Weekly flag of the Union. (Jackson, Miss.) 185?-18??, 1857-12-23

which had been adopted by other Territori
J conventions. In the schedule, however, pr,
! vidlng for the transition from Territorial
State government the question has bee
fairly and explicitly referred to the peop
! whether they viii have Constitution wit
or without slavery" It declares that befol
the Constitution adopted by the conventio
:" shall be sent TO Congress for admission inI
the Union as State" an election shall /
held to decide this question, at which all til
white male inhabitants of the Territory aboy
the age of 81 are entitled to vote They al
to vote by ballot; and " the ballots cast at sal
election shall be endorsed Constitution wit
slavery and Constitution with no slavery
If there be a majority in favor of the q Cor
stitution with slavery" then it is to be trans
mitted to Congress by the president of til
convention in its original form. If, on th
contrary, there shall be a majority in favor c
the Constitution with no slavery" then tn
article providing for slavery shall be stricke
from the Constitution by the president of thi
convention and it is expressly declared tina
"no slavery shall exist in the State of Kansa:
except that the right of property in slaves no7
in the Territory shall in no manner be inter
fered with and in that event it is made hi
duty to have the Constitution thus rattle,
transmitted to the Congress of the Unite,
States for the admission of the State into tn
Union.
At this election every citizen will have al
opportunity of expressing his opinion by hi
vote " whether Kansas shall be received int
the Union with OF without slavery" and thus
| the exciting question may be peacefully set
tied in the very mode required by the organic
law. The election will be held under lcgiti
mate authority, and if any portion of the
inhabitants shall refuse to vote, a fair oppor
tunity to do so having been presented, thi:
will be their own voluntary act and they alone
will be responsible for the consequences
Whether Kansas shall be free or 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 present
moment. Should this opportunity be rejected
she may be involved for years in domestic dis
cord, 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 attained.
Kansas has for some years occupied too
much of the public attention. 1t is high time
this should be directed to far more important
objects. When once admitted into the Union,
whether with or without slavery, the excite
ment beyond her own limits will speedily pass
away, and she will then for the first time be
left, as she ought to have been long since, to
manage her own affairs in her own way. 1t
her constitution On the subject of slavery, or
any other subject, be displeasing to majority
of the people, no human power can prevent
them from changing it within brief period.
Under these circumstances, 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 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 are
brought into the territory under the Constitu-
property of their master
This point has at length been finally de-
cided by the highest judicial tribunal of the
country-and this upon the plain principle
that when eonfederacy of sovereign States
acquire 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 whatever is recognized as
pnoparty by -tA~-oo..asAen- os,assst lion. r.
have summarily confscated the property in
slaves already in the territory would have been
an act of gross injustice, and contrary to the
practice of the older States of the Unon which
have abolished slavery.
A territorial government was established
for Utah by an act of Congress approved the
OH September, 1850, and the Constitution
and laws of the United States we're thereby
extended over it so far as the same, or any
provisions thereof, may be applicable" This
act provided for the appointment by the Presi-
dent, by and with the advice and consent of
the Senate, of Governor, who was to be ex-
ofieio superintendent of Indian affairs, secre-
tary, three judges of the Supreme Court,
and district attorney. Subsequent
acts provided for the appointment of the Off
GERS necessary to extend our land and our
Indian system over the territory. Brigham
Young was appointed the first Governor on the
Goth of September, 1850, and has held the
office ever since. Whilst Governor Young
has been both Governor and superintendent Of
Indian affairs throughout this period, he has
been at the same time at the head of the
church called the Latter Day Saints, and pro.
fesses to govern its members and dispose of
their property by direct inspiration and au-
thority from the Almighty His power has
been, therefore, absolute over both church and
State.
The people of Utah, almost exclusively,
belong to this church. and, believing with
fanatical spirit that he is Governor of the
Territory by Divine appointment, they obey
Dis commands as if these were direct revela- !
lions from Heaven. If, therefore, he chooses
hat his government shall come iuto collision
with the government of the United States,
,he members of the Mormon church will Weld
implicit obedience to his will.
Unfortunately, existing facts leave but lit
lie doubt that such is his determination |
Without entering upon minute history of |
occurrences, it is sufficient to say, that ali the
Ulcers of the United States, judicial and exc,
,utiye, with the single exception of two Indian
gents have found it necessary for their own
,ersonal safety to Withdraw from the Territory.
md there no longer remains any government |
n Utah but the despotism of Brigham Young.
This being the condition Of affairs in the Ter
itory conld not mistake the path of duty.
As Chief Executive Magistrate, was bound
o restore the supremacy of the Constitution
nd laws within its limits. In order to effect /
his purpose, appointed new Gouernor and
ther federal officers for Utah, and sent with
hem a military force for their protection, and
0 aid as posse comitatus, in case of need, in