Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-12-08

IN all the narties concerned In pecunary point OF view
alone our citizens have sustained heavy losses from TIL
seizure and closing of the transit route ny the Jan a
between the two oceans.
Tho leader of the recent expedition was arrested
New Orleans but was discharged giving bail for hi
anpearance in the insufficient of two thousand dol
lars , ;.
commend the whole subject to the serious attention
of Congress- believing that our duty and our interest,"
well as our national character, require that we shouC
adopt such measures will be cfectua in restraining
our citizens from committing such outrages.
regret to inform YOU that the President OF Paraguay
has refused to ratiy the treaty between the United States
and that State as amended by the Senate the signature
of which was mentioned in the message of my predeces
sor to Congress at the opening of its session in December
1853 The assigned for this refusal Will appear Ii
the correspondence herewith submitted
It being desirable to ascertain the fitness of the river
La Plata and its tributaries for navigation by steam, tht
United States steamer Water Witch sent thlther fo
that purpose in 1853 This enterprise was successfully
carried on until February, 1885, when, whilst in the
peaceful prosecution of her voyage up the Parana river
the steamer fred upon by Paraguayan tort Inc
fire was returned; but the Water Witch was OF small
force and not designed for offensive operations, she re-
tired from the conflict The pretext upon which the at
tack was made was decree of the President of Paraguay
of October 1854 prohibiting foreign from
navigating the rivers of that State AS Paraguay how
ever was the of but bank of the river OF that
name the other belonging to Coientes State OF the
Argentine Confederation the right of its government to
expect that such decree would be obeyed cannot be
acknowledged But the Water Witch not, properly
speaking q vessel-of-war She a small steamer en-
gagged in scientific enterprise intended for the advantage
of commercial States generally. Under these cireun-
stances am constrained to consider the attack upon her
as unusable and calling for satisfaction from the
Paraguayan government
Citizens of the United States, also, who were established
in business in Paraguay, have had their property seized
and taken from them and have otherwise been treated
bv the authorities in an insulting and arbitrary manner
which requires rc,,ress.
dersapd fer these pirpuSes will be made in firm but
conciliaory spirit Ts viii the more prGaDy De grant
ed if the Executive shall have autborty to use oer
means in the event of refusal This is accordingly rec
commended.
IT it unnecessary to state in detail the alarming con
ton of the Territory of Kansas at the time of my lnaugu
ration The opposing parties then stood M hostile array
against each other and any accident might have fesh-
ed the flames of civil Besides, at this critical mo
mcnt Kai,aas vas left without governor by the reslg-
nation of Gov GeaTy
On the 10th of February previous tlr. territorial cgs
ature had passed law providing for the election OF dele
gates on the thii Monday of June to convention TO
meet on the first Monday OF SP.ember for the purpose
of framing constitution preparatory to adit.ss'on INTO
the Union This law in the main fair and Just and
it to be regretted that all the qualified electors had not
registered themselves and voted under its provisions
At the time of the election for delegates extensive
organization existed in the Territory whose ayowed OBJ
ect It vac if need be- to put down the lawful govern
ment by force end to establish government OF their
own under the socalled Topeka constitution The per-
sons attached to this revolutionary organization abstaned
from taking any part in the election
The act of the teifstorial legislature had omitted 10
provide for submitting to the People the constitution
which might be framed by the convention aHd IN the
excited state of public feeling throughout Kansas an
prehension extensively prevailed that design existed to
force upon them constitution ,n relation 70 slavery
against their will In this emergency Getame my duty
as it was my unquesonable right, having in View the
union of ali good citizens in support of the territorial
laws to express an opinion the true construction OF
the proriios concerning slavery contained in the Or
ganc act of Congress Of the goth May 1854 Congress
declared it to be the true intent and meaning OF this
act not to egsate slavery into any territory OF ote,
nor to exclude it thererom, 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 State to be received into the Union,
with OF without slavery their constitution may pre-
scribe at the tiiie Of their admission.
elected to frame constitution soud have authority
finally to decide the question of slavery, or did they in
tend by leaving it to the people that the people OF Ran
ss themselves should decide this question by direct
vote On this subject confess had never entertained
serious doubt and therefore, in my instructions to
Governor Walker of the 2St March last, merely said
that when constitution shall be submitted to the pco
pie of the Territory they must be protected in the exer
else of their right of voting for against that instr
ment and the fair expression OF the popular will must
not be interrupted by fraud or violence
In expressing this opinion it far from my intention
to interfere with the decision of the people of Kansas
either for or against slavery From this have always
carefully absained Intriscd with the duty of taking
scare that the laws be faithfully executed my only de-
sire that the people of Kansas should furnish to Con-
gress the evidence required by the organic act whether
for or against slavery and in this smooth theii
passage into the Union In emerging from the condition
of territorial dependence into that of sovereign State,
their duty in my opinion, to make known their will
by the votes of the majority the direct question wheh
this important domestic institution should should
not continue to exist Indeed, this the only possible
mode in which their will could he authentically asccr-
tanned
The election of delegates to convention must neces
ry take place in separate districts From this il
may readily happen has often been the case, that
majority of the people of State Territory
side of question, whilst majority of the representa-
ves from the several districts into which it is divided
may be upon the other side This arises from the fact
that in districts delegates may lie elected by small
maorities whilst in others those of different sentiments
may receive maorites sufficiently great not only to
come the votes given for the former but to leave large
majority of the whole people in direct opposition to
jority of the delegates Besides history proves that
influences may be brought to bear the representative
sufficiently powerful to induce him to disregard the will
of his constituents The truth is that other authentic
and satisfactory mode exists of ascertanng the will of
majority of the people of any State Territory an i'm
portant and exciting question like that of slavery in Kan
sas, except by leaving it to direct vote How wise,
then it for Congress to pass all subordinate and
intermediate agencies and proceed directly to the source
of all legitimate power under our institutions!
How vain would any other principle prove i'll practice
This may be illustrated by the Of Kansas Should
she be admitted into the Union with constitution either
maintaining aboshng slavery against the sentiment OF
the people, this could have other effect than to con-
nue and to exasperae the existing agitation during the
brief period required to make the constitution conform to
the irresistible will of the majority.
The friends and supporters of the Nebraska and Kansas
act, when struggling on recent occasion to sustain its
wise provisions before the great tribunal of the American
people, differed about its true meaning this sub
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