Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-11-24

Col FOrney on the U1nHtls Hnscnatt!'
The Philadelphia Press, Col. Forney's paper
has the following sensible and just comments in
denunciation Of the course of the bogus Consti
,utional Convention Of Kansas, in refusing to
submit the instrument which it has coneocted, to
the people Yet President Buchanan and his ad-
vsers sanction the whole swindle of the border
ruffians, in attempting to force down the threats
of the people of Kansas what four-ffths of them
abhor, and would vote against had they the oppor-
tunty
The Boston Post has frequently heretofore
taken occasion to quote from the Philadelphia
Press, and to endorse that paper and its editor as
sound and true in the democratic faith. Let the
Post quote the following, and refute the posi-
lions there maintained, with such force and
TRUTH if it can. Let every Democrat peruse it,
and hand it over to his democratic neighbor to
read and ponder over;
I'VE publish this morning the schedule adopt
ed by the Kanzas Constitutional Convention.
Contrary to a1hat conceige to be the true intent
and meaning Of the kanzas Nebraska act the
resolutions of the Cincinnati platform, the inau-
gural address of Mr.. Buchanan, the recommend
atoms of Governor Walker, the pledges of many
of the members of that Convention, the general
expectation of the country, and in defiance of the
true principles of liberal democratic government,
that body has refused to submit its work fairly
to the citizens of kanzas. There as no honest
submission of the 1le,o Constitution to The action of
the people 1t is provided that they may vote for
1.-THE Constitution with slavery, or for the Con-
stitution without slavery but they cannot vote
AGAINST the Constitution, no matter how much
they may be opposed to its provisions. They are
not allowed opportunity OF saying whether
they do or do not desire the document framed by
this Convention to be their fundamental law, and
by the abnegation of this privilege they are de-
prived Of the full exercise OF that right OF form
ing their own institutions, to which they are en-
titled by every consideration of justice and right
The proposed election IS in q less complete and
more ofenSiUe form than that By l0hich Louis No
poleOR obtained the confirmation OF ms assumption
of the position of Emperor from the French peo-
ME While he refused to give them an opportu.
nifty to vote for such candidates they preferred,
he still submitted the proposition whether he
should or should not be placed upon the throne.
He at least gave them chance to cote him dozen
if they desired to do This right the Kanzas
Constitutional Convention has refused to the peo-
Pile of that Territory The peryading idea of
democratic government is, that all public repre-
sentatives and officials are mere servants, whose
highest duty is to guard the interests and carry
out the will of higher power-that of the peo-
pie, the only true soTeregns. The Convention
has acted as though it was the master instead of
the servant-as though it was determined to fas
ten and make binding its action upon its eonstlt-
uency. This strange and unjnst proceeding ne
cessitates the conviction-that it was afraid of
popular condemnation, afraid to trust its work to
the free action Of the people-afraid to do its
duty, and TO place the power of final judgment
upon its proceedings where it belonged-in the
hands of those most deeply interested in them.
If the Constitution suits majority of the people
of KanzAs. they would vote for it in any event,
and it would become their fundamental law If
it does not conform to the views and requirements
of a majority Of the citizens of Kanzas, they
should have an opportunity of voting against it.
This proposition seems SO clear that we are sur
prised that it should be questioned in any quar-
ter. Even the Convention not altogether
destitute Of some idea of the justice of this prn.
ciple, for it proposes to leave the people to say
whether they are to have the Constitution Nth or
aoithout slavery. What right had it to limit the
power of the people to action upon merely one
question, and to confne their judgment even
upon that by very narrow boundaries The
whole power belonged to the citizens of the Ter
ritory. There was no warrant for dividing it, and
we can conceive no just and proper reason for
thus dwarfpg their sovereignty. The a0hOIe Gf
fair lcears the aspect of trickan unworthy
srpedieat-aottch should meet soith no .taUor.
There are other features of this schedule of
extraordinary character, but we shall not com.
rnent upon them now. We regret and deplore
the action of The Convention, and, considering in
how light degree it represented the whole body
Of fine people Of the Territory, greatly disap
pointed that it dii not magnanimously crown its
labofs by submitting them fully and fairly to all
| its citizens, and thus have closed forever the
mouths of those who have elamored so loudly
against the Democratic party on the score of all
legged frauds in Kanzas, and brought the exciting
drama Of its Territorial difficulty to final close"