The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-12-15

fIo e. a1i ana unqual fed q.
In me .Aahsas-Nebraska act, howev.'e Terms.
t.qaaleIn - aPpilcable to the whoIL' this
yention was not bouad by its tsrr rna The Con.
any other portion of the instyn' 70 submit
election, except that which rel.tas 10 az
"domestic institution " of slanos tothe
will appear clear by q simple reGs,S This
language. 1t was "nor to legi, lat lott
into any Territory or State, nor ~ o slavery
there rom, but to leave the 49, elde il
perfectly free TO form and repuia ~ :. tnereof
domestic, institutions in Their o,'a own
According to the plain constrnr,;r way"
sentence, the words domestic ins,;,c f The
have direct as they have an , n..as
reference to slavery. Dome st;s oPrate
tons" are limited to the family. TLu tu-
ton between after am slave fea.
others, are "domesllc institutions > ew
en- irely distinct from institutions Of s"o are
cal character Besides, there was ~ politl.
ton then before Congress, nor ind" qaeS
there sIrce been any serious que ton has
the p. ople of Kan as or the country oe'ete
that which relates to the +" don,estie ;eAsept
ton" OF slavery. i'u.
The convention, after an angry -,
cited debate, finally determined, BY m,; e.
ity of only two, to submit the ooa... aOr'
Al.
forty-three of the Il ty delegate. u last
affixed their signatures to the const;, present
A large majority of the convention w.,
favor Of establishing slavery in Kansas
accordingly inserted an article in the sol
tuition log this purpose similar in form a'
those which lad been adopted bv q, him 10
torial conventions. In the sc6.dn,s III
ever, providing Tor the transition r. NJ now
Titoriat 10 State government. the - ef'
has been fairly and explicitly re erred ,.
people. whr4 they will have con.. .he
tion with or without slavery" II Sa"tO'
that, be. ore the constitution sdontad t,' Ie'
convention "shall be sent to Cons,! 'he
admission into the Union as SIS Tor
election shall be held to decide this - an
ton, at which all the white mall !, fu9 9,
tants of the Territory above the age "F %,
are entitled to vote. They are to yo,a -
ballot, and "the ballots cast AT S,;S Oy
ton shall be endorsed 'eonstitution '
slavery and constitution with no slax. WIN
If there be majority in favor of "ooa!
tuition with slavery" then it is to ba ,na
mitted to Congress by the president Of IL.
convention in its original form. If onH 0
contrary, there shall be majority in faro,
of the reconstruction with no slavery" than
the article providing for slavery shall ha
stricken from the constitution by the prssi
dent of this convention" and it is e,nrosa
ly declared that mo slavery shall eIist;"
the State of Kansas, except that the r;.t,
of property in slaves now in the Territern
shall in no manner be iaterfered with" ~nJ
in that event it is made his duty 10 h,,a
the constitution thus ratified TRANSMITTED
the Congress of the United States sor d,a
admission of the State into the Union
At this election every citizen will b,v.
an opportunity of expressing his opinion Nv
his vote whether Kansas shall be- reca;voa
into the Union with or without slavery
and thus this exciting question NAV bO
peacefully settled by the very mode 70.
quired by the organic law. The election
will be held under legitimate authority, and
if any portion of the inhabitants shah re.
fuse to vote, fair opportunity to do 50
having been presented, this will BE- their
own voluntary act, and they alone will b.
responsible for the consequences
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 presented to the people than it
is at the present moment. Should this OD.
portunity be rejected, she nay be involved
for years in domestic discorL. and possibly
in civil war, before she can again make up
the Issue now SO fortunately rendered and
again reach the point she has already al.
tanned.
Kansas has for some years Occupipd foo
much of the public attention. 1t is biyh
time this should be directed to far more
important objects. When once admitted
into the Union, whether with or without
slavery. the excitement beyond Der own
limits win speedily pass away, and she viii
then for the first time be left, as she ought
to have been long since, to manage her own
affairs in her own way. If her constu-
ton on the subject of slavery, OF on my
other subject, be displeasing to majority
OF tho people, no human power can prevent
them from changing it within brief period.
Under these circumstances, it may well DO
questioned whether the peace and quiet Of
the whole country are not of greater I'M
portance 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 in slaves now in 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 were brought
into the Territory under the constitution Of
the United States, and are now the proper,
ty of their masters. This point has at length
been finally decided by the highest judicial
tribunal Of the country-and this upon The
plain principle that when eonfedrraeyOi
sovereign States acquire a new territory
at their joint expense, both equality and
justice demand that the citizens of une and
all of them shall have the right to take into
1t whatsoever is recognised as propertyg
the common constitution. To have sum
marily confiscated the property in slaves
already in the Territory, would have been
an act Of gross injustice, and contrary TO
the older States of the Union which have
abolished slavery. ...r..
THE MORMONS. .
The territorial government was establish,
ed for Utah by act of Congress approves
the 9th September, 1850, and the constlta-
ton and laws of the United States were
thereby extended over it $50 far as inO
same, or any other provisions thereof nay
be applicable" This act provided for 'hs
by the President, by and WIN
the advice and consent of the Senate, Of .
governor. who was to be ex-officio spPeTh
tendent of Indian affairs, a secretary. tnItY