Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-03-16
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE LONDON TIMES ON THE KANSAS
MESSAGE.

only, but by policy Alliances, ana natoha interests
IN the Old World that even now, when the United
States have become 6rstrate power, and British
America counts more than three millions OF lnhabi
tsnts most Of us skim over with Indifference every
piece of news unconuected with business which
oomes from the other side Of the Atlantic. The con-
tnent of Europe still maintains it's supremacy In
interest and attention. and question relating to some
third rate kingdom, some half-civillzed and dis.
tant province ia discussed at greater length then the
most important concerns OF the New World. we
will not apologize to our readers for supposng that
thew have little accurate knowledge OF the Kansas
question. All of us have feeling against slavery,
and are aware that in Kansas proslavery party and
an abolition party have been III deadly strife for the
last ,bres or four years But Of the details We pre-.
sume most people are ignorant not from want OF the
opportunity of knowledge, for every letter from the
States is sure 10 be full of the matter but from the
completely of the subject and from our habitua in.
difference TO American affairs. But az 1t 10 univer.
.ay agreed that the crisis has come, and as the ques
ton does certainly present many points Of interest,
". NAV enter for a moment on the rough and chart
lsss sea of American politics. and endeavor to die.
cover what is the issue on which all republican eyes
are fixed.
President Buchanan has just cent to Congress a
message on the affairs Of Kansas, in which he takes
the eide of the prosavery party on legal grounds and
advises that Kansas should be admitted as State.
with the Constitution framed by the Constitutional
Convention recently assembled. This Constitution
establishes slavery, and was settled by an assembly,
for the members OF which most OF the Free.Soilers
abstsinsd from voting. The argument of the Presi.
dent s that even If il be true declared, that the
majority Of the inhabitants of Kansas Free Soil
ers vet az they sbstaiued from voting for the mem
bers of the Convention legally called, they must be
bound by the minority, who exercised their rights;
and, should they wish TO overthrow slavery, they
must wait until Kansas is duly constituted State
and then strive to have another Convention nom
mated TO undo the work of the last. The President
begins by declaring that the whole party which re-
fuses to acquissce in the legitimacy Of the Lecomp
NH hSafu no Tam Ia Inn
siitution as law are rebels against the authority of
the United States and fall little short of the guilt Of
the Mormons. This is, indeed, severe blow To the
Free.Soil party, which had reckoned with some con
idence that the justice OF their cause would have
counter balanced any traDsgresson of strict Const
tutional law. The President declares that the Go
yernment would have been long since subverted by
the "iusurgent Topeka Legislature had it not been
for the assistance of the United States troops. GA
large portion of the people Of Kansas, says he shave
been in state Of rebellion against the Government,
with a military leader at their head of the most
turbulent and dangerous character" The fact OF the
matter is that from the first settlement Of Kansas
there have been factions each ready to shed the
others blood. II seems beyond doubt that the una
iority of the first inhabitants were opposed 10 slavery
but large body Of slavery men burst into the coun
try from the adjoining State OF Missouri, not with
any intention of settling, but merely to force slavery
Institutions on Kansas, and TO deliver their State
from the dread of free-sOil neighbor. These were
the "border rufsns," and the time of the outrages
were the wears 1855 and lS56. The free soil party
denied the legality of all acts done under their in.
auencs, and assembling at Topeka passed Cons,i.
tuition, to which they have resolu,ely adhered MIR.
Buchanan shortly after hs inauguration, despatched
Mr. Walker, as Governor, to Kansas. Governor
Walker was accompanied by a strong force of regu.
lar troops aud under his auspices Constitutional
Convention has been held, with which the "Tope
ksites" would have nothing to do Governor Robin
son and General Lane say the dispatches OF Gov.
ernor Walker couDs6ed total dls0bedience 10 the
Gee unfhnr I.an
teers TO defend the Topeka Legislature, and Govern
or Robinson declared that the free soil Constitution
having been ratified twice. and followed up by the
elections of State officers, was the law Of the land.
though considered by the Administration at wash
ington as revolutionary.
