The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-11

quently violated-of none of these thi xs dc
we speak now; Mr.. Buchanan ignores them
but the American People will not forget chem
our one purpose now is, to expose tn utter
falsity of the foundation of his argumel s-the
assumption that the Kansas-N ebraska act, il
in itself an enabling act.
That this law recognised the right of the
people of the Territory" he says, g, aithoui
any enabling act from Congress, to form State
Constitution, is too clear for argumeR For
Congress to leave the people of the 7 ;ritory
perfectly free in framing their Constits son, to
8 form and regulate their domestic inst ations
in their own way, subject only to the c. astitu-
ton of the United States $" and then % say
that they shall not be permitted to proc ID and
frame Constitution in their own way, ithout
an express authority from Congress, APP sars to
be almost q contradiction in terms"
This is specimen of the clubbing, -pecial
pleading, and perversion of truth, whic char
acterize the whole message. The law (Which
he refers presents no such collocations& SEN
fences or propositions as he representa- The
first section, which contemplates the fuksre or.
gsnization of States in the Territories, psovides
that they "shall be received into the. Union
with or without Slavery, as their Consagution
may prescribe at the time of their admise,,n y
but it does not authorize the People or xsrrito-
rial Legislature to form States it dc.s not
prescribe the mode in which States are to be
formed-it is absolutely silent upon tka sub
.ject, thus leaving it where it has alwayp been,
at the discretion of Congress.
Section fourteen of the ssmelact, without
any reference to the organization of Steses in
the Territories, deals with them simply ia their
Territorial condition, and repeats the Missouri
Compromise, proceeding as follows: IS being
the true intent and meaning of this act not to
legislate Slavery into any Territory o, State,
nor to exclude it therefrom, but to lie, ve the
people thereof perfectly free to form an, regu.
late their domestic institutions in th, u own
way, subject only to the Constitution of the
United States" The language applies to the
Territory exclusively in its Territorial .condi.
ton. @
The first section, contemplating the future
organization of States in the Territor g, pro.
vides, that when admitted as such, tn q shall
be received with or without Slavery l., their
Constitution may prescribe. A siinila, provis.
ion was incorporated in the bills ora .nizing
New Mexico and Utah. The fourteenth ection,
contemplating the Territories merely such,
provides, further, that while Territos es, the
People shall be left free to form and sgulate
their domestic institutions in their own y. Mr..
Buchanan, is quoting from this sectie , inter.
polates the little clause, ain .fami g their
Constitution" 80 as to alter the me- hing of
the section, and limit the right tkeref recog-
missed, to the People cohen they come ts form a
State Constitution! We have 40 atience
with the want of candor and honesty betrayed
by such trickery as this. The foarte ,th Sec
ton says nothing about " framing thei '.Consti.
tation has nothing to do with that object
the words are an Interpolation hy Presi-
dent. We print the provision az it ands in
the section, and the Interpolation of Presi-
dent, in brackets: >,
at being the true intent and m. ,ning of
this act not to legislate Slavery into / y State
or Territory, nor to exclude it there. ON, but
to leave the people thereof perfectF~ free to
form and regulate their domestic in ,:itutions
in their own way, L in framing their ;onstitu-
tion, James buchanan, subject o, 3 to the
Constitution of the United States"
And this dishonest Interpolation he cakes, so
as to change radically the meaning o, she Law,
for the purpose of sustaining his a, surd and
groundless assumption, that the 4 ,nsas-Ne-
OrasEa Act is an enabling SssdSy n n any
right to pass another enabling act | The Act
is not an enabling act. The FIRST sect On, which
contemplates the organisation of Stat ., confers
no authority upon People or Leg jatures to
form them and the fourteenth sec, on refers
exclusively to the authority Of the People to
regulate their domestic institutions a Terri
torial Constitution. The Lecompto <Constitu-
ton, therefore, admitting that the legislature
was legitimate, all its actions fair, q the pro-
ceedings of the Convention called by 4, honest,
is no more binding on Congress than sSe Topeka
Constitution. Which it should pref :. whether
it should recognise either, or whetht lit should
pass an act providing foS Convent p to form
another Constitution, or forbear any action on
the subject, is a matter Cor its sole d erection.
In deciding the question, it ought % be gov.
erned by something moro weighty tn : bubbles
and technicalities. Let us admS that the
Legislature of Kansas was legtima,ax-that its
acts were valid-that its law subu.sting the
question of Convention to the Pee, :, was not
proscriptive- its provision for Conven-
ton was, on the whole, reasonable Sat those
who refused to vote on that occasis !, neglect
ed their duty-that the Conventiol formed a
Constitution, apart froei the quest n of Sla-
very, republican in forn-that of Il ) six thou.
sand votes given for it not sings vote was
fraudulent-admit all This, and ye I'VE assert
that, in view of facts fully admitted,ey the Ad-
ministration Party, facts officially suthertica-
ted, and denied by nobody, no De aocrat can
vote for the Lecompton Constitut IN without
fragrant inconsistency, and no mem FER of Con.
gress, of whatever party or section, an vote for
it, without a violation of the rights o majority
of the People of Kansas.
What are these Factsf
/. The Constitution, although t. Pro-Sla.
very Democratic Party in Kan as sought
power by pledging itself to the So, mission of
the Constitution to the People, Although the
President openly committed him elf to this
Just policy, although he admits in is message
that be regretted that this policy b, a not been
pursued, and although it has been . .iformIy ad-
mitted by the trainers of the Cons tuition, and
by their supporters in the States, bat if sub
mitted to the People, it would hav, been voted