Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1858-01-07

. thoriiies in an insulting and arbltrar
manner, which requires redress.
A demand for these purposes wi
be made in a firm but canciliator
spirit. This will the more probabl.
, be granted if the Executive sha
have authority to use other means i
Fthe event Of q refusal This. i
accordingly recommended.
1t is unnecessary to state IN de
tail the alarming condition Of tn
Territory of Kansas at the time o
my Inauguration. The opposing
parties then stood in hostile array a
gainst each other, and any acciden
might have relighted The flames 0
! civil war. Besides, at this ,critica
moment, Kansas was left without
governor by the resignation Of Gov
ernor Geary. & b
On the 18th Of February previous
the Territorial Legislature had pass
ed a law providing for the election
of delegates on the Sd Monday ol
June, to convention'to meet on the
lst Monday Of September, for the
purpose OF framing a constitution
preparatory to admission into the
Union. This law was, in the main,
fair and just; and it is to be regret
ted that all the qualified electors ha d
not registered themselves and voted
under its provisions. 8
At the time of the election for
delegates, an extensive organization
existedin the Territory, whose avowed
object it was, if need be, to put
down the lawful government by
force. and to establish a government
Of their own, under the so-called
Topeka Constitution. The persons
attached to this revolutionary organ
ization, abstained from taking any
parti in the election. g U :
The act Of the Territorial Legis-
Iature had omitted to provide for
submitting to the people the consti-
tuition, which might be framed by
the convention; and in the excited
state of public feeling throughout
Kansas, an apprehension extensively
prevailed, that . design existed, to
force upon them constitution in
relation to slavery, against their will.
In this emergency it became my
duty, as it was my unquestionable
right, having in view the union OF all
good citizens in support Of the terri
torial Laws, to express an opinion on
the true construction of the provis-
ions concerning slavery contained in
the organic act of Congress of the
3Oth May, 1854. Congress declar-
ed it to be "the true intent and
meaning Of this act not to leeislate
slavery into any Territory or State,
nor to exclude it therefrom, but to
leave the. people thereof perfectly
free to form anaa regulate their 60
mAs..:.c institutions in their own way"
Under it Kansas, "when admitted rs
a State" was 10 "be received into the
Union, with or without slavery, as
their constitution may prescribe at
the time Of their admission.
Did Congress mean by this lam
guage, that the delegates elected to
frame a constitution, should have
authority finally to decide the ques-
ton Of slavery, or did they intend
by leaving it to the people, that the
people Of Kansas themselves, should
decide the question by a direct vote?
On this subject ] confess | bad ney-
er entertained serious doubt, and
therefore, in my Instructions to Gov.
Walker Of the 28th March last, |
merely said that when "a constitu-
ton shall be submitted to the peo-
pie of the Territory. they must be
protected in the exercise Of their
right of voting fer or against that
instrument, and the fair expression Of
the popular will, must not be inter-
rupted by fraud or violence
In expressing this opinion it was
far from my intention to interfere
With the decision of the people Of
Kansas, either for or against slavery.
From this have always carefully aH
stained. Intrusted with the duty Of
taking 'scare that the laws be faith,
fully executed," my only desire was
that the people Of Kansas should
furnish to Congress tho evidence re-
quired by the organic act, whether
for or against slavery; and in this
manner smooth their passage into the
Union. In emerging from the con-
dition Of territorial dependence into
that Of a sovereign State, It was their