The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-31

"A actin
through the Eryexpressed will OF majority of actual
residents whenever the number of their Inhabitants ustI
flies it, TO form constitution with without domestic
slavery" and he admitted into the Union on terms ~
perfect equality with the other States
These are the identical words of the Cincinnati plat
form-the last revised corrected and improved eli
ton of the democratic creed Has the President In his
message in his instructions, or in any way departed from
itl The creed declares hat he people of Kansas and
Nebraska have the right, &c, Well who caDel
for conventon The people of Kansas through their
own Legislature Who voted under the law the ques.
ton whether il should be called or noty The people of
Kansas without one word of opposition by Congress
Who voted for members of the convention when il WAS
calledi The people of Kansas Who TO vote on the
final question whether Kansas TO have constitution
with without slavery, in the very language of plat
form Tie people Of Kassas Thus it appears that the
foundation o every movement in kansas has been the
popular will Now what has the President said done
in his message, anywhere else to celve down this de
clared right ~ The beopey What has lac done Why
what has he not done to uphold and maintain 1t lie
the army the United States, under OF its abest
generals TO secure at every stage of their poceedngs
| the frecst expression OF the popular will
But the platform Cincinnati declares that the oues
ton of slavery shall be decided by the people of Kanxs
IL said not word how the other domestic questions
| should be decided, or when. Nobody had doubted
questioned the right of the people of that Territory 10
decide the relations of husband and wife guardian and
ward, &C. in their way and according TO their own
good win and pleasure The only matter dispute has been
about the question of admitting excluding SLAVERY from
now attempts TO conure up any Other point Of cohtro-
very between the blackrepubloan and democratic party
in relation to the Territories hazards the loss Of every
claim to fairness and accuracy OF argument Well has
the President said done anything to abridgo impair
the right of the people to settle this precise question
slavery So far from it, il known that the
convention of Kansas had fixed the 2ls of the present
month for its settlement he despatched messengers with
all possible speed bearing orders TO the proper officers to
protect and defend the Jond tide inhabitants of Kansas in
the ecs and fullest exercise of their rights at the ballot
box. Ha s.-tE ]a@s#
But the most frequent objection taken to the action of
the President this Kansas subject has been that he has
sustained the existing territorial government of Kansas
and the legality of its recent convention whereas na
j of the people in fact opposed to both and to the
recognition Of neither any form shape whatever In
the light of and truth and of the Cincinnati plat
FORM let try the action OF the President the oec
ton The platform declares that the question of slavery
mo other is to be decided by the people, acting through
the faly-expresscd will Of majority, &c majority of
whom Why OF those voting, not those who do not or
will not forward and vote at all, and whose num-
beers there Of determining II they have an
opportunity to vote and will not A governors and sec
rearies and generals and soldiers there by the
President to guard and protect them in voting and yet
they will not who il blame they take no concern
in voting is it not proof that they willing to abide
by the result produced by those who do voter Ii they
stay away and refuse to vote because they will recog
Mise the validity of that action Of Congress that passed
the act of organization because they will not yield
obedience to the laws of the Legislature created and
thorzed by the organic act because they will not
ognise in any form shape the legality of the late
vention, in any all Of these cases what they but
actious and rebeous citizens who decline the perform
Of every reasonable social duty and stand in
open defiance to Congress- to their legislation and
the generous efforts making by Mr. Buchanan and the
democratic party to advance and exat them to perfect
equality in all their rights to the people Of the other
States Of the Unon' How else the President and the
Vice President Of the United States elected than by
jory of the votes cast in the election How absurd
would it be for citizens Of the United States contend
President, because they had not been vots Cor by
jory of all the citizens of the United States
Der of Congress or member Of State IegislatN I
retain his seat If he had to show that he not only rtt
majority of those voting but of the whole numb 5
citizens residing in his district The argument to
this objection against the President is too allacous,
ceive any sound and true democrat The pride and glo
of democracy has always been to submit to the will of
majority But her equal pride and glory has been
up fairly to the polls and thereby show where the true le
gal majority really is The true democrat inches
from the performance of duty, and then whac and
plain of his derelictons. t@
The limits of such letter as this will permit me to
notice but other objection urged against the Presidents
message in connexion with this Kansas affair 1t is often
urged that although the ary question has been referred
by the convention to the people of Kansas and although
the President has taken every prccauon fair
vote upon it yet because the choe constitution has not
been submitted the President ought not TO have recon-
mended her admission into the Union In his ask has
he dsregardcd the Cincinnati platform, which he
placed and proudly elected by the democratic party l
hold every democrat who ut that who
represented aspirant to the honos which
it had to bcstow and every democrat who sustained its
nomneeto that touchstone of party loyalty and demand
to know il that platform required any other than the
slavery question to be submitted to the people If it did
not James Buchanan not bound TO go beyond it, and
that democrat who requires HIM to do nterpo
lates the platform desecates the proud record and him
self stands hereto and desorter to- the true recorded
faith of the party. Tho submission of any other ques-
ton than the slavery not provided for and was
left to be determined by the authorities of Kansas in their
own way as done in all the other States with
without the submission Of the constitution after it
formed to the people for ratification, just they might
please 1t is thus that The Presidents recommendation
square precisely with the words and requirements Of
platform of principles s.. ,at siss ..sa .e4ssf
But, gentlemen the Presidents recommendations in
my humble opinion may be placed much higher
grounds challenging the complaints of all comeu and
goes disposed to abandon the democratic party and to go
over its blackrepnblican enemies. The platform
cognises the right of the people of the Territories to form
constitutions with without Slavery 1t was never in
tended to be in contradstnotont to the right oany Ka
contention TO adopt constitution without referring IL to
popular ratification, but right In contadstinction to
that claimed by Congress to dispose Of that subject The
two great parties divided the issue The black rcpub
licans claimed it for Congress the democratic party claim
cd it for the people Of Kansas The parties had fought
pcaed battles the issue. The democrats met at Gin
cinnat in preparation for contest il fearful and
doubtful than any which had preceded IL. They again
soemuly rearmed that the right to have slavery not
in the people of the Territories and not in Congress and
on that issue they fought and conquered. One Of the
best fruits Of that victory has been that the people Of
Kansas have gone on in their way, at thcc own