The President absolutely denies the authority Of
the Topeka legislature, and declares that the Consti-
tuition which has been lately voted and which he pre-.
sents to Congress s the legal expression of the wish
es of Kansas, and must be received as such; but it
rests with Congress to accept it or not by the fun
dsmental law of the United States, any region within
its Jurisdiction which is sufficiently settled may b.
declared Territory, and when it attains certain
incubation, may be admitted as State, on the de-
mand Of properly constituted convention. Now,
even allowing that the convention which framed the
Lecorppton Constitution was duly constituted. the
question ia whether Congress- looking 10 the circum
stances Of the case should admit it. The South e Of
course. eager In the affirmative. The admiration Of
Kansas would, for the present at least give two pro-
slavery votes in the Senate. A more moderate party
is for rejecting the Constitution, and passing an sen
ablinp br' to give Kansas the power TO form anoth
er MIR. Buchanan is for the former course. He
elbows that il is an inherent right of Territory TO
meet in convention Kansas did and, that 1t would
be unjust to refuse to acknowledge the Constitution
il adopted or to contest the claim to admission
Moreover Minnesota and Oregon are waiting also for
admission and Kansas, which has waited longest,
ought to be disposed of first.
Yet it must not be supposed that Mr. Buchanan is
anxious that kaDsas should be slave State. He
merely says that the Constitution which the conven-
ton has established enacts slavery, aud that Kansas
must come into the ppion with this Constitution and
change it afterwards, ii it peases. The question Of
slavery submitted to the people on the Dist of last
December. The freseoilers abstained from voting,
AZ not recognising the assembly which put the question:
II thew had chosen 10 vote says the President they
might have made Kansas a free State; as they ab-
stained they must take the consequences and remedy
the evil By another vote after the Territory has be
come State. The late judgement Of the Supreme
Court, which has caused such astonishmeut at home
and abroad, 10 cited to chow that kaneae, being Uni
ted States territory, s from that very fact slave SOIL
ut has been soemnly adjudged by the highest Judi
cal tribunal that slavery exists in Kansas by virtue
of the Constitution of the United States Kansas ia
therefore at this moment as much slave State as
Georgia or South Carolina ~ So there is nothing in
the facts of the the laws OF the country to for
bid the admission Of the Territory with its present
Constitution.
There can be no doubt that Tie President has much
reason his stde, and that the soilers have act
ed with mprudencs and intemperance. They were
at first overpowered by the "border ruilans,' and
might naturally refuse to acknowledge assemblies
elected BY violence; but, when the federal admins.
tra,on interfered, and them an opportunity of
showing their numerical strength, they might well
have given up their separatis legislature aud
shaled their forces for fair constitutional contest.
They are branded by the highest authority with
the guilt OF rebellion, and it is officially declared that
their acts necessitae the presence in the Territory
of large body OF troops, which are much wanted
elsewhere. That their cause will have the sympathy
of large GLASS, both in their own country and in
Europe have no doubt, but that they will have to
yield seems equally clear. Resistance to the central
government is the highest OF crimes in the eye Of
every true American, and when the Chief Of the
public calls upon the citizens to support his authori
ty he will be responded to from every side Perhaps
the best solution of the question s what the Pres
dent proposes that Kansas should be admitted with
her present pro slavery Constitution and that the tree
soil party should demand convention, and endea.
vor, by legal means, to abolish the institution they
detest.
FROM Utah.
Sr. Louis, March l2:-The Council Bluff Bugle of
the I'd instant says Wingate arrived from Salt Lake
on the 18th February, and reports no snow in Salt
Lake valley and very little in the mountains. lie
came by route known only to the AormoDs over
the mountains, by which horsemen In single file can
pass the army undiscovered.
The Mormons we're manufacturing small cannon
with percussion locks and telescope sights n carry
a opoupd ball with az much certainty AZ comm,n
rife. They we're also making five hundred rsvoly.rs
a week. Also coaree powder tor mining purposes
Ia skrmish between the Mormon's pickle, guard
and the army two Of the former killed. aud four
Of the latter reported killed
LATER FROM SOUTH AMERICA.
PH,LA1ELpHiA, March 12.-By advic.s received
from Buenus Ayrss, dated January 10Th, We learn
that the with Montevideo il still progressing but
conducted With very little vigor. The city Of Mon
tevideo bad been besieged.
Advices from Balise, to the 18th February, says
that the Legislature had passed q law authorizing
tue importation Of a colony of 1000 Coolies or Sc
poys. The small pox is quite prevalent.
SINKING OF THE STEAMER ARKANSAS.
ST. LOUIS, March l2.-The steamer Arkansas has
sunk, a few miles below Cairo. She had on board
300 United States troops. 1t has not been ascertan.d
whether anv lives los, ar rot