True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-12-15

Under this act, should majority reject
the proposition offered them. sit shall be
deemed and held that the people of Kan.
sas do not dOsire admission into the Union
with said constitution under the conditions
set forth in said proposition" In that
event the act authorises the people of the
Territory 10 elect delegates to form con-
stituiiOu and State government for them-
selves, "Whenever, and not before, ascer>
tanned by ccns-s, duly aud legally taken,
that the population of said Territory equal
or exceeds the ratio of representation re.
quired for member of the House of Rep.
resentatives of the Congress of the United
States" The delegates thus assembled
"shall first determine. by a vote whether
it is the wish of the people of the proposed
State to be admitted into the Union at
that time, and, if so, shall proceed to form
a constitution, and take all necessary steps
for the establishment Of State government
in conformity with the federal constitution"
After this constitution shall have been
formed, Congress, carrying out the priuci.
pies of popular sovereignty and non>iuter.
veution, have left the "mode and manner
Of its approval or ratification by the people
Of the proposed States b" to be "prescribed
by, law" and they "shall then be admit.
ted into the Union as a State under such
constitution thus fairly aud legally made,
with or without slavery, as said constitution
may prescribe"
An election was held throughout Kansas,
in pursuance of the provisions of this Act,
on the second day of August last, and it
resulted in the rejection, by largo major.
ity, Of the proposition submitted to the
people by Congress. This being the case,
they are now authorized to form another
constitution, preparatory to admission into
the Union, but not until their number, as
ascertaned by census, shall equal or ex'
, ceed the ratio required to elect member
to the House Of Representatives.
, tits not probable, in the present state Of
! the case, that third constitution can be
lawfully framed and presented to Congress
: by Kausas, before its population shall have
reached the designated number. Nor is it
to be presumed that, after their sad expe.
rience in resisting tho territorial laws, they
will attempt to adopt constitution in ex-
press violation of an act of Congress. Du'
, ring the session of 1856, much of the time
t Congress was occupied on the question Of
admitting Kansas under the Topeka consti-
tuition. Again, nearly the whole Of the
, last session was devoted to the question Of
) its admission under the Lecompton consti.
tuition. Surely it is not unreasonable to
require the people of Kansas to wait, before
. making third attempt, until the number
of their inhabitants shall amount to ninety
5 three thousand four hundred aud twenty.
f During this brief period, the harmony
of the States, as well as the great business
. interests Of the country, demanded that the
: people of the Union shall not for third
r time be convulsed by another agitation on
Q the Kansas question. BY waiting for q
= short time, and acting in obedience to law
y Kansas will glide into the Union without
{ the slightest impeachment.
i. Tho exalted provisions which Congress
y have applied to Kansas, ought to be exten
d ded and rendered applicable to all the Ter
Q ritories which may hereafter seek admission
It into the Union.
10 Whilst Congress possess the undoubtec
10 power of admitting new State into th'
n Union, however small may be the numbe
r of its inhabitants, yet the power ought not
e in my opinion, to be exercised before tn
# population shall amount to the ratio re
N quired by the act for the admission o
N Kansas. Had this been previously th
it rule, the country would have escaped al
st the evils and misfortuues to which it ha
been exposed by the Kansas question.
"a Of course it would be unjust to give thi
u n rule retrospective application, and ez
" clude state which, acting upon tho pat
!. !" practice Of the government has alread
or formed its constitution, elected its legiSla
r. 10 ture and other officers, and is now pre-
al pared to enter the Union.
1, The rule ought to be adopted, whethe
as We consider its bearings on the people {
ID the Territories or upon the people of th
Of existing States. Many Of the serious di'
rs sen sions which have prevailed in Congre'
and throughout the country, would hay
ID been avoided, had this rule been estal
of lished at an earlier period of governmon
tv M Immediately upon the formation of
N new Territory, people from different Stat
lv and foreign countries rush into it, for Il
bSe laudable purpose of improving their COZ
If ditiou. Their first duty to themselves
w to open und cultivate farms, to constru
M M roads, to establish schools, to erect plac
" " of religious worship, and to devote the
n. energies generally to reclaim the wilderne
NJ n and to lay the foundation of a fourishiu
by and prosperous commonwealth.
ye.l If, in this incipient condition, with
he population Of few thousand, they shou
ii> prematurely enter the Union, they are o.
,of pressed by the burden of State taxatio
SO, and the means necessary for the improv
It's ment of the Territory, and the advanc
ed ment Of their own interests, are thus d
nts verted to very different purposes.
Ter The federal government has ever been
liberal parent to the Territories, and q go