Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-02-06

.esident's Message no the Le
ton Constitution.

.esident's Message no the Lec
ton Constitution.
We published yesterday a synopsis
of the Presidents message on trans
hitting the Lecompton Constitution
to Congress, and VIC are willing to
leave it to the people Of Scott county
without a word of comment, defence or
culogy. To say that We heartily en-
dorse it, after pledging ourselves long
ago to tho principles it %enunciatcs, were
entirely unnecessary. In our judg-
mcnt, the question of admitting Kan
sas with such institutions as she has
framed, has but one side, and We have
the best assurance that the Democratic
majority in Congress is of the same
opinion. Were that question entirely
detached from the Slavery hobby
were Kansas to present herself for ad-
mission with a free state Constitution,
no one supposes that the Black Re-
pnblicans proper, with their scmi-Dcm-
ocratic cOnfedcrates, would endeavor
to exclude her from the Union. For
ourselves We recognize no difference
between the claims of Free states and
Slave states, and We therefore join
with the administration in considering
the admission Of Kansas as distinct
from the question of slavery, and
wholly disconnected with it. We have
looked in vain, in the late speeches of
Judge Douglas, and in the columns Of
his ablest organs for a single valid lc-
gal objection to the Constitution of
Kansas or the manner in which it was
prepared. The Convention which
framed the Constitution was called in
lawful manner, and in subordination to
the authority Of the federal govern
ment; it transacted its business in a
legal way, end no charge of informally
is made against any Of its proceedings;
it framed a Constitution which is Re-
publican in form it submitted the on
ly vexcd question to the vote of the
people; indeed, from its inception to
Its adjournment no exception can be
taken to the technical correction Of
everything hat was done.
Conccdlng the legality of the con-
vention, land that cannot be success
fully disputcd) and the Republican form
Of its handwork, there is no reason why
Kansas should not be admitted. We
arc aware hat there is much declama-
ton about not daring to submit the
constitution to the people, hat the
omission to submit a constitution to
the people is not and ncvcr was a valid
grouud for refusing to admit al appli-
cant territory as a state. The history
Of the United States proves conclusive
ly that it is not necessary that a con
~stitution should be subjected to popu-
lar vote in order to be Republican. To
reject Kansas because her Constitution
was not submitted to people would be
to require from her a test which was
required Of any other State. Nor
Is the assertion that a majority of the
people are opposed to the Constitution,
entitled to more consideration. In
these matters, we are not to take the
harangues of m~oborators, nor the state
ments Of partizan newspapers. There
is but one legal way of ascertaining the
| popular wish, and that is by looking at
the returns of duly authorized elections.
1t matters not that fanatics may after
wards get up elections on their own
hook, and vote as often as they choose;
we arc bound to regard only the off,
cial vote, and if we abide by that we
shall not 60 far astray. If we establish
the precedent of looking at the votes
Of illegal mobs, where will it lead us 2
Taking, then, the official returns of the
authorized election, and the Constitu-
ton WAS adopted by a large majority.
The legal principle is plain, moreover,
that those who do not vote, authorize
those who do vote, to act for them.
II the so-called Free State men chose
to place the government in the hands
Of their opponents, it is nobody's fault
but their own, and it is certainly no
reason for refusing to admit Kansas in
70 the Union.
Upon these points, the reasoning of
Cha AnA>SA--A -