Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-01-15

the | uitpl States, p'titiuulnr Tor the re-
dress of grievances and. thus H., embed, had
the right to nut their petition in the form Of
A constitution if th,, chose: but still it was
only p,tition-haying the force of t'ti-
tion-whicb Congress could accept or rni'ct,
or dispose of as it saw proper That is what
| understand to b, iust thtcXtrnt Of the pDw-
er and authority of this convention os.'n-
blcd at Lecomnton. II was not an unlawful
assemblare like that held at Topeka: for the
Topnka constitution wac made in opposition
10 the territorial law, and. as thought. in
tended to subvrrt the government without
the consent of Congress. but. ~ cpntrulod by
their friends, not - intended If their Oh
ect was to subvcrt it without the consent ol
Congress. it was an act Of rebellion, which
ought to have been put down by fore. If
it was n paaceablc a-5cmllagc simply to pc
tition and abide the decision Of C6ngrr-- on
the pctition. it was not an awful a-.. mi
blaze. | hold. however. that it va- au uu-
lawful assambagc | hold that his L.,pml-
ton convention was not an unlawful ~. M
blagc but, on the other hand. hold that
they had no legal power and authority to
establish government. They had Il light
to petition for a redress Of grievances They
had n right in that petition to ask for the
change of government from a territorial tp "A
State government They had a right t. ask
Congress to adopt the instrument which they
sent to us as their constitution; aud Con-
gross, if it thought that paper embodied the
will Of the people of the Territory, fairly cX-
pressed might, in its discretion, accept it
as constitution, and admit them into the
Union as state; or if CpnEr',, thought 1t
did not embodv the will of the people Of Kan
sas. it might reject it ; or if Congress thought
it was doubtful whether it did cmbOdY the
will Of the people or not, then it should nd
it back and submit it to the people t. have
that doubt removed, in order that th' p'pu
lar voice, whatever it might b'. should pre-
vail in the constitution unlr which that
people were to live.
So far as the act of the Territorial L.-isla-
turo Of K,nsI. calling this convention was
r,n,.,rnod h,v. pl,y,v- boon nol p f.. inn
preston that it W.T. f.f..ul .... fi IT,. pro.
visions. | have alaN- iA,5t.I p,tplo
sbnull have ,,no t.., t'.r.y ,,..... ar.i , led
for d.lcpatc,. $, that th,.,..i.. .,il.....l hy
the convention should La,, b..u - r.,.I .,-
toned and united voice. n.nr il,,.p.,p. .Yr 4 am
sa>. have alwav. tl,ir't 'lt tnl.. who
STAYED away from That election stool In their
own lirht. and should have rome and voted.
and should have furnished their nam.> To- b.,
mt ON the registered list, - "A, 10 b., voters.
have ALWAYS held that it was their own
fault that they did not thus %, AMI vut,.
hut vet. if they chose. thcv had arirIt To-
stay away. Ticv had a ritAt To- saw that
that convention, although not lu unlawful
i not legal convention make
II Government. and hence we are und r no
obliration to 20 and express an opinion about
it They had a RIGHT t. SAY. if they chose.
" We will STAY away until we .,o the c,n.ti-
tuition they shall franz. the petition they
shall send io Congress and when they sui
nit il 70 us for ratification We will vote for it.
if we like if or vote it down if ~, d., mt
like it, saw thew had a rirbt to do cith-
or tbnucb thouobt and think vet ns ,,,od
citilnns tbnv nucht to have r,nn and ynroI
bnt that w,. thrir hu.in.,. and not mine
IJ,yin, tIr,. shn,yn that tLr C',,,rnti,r ,t
Larnmnt7n Lod no bower, no AUTHORITY. +,
farm and establish a Government. Lnt bod