The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-06-10
Instfnctions from the AdmInIstra'
eIon te GOV. Denver.


Instrnctions from the AdmInIstra,
el0nste Gov. Denver. /
DkrANTnrhr or STATE, Il
WAsHIHeToh, May 2, 1858. {
]. w. DENvRR, Esq.
Governor Of the Territory Of Kansas, Eel
compton,
SIR: transmit to you copy Of the act
Of Congress approved 4th May, 1858, "for
the admission of the State Of Kansas into
the Union" Your duties under this act are
Of the most delicate and important charac.
ter; but they arc clearly and distinctly de-
fined by the act itself.
Congress were not satisfied, a. you will
perceive, with the ordinance adopted at Le-l
compton by the Constitutional Convention
there, assembled in regard to the public
lands, deeming the grants to the State Of
Kansas therein contained too extensive and
beyond former precedents in similar cases,
They have therefore proposed to the people
OF Kansas to assent to such changein The
ordinance as is stated in the act, reducing
the quantity of lands granted, SO as to con-
form to the grant in the bill now before
Congress for the admission of Minnesota.-
This question is properly left to Kansas to
be decided at popular election. The act
prescribes that "at the said election the vot.
ing shall be by ballot, and by endorsing on
his ballot as each voter may please, "Prop.
ostion Accepted" or "Proposition Reject
ed" Should majority Of the votes cast
be for Proposition Accepted" the Presi-
dent Of the u. s., as soon as the fact is
duly made known to him, shall announce
the same by proclamation; and thereafter,
without any farther proceedings on the part
OF Congress, the admission Of the State Of
Kansas into the Union, on an equal footing
with the original States, in all resi- ects
whatever, shall be complete and absolute,
&c. But should majority of the votes
cast be for proposition Rejected" il shall
be deemed and held that the people OF Kan.
sus DO not desire admission into the Union
with SAID Constitution, under the conditions
SET lorsh in inc said proposition. They
VIII then remain in Territorial condition
until "it is ascertuined by census duly and
legally taken, that the population OF SAID
Territory equals or exceeds the ratio of rep
resentation required for member of the
House of Representatives of the Congress
OF the United States," upon which ascer
tainment the people of said Territory ''are
authorized and empowered to form for them
selves Constitution and State Govern
ment" in the manner prescribed by thu
Act.
Under the second section Of the Act
yourself, the District Attorney, the Secreta
ry of the Territory, the President of tn
. Council and the Speaker of the House 0
Representatives are constituted a Board o
!, Commissioners, to conduct this importan
u election. The President has entire conf
y dence that SO far as in you lies, the electo
= will be fairly and properly conducted
e Your powers and your duties are sufficient
pointed out by the Act and by your previou
Instructions. 1t is greatly to be desire
that the five Commissioners should act i
!. concert in all Their proceedings. Th
!. President above all things, desires that ther
o should be fair expression of the populs
;, will on this important question:; and tn,
q any person who may commit or attempt
e commit the frauds punishable under tn
y Act, may be prosecuted with the utmost ri!
. ;. or Of the law. 1t is to be hoped that til
n people of Kansas, relieved from all outsic
d influences may be leftto decide the questio
!. for themselves, whether they will immed
ls atey come into the Union under the prov
If sion of the Act, or will remain in Tcrr
h torial condition until their population
=, equal to the number required for Repr
j. sentative to Congress. N..r..
Enclosed herewith you will receive 70,
y copies of the Act referred to, one of wbc
,r you will send to each of the COMMISSIONS
IS named in the Act, in order that they may
Dronnrlv ipf formnd IF thai
d At the same time, you will provide for a
e early meeting OF the Commissioners, 6
d that the election required by the Act ma
i take place without unnecessary delay, an
n that all suitable arrangements may be mac
a for the purpose. The President earnest
,f hopes, that these arrangements may be su,
ID cessful in securing free and fair election
e and that at the present important crisis I'll
:. peace OF the Territory may not be interrul
,r ted.
;. The act for the admission of Kans,
If ought to be extensively circulated amor
n the people, because the question to be d
e cided by them is one Of vast importanc
o and may involve the welfare and prosperi
!. of their fine territory for long period
y years. For this reason, whilst the act vel
N properly prescribes that the day of eectie
D. shall be at as early period alter the pr
Is clamation, as is consistent with due mott,
thereof to the people; the intervening pei
cd ought to be sufficiently long to enab
+, them thoroughly to understand the questic
$. in all its bearings and consequences.
10 shall have ten thousand copies of the q
Of printed in this city and forwarded to you f
ia immediate circulation.
f. You will not probably convene the Boa
|, until after the appointment Of new Di
Is trict Attorney for the Territory. A nom
Is nation for this purpose will be sent to ii
e Senate on Monday next. Should you dee
x it advisable, you are at liberty to publish Il
b whole or any part of these Instructions
ID The President wishes to give every assn
At ance to the people of Kansas, that he d
'. sires, above oil things, that there shall be
ID fair expression of the popular will at Il
I. election; and that the result may be to pr
/. duce peace and harmony among themselv
w and promote their lasting welfare. l al
n sir, your obedent servant,
q. LEWIS CAss.
j Wool and the Cleveland WOt
=, Depot. s-.
1 RI