Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-12-25

free opportunity was given to register ana vote,
and they did not choose to exercise that privilege,
the oreston is very different from those counties
where there wss census or registry, and no
vote vas given or could be given, however anx-
ious the people might be to participate 10 The cleo
ton of delegates TO the convention. Nor could 1t
\ be said these counties aequiesced, for wherever
they endeavored by a subsequent census or regis
try of their own to supply this defect oecasioned
by the previous neglect of Territorial officers, the
| delegates thus chosen were rejected by the con-
! yention. repeat that in nineteen counties out OF
thirty-fOuT, there was no census In nitsen couh-
ties of thirty four there was. no registry, and
not solitary vote given or could be given Tor
! delegates to the convention in any one OF these
| counties Surely, then, it cannot be shd that SUCH
/ convention, chosen by scarcely more th7n once
tenth of the present voters of Kansas represented
! the people Of that Territory, and could rlghuuiiy
! impose a constitution upon them withoutthelF con-
sent. These nineteen counties in which Their was
no census. constituted majority of the counties
| of the Territory, and these fifteen counties ii
] which there no registry, gave much larger
vote nt the October election, even witt the six
months qualification, than the whole vote given
to the delegates who signed the Lecomptoh con
stitutiOn on the TIN OF Nov m'er last.
IT, then, sovereignty can b. del gated ana con
utiOus, IS such, are sovereign, which ! deny,
surely il must b. only in such cases as when such
conventions are chosen by the people, which we
have seen WIS not the regards the late L.
compton convention. 1t was for this, among other
| reasons that in my Inaugural and Oth-F addresses
insisted that the constitution should be submit
| ted to the people by the convention, as the only
means of curing this vital defect in its organIza-
| ton. 1t was, therefore, among other reasons,
when, as you know the organization OF the social
| led Topeka State government and as a consequence
an inevitable war and conflict with the troops
must have ensued, these results were prevented by
my assuring not the abOltiOniSts, as has been er-
| rOneouslv stated-for nv address not to them,
but the people of Kansas--that in my judgment
the constitution would be submitted fairly and free
! ly for ratification rejection by their vote, and
that if this not done, would unite with them,
the people, as now do in "lawful opposition" to
! such procedure.
The power and responsibility being dsvoIved ex
clusVely upon the President, of using the federal
army in Kansas to suppress insurrecton, the alter
native distinctly presented to me by he ques-
tions propounded at Topeka, of arresting reVolu-
ton by the slaughter of the people, or OF prevent
1 log it. together with that civil which must
have extended throughout the Union, by the sols
emn assurance then given, that the right oil the
/ people to frame their own government, so lar as
| my power extended, should be maintained. But
for this assurance, it is a conceded fact that the
| Topeka State government then assembled in legis
! lative session would have been put into immediate
| actual operation, and that a sanguinary collision
| with the federal army and civil war must have en-
sued, extending, is feared, throughout the Unon'
Inieed, the whole idea of an inaugural address
| originated in the alarming intelligence which had
reached Washington city of the perilOus and IN
rendered still more formidable my reaching the
Territory by the approach Of the assembling
of the revolutionary State Legislature, and the very
/ numerous mass conventions by which Il was suS
| tanned. In truth had to choose between arrest
ing that insurrecon, at whatever cost of American
blood, oy the federal army, prevent the terri
! BILE catastrophe, as | did, by my pledges to the
people to the exertion of all my power to obtain
fair election, and the submission of the cOnstitu
ton to the vote of the people for ratification or re
| lection.
Ny inaugural and other addresses were, there
fore, really in the nature of prOcamatons, $50 Of
| ten issued by presidents and goVernOTs,) with
view to prevent, they did in this case, civil
and insurrectiOn.
Now, by my oath of Office, I was sworn to sup
! port the Constitution of the United States, which
| l have shown, in my judgment, required the sub
mission Of the constitution to the vote of the peO-
! pie l was sworn also to ''take care" that the
! Kansas and Nebraska bill "should be faithfully
| executed" which BILL in my judgment, as hereto
fore stated, required that the constitution should
! be submitted to the vote Of the people, and was
! therefore only performing solemn duty, when, as
| governor OF the Territory, to whose people my
first obligations were due, endeavored to secure
! TO them these results The idea entertained by
some that / should see the Federal Constitution
and the Kansas Nebraska bill OvcrthrOwn and dis
regarded, and that PLAYING the part of a mute in
! psntOmime Of ruin, | should acquesce by my ST.
! lence in such a result, especially where such
quiesceBca Involved, as an immediate nsfquence,
a disastrous and sanguinary civil war, to
/ most prosperous. Not drop of blood has been
/ shed by the Federal troops in Kansas during my
/ administration. But instruction and civil var,
! extending, l fear, throughout the country,
| alone prevented by the course pursued by me on
those occasions, and the whole people, abandoning
! revolutionary violence, were induced by me TO go,
Tor the hrst time, into general and peaceful cleo
| ton
/ These important results constitute a sufficient
consolation for all the unjust assaults made upon
! me on this su ject l do not understand that
! these assaults have ever received the slightest
! cOuntenance from the President; the contrary,
! his message clearly indicates an approval of my
course up TO the present most unfortunate differ,
! ence about the so-called Lecompton constitution
/ lnasmuch, however, this difference IL upon
/ vital question, involving practical results and new
Instructions it is certainly much more respectful to
/ the President my part to resign the Office of
Governor, and giving him an opportunity of filing
t. is his right under the Constitution with one
| who concurs with him in his present opinions
rather than go to Kansas, and force. him to re-
move me by disobedience to his instructions.
| This latter course, in my judgment would he in-
compatible with proper respect for the Chief Mag
istate Of the Union inconsistent with the rules of
moral rectitude prOpriety, aud could be adopted
with no other view than to force the President 20
remove me from office. Such course, it is alleged,
would present me to the public political mar
tyr in the defence of the great principle of self
government; but TO go 70 Kansas with any such
purpose or with a certain knowledge that such
result must follow, would be alike unjust aud i'm
proper My only alternative, then, is that of
respectful resignation, in the hope that Kansas and
beloved country may be shielded from that civil
war with which fear both are threat ned, by any
attempt to force tue so called LecomptOn cOnsti-
tuition upon the people OF Kansas
that il Is a fact based a long aud inti-
mate association with the people OF Kansas, that
overwhelming majority OF that people are Op0
posed 10 that instrument, and my letters state that
but out OF twenty OF the press OF Kansas
tain il. Some oppose il because 80 many counties
were oislranchi5ed and uLrepresented IN the con-
vention. Some who opposed TO paper money,
because il authorizes bank of enormous capital
for Kansas nearly unlimited in it's issues ami in
the denomination of its notes, from one dollar up
and down. Some because of what they consider a
Know Nothing clause, by requiring that the Gov
emo. shall have Ueen twenty years a cisz OF the
United States. Some because the elective fran
ehise is not free, they cannot vote against the
constitution, but only on the single ISSUE whether
any more slaves may be imported aud then only
upon that issu by voting for the constitution 10
which they are opposed. they regard this as but
a mOckcFy Of ne elective franchise and peTilOus
sporting wlih BE sacred right Of the people. Some
zss aud adopts thsa Oxford fraud in apPorIiouiug
legisl tive members for johnson county, upon the
fraudulent aud fictitious returns, 90 falsely called,
from that precint which recognition OF that fraud
10 the constitution is abhoTrent 10 the moral sense
OF the people. Otaers oppose because, although
In other caseAthe presidents OF conventions have
been authorized - issue writs OF election TO The
regular Tguitorial and State Officers With
HeH