The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-12-11
SOUND DEMOCRATIC VIEWS,


SOUND DEMOCRATIC VIEWS,
The following coeent article is from |
Jol. FoRSEY's able Democratic journal,
he Philadelphia Press. Its reasoning is
irresistible. It places the attempted
outrage in Kansas in o.
light that no Democrat can behold and
tolerate it for moment:
II it were true that the slavery question
was fairly submitted to the people OF Kansas
by the schedule OF the Kansas Convention,
we should decidedly object to tho admission
Of e. ut Territory into the Union az State,
under q Constitution which had not recei we'd
the sanction OF no. citizens. The issue in
volved rises above any mere sectional ques-
ton. The whole doctrine OF self govern
ment is at stake. The principles of the Dem
ocratic party have been violated. The right
Of tho people to pass Judgment upon their
own fundamental law has been denied them
in defiance Of tho pledges OF the delegates
who framed IL. A Convention, elected by o
mesgre minority oil the people, has arrogated
to itself supreme power OH question which
Of right belongs to the people only. We
obey but the irresistible promptings OF genu-
inc Democratic impulses in Rjtesting against
this usurpation, for 1t Is nothing less. The
should be submitted to the people il an un-
tensble one. The Same reasons which rem
dered it desirable or proper to submit that
question, operate equally strong in favor Of u
submission Of the whole Constitution.
The Democrats Of the Northern States
have been fighting for the Kansas Nebraska
bill for three years, on the ground that the
right of self-government by the people of the
Territories was q sacred one, not only in one
but in all respects, They have insisted upon
their right to decide the slavery question for
themselves, because of the universal conces
sions that they were authorised to decide all
other questions.
But evcn tho slavery question Ia net fairly
submitted, NJ all who have paid the slight
est attention TO this subject must be fully
aware. The liberty OF voting for or against
slavery can be obtained by compliance with
certain unjust and huiniliating conditions
These are as follows:
First. Every voter Who Is challenged must
swear to support the Constitution, II adopt.
cd, under peril Of q trial for perjury under
the territorial laws.
The design Of this clause sSsuls to provide
. oon venient method for infictiug criminal
punishment for = mere political offence. in
case any obnoxious voter, after having taken
| this oath, should not be "a jealous in his de-
votion to tho Calhoun Const tuition as its au-
thors require. At all events it is an unheard
of requirement in q republican country, and
one which was, no doubt, specially designed
| to drive high minded citizens from the polls
SEQ ond. Before any man can vote against
slavery, no must vote tor tho Calhoun Con-
| stitution.
He may feel that the very act Of fastening
that Constitution upon him as the funda-
mental law under which no must live, with
| out submitting i, to Q vote Of the people i,
| an Infamous wrong. He may believe tina
Constitution to be good one-a Know Moth
| ing Constitution. a Bank Constitution, Con
stitution which makes in advance an appor
tionment upon fraudulent election return
and thus seeks to give q prsponderancs Of po
iiticat po,rsr .forerer to niinority-yet, b.
must endorse all this without a muTmur, pc
| fore he can vote against slavery.
What mockery 1t Is to say, that whei
1 these humiliating conditions are affixed t
the right ofsuffrage, the question of SLAYER,
or no slavery is fairly submitted!
But independent of all this, tina SLAYER,
question is not fairly submitted, becaus
there is no guarantee whatever that the cleo
ton will be fairly conducted. The Who'll
| regulation of IL Is lodged in Calhoun, pre>i
dent Of that Conventions man denounce,
throughout the whole Territory as ono OF tn
most Inscriptions men it contains. He ha
furnished convincing proof OF his perfdy b,
the fact that, after pledging himselfiully am
unreservedly TO submit the whole Constitu
ton to the people of Kansas, he violated tina
pledge, and was leading spirit in prevent
ing a submission OF the Constitution TO tn
people. He has been charged by nearly tn
whole press of Kansas with completely wit
the infamous Oxford fraud, and we believ
has never denied his connection with tina
disgraceful transaction. Yet this man, pub
licly sslfconvicted of perfdy. and accused O
fraud, has absolute and dictatorial powe
given him to regulate the election ordered b
the Constitutional Convention. lie is to ap
point three men in each county. who are I
appoint three in each district to hold the cleo
ton, and when the returns are all transmit
ted, he ia to decide upon the legality of til
votes cast, &c. The ordinary and existin
election laws Of the Territory are all set asid
to give iull play to Calhoun's genius in thi
; constitutional election, and We do not dOut
that he will be fully equal to the expectation
which his supporters formed OF him.
Who, with these facts before him, can pre-
. tend for moment that the slavery questio
is fairly submitted by the Kansas schedule
Who does not feel that any election ordere
under such provisions and such auspices ca
| be nothing more than mere disreputahl
swindle-which. did il not excite our indig
nation by the wrong it seeks to shield an
perpetuate, We should deem ridiculous an
| absurd,