The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-01-17
Kanaas State Legislature.

Ieleetion Of officers.
! 4 COMMITTEES vas appointed by the
House Of Representatives, TO draft and
report memorial to Congress. setting
forth orr grievances, and asking adj
mission into the Union as State
The Senate coneurred In the resolu-
tion, and appointed committee of
one to act with the House Committee.
Ia committee was also appointed to
draft and report an Election Bill. Both
bodies then adjourned till Wednesday,
at 10A.M.
/ Wednesday, 7M tnst.-The Legisla-
ture assembled, and On motion the
House invited the Senate to hear the
report of Committee on Memorial.
The following memorial was reported
by the committee
To the Honorable tie Senate and House
! Of Representatives Of the United
States:
/ Your memorialists, members of the
Legislature of Kansas, under the To-
| peka Constitution. at their annual con-
vocation. respectfully submit to your
honorable body the grievances of our
constituents, for which we seek re-
dress.
You cannot be ignorant of the fact,
that the position which the people of
Kansas are compelled to occupy be-
fore the world, is one of strange and
singular character. The organic act
by which this Territory was opened to
settlement, without distinction of par
ty, gave promises of protection to all
who might avail themselves of its
offers. Confidently relying in the
ability and integrity of the Govern
ment, to maintain in good faith the
spirit and substance of the law, the
people of Kansas became the actual
settlers of the soil, and in that capae-
ity have prepared themselves for
State Government, by framing Con-
stitution and electing representatives
to provide for their interests by legis-
| lation
The causes which impelled the peo-
pie to resort to this organization, were
simple and obvious to every attentive
observer of our history as political
community. In the outset, we were
without local laws to regulate our in
ternal afairs The power to accom-
plish this Indispensable duty, was, it
is conceded, conferred upon the people
by the terms of the organic act. The
attempt to exercise it in the first in
stance proved abortive, resulting as it
did in wholesale and monstrous
usurpation of power, by a horde of
unserupulous partizans, strangers to
oar soil-in the prostration of the
people, who were first defrauded, and
afterwards disfranehised of their po-
litical privileges, under enactments
that have no one element of law in
their structure, and no single pretence
of justice in the results sought to be
accomplished. To remedy and repair
this disgraceful and unhappy state of
public affairs, the people were forced
to seek some organization whereby to
conserve and keep alive the germ of
their constitutional freedom. In this
spirit, the scheme of Stat: organiza-
tion was submitted to the eonsidera-
ton of the people of the Territory
Ample and abundant time for reason
and refection-comporting with the
dignity and Importance Of the step,
was afforded. The principles by
which the soundness of this scheme
was to be tested, were carefully anal
yzed and examined in primary meet
ings and delegate conventions, ire
spectiye Of parties, until the subject
seemed fully exhausted.
The resul. is before the country in
the Constitution for State, framed
at Topeka, by the delegates of the
people, chosen for that purpose. That
instrument subsequently, submitted
for popular approval, was adopted
with singular unanimity, considering
the important character of the topics
involved; some of which, at least, had
been the subject matter of long and
acrimonious controversy. The fate
of this experiment has been watched
unspeaksble solieitude by those who
conceived their interests as people
to be indissolubly connected with the
final establishment of its Supre macy in
the State. From day 60 day the evi-
denees of growing popularity ex-
tended toward the movement, have
been multiplied around us on every
hand. a singular controversy has
prevailed in Congress. as we'll as in
Congress. as well as in the political
world at large. relative to the merits
of this movement, and the motives
which originated it.
Those who act with the party now
administering the government have
pretended to discover treason lurking
in its secret folds. The fires of vitu-
peration have been kindled, and the |
alleged purpose and purity of the peo-
pie has been veheniently and eontinu-
ally assailed. 1t is respectfully sug-
gested that it would be much more
honorable and to the point to indicate
some material political untruth in the |
the theory which we rely upon to sas-
tain our practical efforts in this organ
ization.
# is dificul., if not impossible, to
see how hostility to the Constitution
OF the United States, can be Justly as
eribed to those who carefully conserve
the principle which underlies that doe
ument. by studiously observing the
viii Of the majority of the people
legitimately declared. To this extent
and no more, are we guilty of any
infraction of Republican principles.
4 l..