! This may be illustrated by the cas-
Of Kansas. Should she be admitted into tn
Union with q Constitution either maintaining
or al olishing Slavery against the sentiment Q
the people, this could have no other effect thai
to continue and 10 exasperate the existing ag
tation during the brief period required to max
The Constitution conform to the irresistible vii
of the majority.
The friends and supporters of the Ncbrask
and Kansas act, when struggling on recent &c
casion to sustain its wise provisions before tn
great tribunal OF the American pcorlc. neve
differed about its true meaning on this subject
Every where throughout the Union they pub
licly pledged their faith and their honor tina
they would cheerfully submit the question o
Slavery to the decision Of the bona Tide peopl,
of Kansas, without any restriction or qualifca
ton whatever. All were cordially unit upo,
the great doctrine of popular sovereignty
which is the vital principle Of OR FRI Q institu
items. Had it. then been insinuatcd from IN
quarter that 1t would be a suffi lent conplilnc