Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-09

late pamphlets, magazines, OF any printed |
matter asserting that it was not lawful to
hold slaves in Kansas. Test-oaths were pre-
scribed for voters and other regulations for
the conduct of subsequent elections, well cal
culated, if not designed, to enable the pro-
slavery party to carry all elections and TO
keep the government of the Territory under
their control; and they succeeded in that OBJ
ject until October, 1857.
In explanation of, and in justification of,
these high-handed proceedings. commencing
with the election in March, 1855, it Is alleged
that gigantic fraud was committed by the
Emigrant Aid Society in attempting, by I'M
usual and violent means to make Kansas a
free State i have no defense to make of the
proceedings of that society; but it is material
to state that, upon investigation, find that
before the first election in March, 1855, only
one party or company of emigrants arrived
in Kansas under the auspices of the society,
consisting of one hundred and sixty-nine
souls, men, women, and children, and that
thrty-seven of them voted at that election. |
deplore. as much as any man can do the spirit
in which this Emigrant Aid Society was got
ten up. l believe that it tended strongly to
promote and fOment discord not only in Kan
sas, but throughout the country.
The Territorial Legislature have passed
acts of the character and tendency l have
stated, from that time forth, it is fair to both
sides to state that the mass, at least the iarg-
est portion of the Free-Soil party, or Adolf
tionists, as gentlemen, according to their
tastes, choose to call them-and no doubt
many of them were Abolitionists-avowed
their determination never to submit to the
authority of the territorial government nor
/ to yield obedience to its laws. That spirit of
resistance and rebellion against the territorial
authorities continued to exist TO October
last
trust that have, so far, given the history
of Kansas affairs truly and fairly. l agree
with the Senator from Virginia Mr.. HUNTERl
that. as a question of duty and public morals,
the free-State men ought to have submitted to
the authority of the territorial government
and TO have waited, like good citizens. with
patience, remedy for their grievances, which
| time could not fail to bring, or, at least. SO
| long any hope remained that relief would
come in a reasonable time; for, as the Senator
! from Virginia says, and says truly, whether
government be founded in fraud or usurpa-
ton. or not there is a necessity for some gov
ernment; no society can endure in a state of
anarchy; civil war and bloodshtd are worse
evils than the endurance of an unjust govern
ment for short period.
To resume my narrative. The second cleo
ton for members of the Legislature and Del
| egate to Congress came on in October, 1856.
The Territorial Legislature having passed
/
upon the call of convention to form Il State
constitution. at the election in October, 1856
vote was taken accordingly on that subject
| The number of votes pOlled at that election
was about twenty-five hundred. the free-State
party not voting. All the votes cast. be-
] lieVe were in favor of the call Of a Couvcn-
| ton, and none but pro-slavCry men were elgc-
ted to the Legislature.
| have omitted TO state in the regular order
of time that the Free-Soi leaders called a
meeting Of the people in 1888, ut which dele
gates were chosen TO meet in convention at
Top ka, III S ptember. of that year. to form a
State constitution. The convention m form
ed a constitution, and application was made
to Congr IS for admission OF Kansas into the
| Union, as a State, under il. The House Of
Il representatives., in 1856, passed bill to adj
NIT Kansas into the Union under that con>ti-
tuition but it was rejected in the Senate.
What the motive was to this proceeding on
the part of the Free-Soil party may well be
! supposed TO have been. as it is alleged ii was
to be relieved from the unjust legislation Of
the territorial government
The Topeka cOnsttut on has been stigmatz-
ed as a revolutionary movement. If a govern
mcnt had been set up und it, il would have
been so. undoubtedly. Bat, though there
have been two elections of Governor and
members of the Legislature under that con
stitutiOn, yet no government has been put IN
operation under 1t; though l have no doubt
that some of the more desperatel adrrs of the
party which formed this constitution were
prepared to take that step, and would have
done so if they had not been Ovcrrulcd by the
more moderate portion of their followers.
The Senator from Virginia Mr. HUNTERl took
no notice of the formation of the Topeka con-
stitution. except TO ridicule it as Gen. Jim
Lanes production.
| am not sure that he was warranted in
treating it with so much disrespect, when the
President put forth the doctrines to be found
in his special message upon the subject Of the
right of the people at all times to change their
form of governments; unless you deny to the
people of Territory a right which you con
cede to those of a State in that respect, which
would be contrary to the principle of popular
sovereignty strongly maintoined by the au-
thors of the organic law of Kansas.
FRO BE CONTINUED