Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-02-16

i,heG lnrc. ago BY ih.' tri-rh' ''o
| I'D S,s,.s Wu.n ne. ,vhi-kry iusurrtc"h broke
| M, in punvylyanis wuu'i il have ha'ioriZsd u Ia"
fnl Convention in tat Sal; 10 inr. s'ihnt"u Con
s,tuton 10 the people IN suc!' scnraue ns a''o"eo
men TO vote for it, but not "Sd,nst ~ a. aoweu oe
mar 10 vote down 1000 men, all having equal rGGts
az nr.,eptpd TO submit one question alone ana y-t
submitted it In ouch way that In order 10 vote l'i
| or against that, the people were oonesu ~ s".e
| for and not against something eIse ~hicn Iieh,
| n. obnoxious or odiOus to therni as iDsulleo AKA
CONFESSED them with atcst oath, the most odious IN
sirument Of tyranny, To support Constitution, IL
adopted before IL icas Adopted and then, after nsng
forced to gup the oath in order TO vote at al 10 nave
the vote not counted because it was against and mo-
for what bs was sworn to support, adopted against
| hs Will No. Gen. Washington put down tne iu'
.urrecon, aud BIO would hav- made no excuse ior
fraud, injustice, inequality or oppression on tIe par,
of others who acting under the color OIL la~iu.
authority. So the Topekaltes ought to have been
made TO submit to lawful authority; but no one can
contend that they forfeited their elective franchise or
their freedom of choice TO disapprove or approve
ratfy or reject, an organic law when submitted ~
them. But were Topeksi.es alone opposed to the lie
compton Constitution No. Some pro slavery men
were opposed to If, and this schedule deprived them
Of their sovereign rights az well as the Topekaes.-
Lsw-sbidng citizens, as we'll as reoes, were COM
peled to for and not against this Constitution, OF
not to vote at all The wrong of the TopeSaites VIII
not Justify the wrong Of the Lecompton ConVehuon'
nor cure the defects of the Lecompon schedule
| What Is that SCHEDULED
lta llth section reads:
"Before this Constitution shall be sent to Congress
for admission into the Union as State, IT shall DC
submitted to all the white male lnhaoitan's OF ibis
Territory for approval or d'sdppr0rai, ss ioliows-
The president OF this Convention shal, by procama.
ton declare that on the 2lst day of December, 1857,
at the different election precincts established by
law, or which may he established as herein PROVIDED,
In the Territory of Kansas an election shai be held
over which shall preside three judges, or majority
of three. to be appointed a. foliows Inc presoen.
IF Tnp hall MT
in each county In the Territory whose duty It shall Dc
TO appoint three judges Of election in the several pre-.
cincs o. their respective counties. at which eleotion
The Constitution framed by this Connection shall be
submitted 10 all the white male inhabitants of the
Territory of Kaneas in the said Territory upon that
day. and over tho age Of twenty one years. tor rat,.
fcdton or rejection, in thefolowng manner and FORM
| &c. .
Now, II must surely be admitted, that ia plain
submission of the ckole Constitution framed by the
Convention. The submission of the whole Constitu-
ton ia repeated twice in this clause, In way not TO
be mistaken. And YET It not strange that Ar. BUG
hanan should have made the mistake OF saying in hs
message that the whole of the LecomptoE Constitu-
ton was not and that part the slavery clause alone,
WAS submitted to the peope7 Will 1t be said in reply
that the whole was submitted only sho nodo aiter
specified manner and form Well, let us look at the
manner and form. The manner and form la:
1.-THE voting shall be by ballot. The judges OF said
election shall cause to be- kept two poll books by two
clerks, by them appointed. The ballots cast at SAID
and Constitution 10Th slarery," &C. There ia no
other form touching this point hut th and is it not
plsn, STILL that the whole Constitution ,cds submitted
by the form as well as by the preceding clause EN-.
bodying the principle Of entire submission The
whole was submitted in form as wei! as substance,
but the forrs OF submission was made TO contradict
the principle of submission. The principle was SUI
mission OF the whole for "opprora! or dt;dpprouaL"
for qualification or rsjection,' but the form WA
for approval" and qualification" alone, and there
was no form for "disappropaf' or ''.1 lection
Is it answered that this was in substance but sub
mission of part. for there WINS form approving or
disapproving, ratify'ng or rejecting slavery Deg
pardon. and won't repeat that 1t was an cdious dis
elimination to me to allow sawry alone to be dlsnp
prov ed and rejected and nothing else. But passing
that by is it plain, reply that no one was allowed
to vote for against slavery, part, unless ne would
Mao vote for the Constitution, the whole OF il, with.
out exception Any one might vote to rejsct or to
adopt slavery provided he would vote to adopt the
Constitution, and one wac allowed to vote for or
against slavery who did not vote for the whole Con
stu,on. Ia It not plain then, that the OBJECT was
not to submit part only, Out 10 iorce the auoplon
of the whole
voters went to the polls; nine hundred nnd ninety.
nine might de,ire against the Constitution and
hundred and ninety nine would not be counted.
