The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-12-17

4
on the slavery or any other question, and hav
adopted all necessary means Tor giving speedy
| effect to the will OF the majority. Thus tb'
| Kansas question would have been immediately
and finally settled.
| Under these circumstances, | submitted L
Congress the constitution thus framed, with al
the officers ALREADY elected necessary to put th'
State government into operation, accompanied
/ by strong recommendation in favor OF the ad
mission of Kansas as a State. In the course o
my long public life have never performed any
official act which, IN the retrospect, has afor-
! drd me more heartfelt satisfaction. It's admiS-
sion could have inflicted no possible injury or
any human being, whilst il would, within
bret period, have restored peace to Kansas and
! harmony TO the Union. In that event, the Sla-
| very question would ere this have been finally
settled, according 10 the egaIIy-expressed will
Of majority Of the voters, and popular sover-
eighty would thus have been vndicaled in a
constitutional manner.
| With my deep convictions of duty, | could
have pursued no other course. it is true, that,
as an individual, bad expressed opinion,
both before and during the session OF the con-
ventlon, in favor of submitting the remaining
clauses ofthe constitution, as well as that con-
corning slavery, 20 the people. But, acting in
an official character, neither myself nor any
human authority had The power to rrjudge the
proceedings of the convention, and declare the
constitution which it had framed to be a nuliity.
To have done this would have been a violation
of the Kansas and Nebraska act, which left the
people of the Territory "perfecly free to form
and regulate their domestic institutions in their
own waV, subject only TO the constitution ofthe
United States" 1t would equally have viola
ted the great principle of popular sovereignty +,
at the foundation OF our institutions, 10 deprive
the people Of the power, il they thought proper
to exercise it, of confding TO delegates elected
by themselves the trust Of framing the constltu-
ton, without requiring them 10 subject their
constitution to the trouble, expense, and delay
of second election. It would have been in
opposition 10 many precedents IN our history,
commencing in the very best age of the repub-
lie, of the admission Of Territories as States in
10 the Union, without previous vote of the
people approving their constitution.
1t is to be lamented that question so insIg
niicant when viewed in its practical effects on
the people Of Kansas, whether decided one way
or the other, should have kinded such flame
rejection nav pfoVe tes 10 tBt 81 lesson OF wisdom
and of warning for our future guidance. Prac-
tically considered, the question is simply
whether the people OF that Territory should
first come INTO the Union and then change any
proyjsion in their constitution not agreeable to
themselves, or accomplish the very same object
by remaining out Of the Union and framing an
other constitution in accordance with Their
will? In either case, the result would be pre-
csely the same. The only difference in point
OF fact is, that the object would have been
much sooner attained, and the pachcaton OF
Kansas more speedily effected, had it been ad
mitted as a State during the last session of Con
gress.
My recommendation, however, for the i'm
mediate admission of Kansas, failed 10 meet the
appreciation OF Congress. They deemed it wi
ser 10 adopt different measure for the settle
ment of the question. For my own part, |
should have been Hing to yield my assent TO
almost any constitutional measure 10 accom-
plish this object. !, therefore, cordially acquI-
psced in what has been called the English Com
promise, and approved the "Act for the admIs-
sion of the State of Kansas into the Union" up
on The terms therein prescribed.
Under the ordinance which accompanied The
Lecompton constitution, the people OF Kansas
had claimed double the quantity of public lands
for the support OF common schools, which had
ever been previously granted 10 any State upon
entering into the Union and also the alternate
sections Of land for twelve miles on each side
of two railroads. proposed to be constructed from
the northern TO the southern boundary. and
from the eastern to the western boundary OF the
State Congress, deeming these claims unr1a-
sonable, provided, by the act Of Mey 4, 1888,
to which have Just referred, for the admission
| Of the State on an equal footing with the origi-
! nal STATES, out s'upon the fundamental condI-
! ton precedent that majority of the people
| thereof, at an election 10 be held for that pur-
/ pose, should, in place ofthe very large grants
/ of public lands which they had demanded M
| der the ordinance, accept such grants as had
| been made 10 Minnesota and other new States
| Under this act, should a majority reject the pro-
position offered them, ''i shall be deemed and
held that the people OF Kansas do not desire ad-
mission into the Union with SAID constitution
undpr the conditions set forth in said PROPOSE
tion." In that event, the aci authorizes the
people of the Territory 10 elect delegates tc
| form constitution and State government FOL
themselves, twhenever, and not before, IT Is
ascertained by census, duly and legally taken
that the population of said Territory equals oI
exceeds the ratio oil representation required foi
a member of the House of Representatives o
the Congress OF the United States" The dele
gates thus assembled "shall first determine by |
vote whether i, is the wish of the people OF th'
proposed State 10 be admitted into the UnIoI
at that time. and, if so, shall proceed to form
constitution, and take all necessary steps 10
the establishment of Stale government IN con
formif3 with the federal constitution" Ate
this constitution shall havs been formed, Con
gress, carrying out the principles OF ropula
sovereignty and non-interventlon, have lei
'qhe mode and manner OF its approval or rail-