The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-04-16


hand over 10 others TO discuss, if they feel IN
cliaed 10 do so, and shall proceed to state a
few facts, as I understand them, and The con-
! illusions have arrived at upon those facts.
| In the year 1854 an act of Congress was pas
sed organizing The Territory Of Kansas. A Cow
efnor and other officers for the Territory were
appointed by the President then in power In
/ 1857 Legislature was elected, and convened
at Lecompion. Divers laws were passed BY
| this Legislature, among them one calling a con-
venlion 10 frame constitution preparatory TO the
admission of Kansas into the Union as a State.
/ This convention met ai-Lecompton, framed a
! constitution, and submitted II to vote OF The
! people.
There are Eonr opes,ione arieinr ont of this
e,at. of f,cts ,uhich T an a;.ao. ~, oaan
- - va N''' V"
'ioh oi tue committee ior snort tlihe.
First Was The LEGISLATURE which nassed the
~ III; -; - G. ,:,.,;
~
irSdi'y erected oodY
Second. was the convention which framed
| the Iacompton constitutlon LEGALLY elected
| bodv7
-, :.
Ihird. was mat convention bound bY law,
precedent, or otherwise, to submit the constitu-
lion framed hy IT IN vote of The neonl. far
ot;f.o,;, -. .r;.,
| '''r,i' a''"''. - ~ N''"n
'''NA'' - ~'''''NANN 49, 80
Union, will the people of that State have
rioht IN aIfar amend or abolish The Tsconnton
cc,,s,it,,i, =, o,, IL. ,,,o,,,.,r or ., on,,
80" a., ~ ..r'l a.. -
''''e '''''' ''"' - '''''
iutIoh
In answering the hTst OF these Questions, II
seems to me that need do very little more than
read one or two evtracts from the inaugpraI
,lIf E C,... y.,ltt ~ -
au4i SSs "a Nofsi"oi w aiNFI 70 'he PVoPe oi
u / presume these
good authority bY those who RELY with so much
confidence upon his statements.
Tho evtr,rt, rror, ,bo ;no,,,,,,roI III
Ne '''0'' i'0i'i '4e iud"su'a ai aie DIS io'
lows i
SUnder our practice, the preliminary act of fra
ming State constitution is uniformly performed
through the n>trumentality of convention of dele
gates chosen by the people themselves. That con
- Ter,pi a[o,' - ot ~ yoI u'Ff ,ii'
recognised by the authority Of Congress and clothed
by it, in the comprehensive language of the organic
law law WITH ip pqweF 70 make such an enactment
u tnlS
gress and he authority Of the convention Is distinct
Iy recognised in my Instructions from the President
OF the United States hese who oppose this course
Al egisafars vrbo. is, : =, s
IN corporate franchises ard on all other subiecis Int
slavery, they acknowledge by their votes and ac-
qnieseeEce. II that LesslatnFe was invalid, then
cifv or comfy orqanizat,ons all esa and incai
transactions are void, all titles null, and anarchy
reigns throughout borders''
Again:
''But 1t IS said that the convention IS not l"gallT
C@!lsu' ana tn"l 'hf Tsectlon wiz not Ge reeiy ad
mower ordained for this nnrno.e bv the Conaress Of
the United States and in opposing it, you resist the
authority Of the Federal Government. That Legis-
azure was caed INTO nelns oy 'ne congress Of io2i
Iagisia,ion II : rsco,r;1sd by ,bo nra.ent Cbiar
Magistrate of the Union. lust chosen by the Amcri
people, and many of its acts in operation
here by universal assent. AS the Governor of the
eII.!oly OF kansas, u'usl !he laws ana me
M, oath bnt - ssa hat All cn,stitn,;nnai
fully and fairly executed
The position here take bv Corarnor W,ILer
cannot. in nv oninion. be orer,broun Rn,
sir. both nariies in Kansas have bv ,ba;r ac,s
adrittpd that I.eqislaturpt 10 have besn IaralI,,
constituted bodv. and the act passed bv II call
ipa convention. TO be bindino statnte Tho
pro-slavery party have admitted it by voting for
the constitution framed at Lecomplon by the con-
vention called into beng by virtue ofthat act:
and the freeStatc party admitted it by voting
against that constitution on the 4th Of January
last. For, If the Legislature which called the
convention had no legal existence, it lad no
legal authority 10 pass any law and it would
follow, Of course, that the act passed calling
convention was without force and void, and the
convention which convened in pursuance OF IFS
provisions had no legal existence, and all its acts
were Sthp'y ano anSoIuie.y Vold' "1l any
gentleman Cd lhe olheF SIDE say that the free
9'a'e parry, WIN Governor stanton at Their
neaa' "0oia act 50 "h"iseiy as 10 nave an extra
s5ss'o" " 'I'' Ars'SlaIo'e Iaieo or the purpose