The part ss 10 slavery which was submitted for al
ternate voting for and against Yves not fairly submit
tod. One Thousand pro slavery men might 60 10 ths
polls desiring to vote for slavery, but against the
Constitutions their votes could not be counted, and
one free soer who voted for the Constitution and
against slavery would be counted. and overcome The
nine hundred and ninety niue. II ia idle TO say that
this was as fair for the one eide az the other for,
though this he equally true as 10 the nine hundred and
unei nine fres-soil voters against the one prosavery
voter yet this would only prove the case to he one OF
double instead of single Injustice II proves only
it wss wrong irjuriousiy affecting both sides and
! the whole people. and not port only.
The truth j.. there obviously sinister and an.
tirepubcan purpose in thus giving an unfair cleo.
ZION ae TO part coupled With no election as to the
whole 1t was TO force the people TO adopt the Con.
s:itatlou framed by the Convention. No man was
allowed to vote for slavery who did not also vote for
| the Constitution; and no man was allowed to vote
against slavery who did not vote for the Constitution.
would vote for the Constitution; and if he voted
against the Constitution his vote for eganet slave
| ~ was not allowed 10 be counted.
: This was not all. The l4.h section Is worse than
| the iniquiiy OF the llth:
aSscion 18th. Every person Offering to vote at the
aforesaid eiection upon the said Constitution, shall,
if challenged, take oath To support the Constitu.
,ion Of the United Slstes, and to support this Consii.
tuition, if adopted, under the penalties OF PERJURY un
| der the territorial laws"
The Democratic party had just come out of a sc,
we're and doubtful contc. with the Know Nothing
secret sociay, the most odious feature of which was
"kest OATH" Now behold an honest, peaceful, law
abiding citizen approaching the polls in Kansas I'M.
der this schedule imagine myself an ultra Southern
elaveholer put to the ordeal Of a challenge under
this clause OF the schedule: an anxious, very anx.
ous to record my vote for my right to hold the chief
part Of the li,ile property | owni am told that
have the right, by the grant Of the high Lecomp.
ton Convention, to vote for or against property IN
slaves; approach the polls to exercise the right;
challenged; the Bible is held out 10 ma to swear
fret Support the Constitution othe United States
| | ask why impose on me that oathl urge that the
obligation IL binding on me without the oath-that
love and obey the Constitution of the United States
and that II is made the supreme Law OF the land
binding o! itsef-but being willing to support that
instrument, and anxious to vote for my properly,
I assent to sweGr to support IL. Bat am told
must. in the second place, swear also TO support
the Lecompton Constitution, if adopted, under
the penalties Of perjury under tho territorial laws
redden into wrath under the insult OF such an
oath rendered to freeman at the pols-'o cup
part Con s,itution il adopted, b.fore its adoption!
denounce The obstacle TO my freedom Of election 1t
10 in vain must take il o! leave my property unpIo.
tected. Ieuppose-ths supposion is almost intoie
rable--I take The oathi | an then, and then only,
granted the privilege OF voting. vote for aldoery'
bit against the Consttuton. am then told that mig
rote cannot be counted, get am srorn 10 support
adopted, Taat hare poted against! S,ung by in
suit aud than DISTINGUISHED | 20 away maddened to
violence by Injustice. inequality and insult added to
injury! Is that my aot and deed Is that republican,
If Cagula was tyrant for posting laws too h'gh 10
be read by the Roman people, what does this
deserve to DO called, which puts the whole and part
together go that minority for the whole may pre-
vail over majority for or against the partl ls 1t not
the very hocus pocus and egerdemain of keeping the
promise to the Of the people nnd breaking it TO
their hopesl tell you that no proud, free people
will stand insult and outrage like tia and ouch des
potisn is enough to drive peaceful and good citizens
to violence for redress Of grievances But the CUES
ton i. not whether the Lsc"mpton Constitution has
been opposed unawuly, bu. is it the act and deed OF
the sovereign people, whose it purpore to be-and Is
it republican in ts submission by the schedule Of the
L-compton Constitution? And mark too, that this
test oath applied when the Constitution is TO be sent
to Congress from territory for approval. After Ia
king this oath, the oasus. may determine whether
he could if the Constitution be adopted, oppose 1t
before Congress, though he voted against it at The
polls, =,
But it is urged in the message that the people, il
opposed TO slavery. might have voted it out OF tn.
Constitution on the 2lst December. / deny that they
could hsua rntnd for or Animal seYarY nnder this