The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-02-11

eSbeilion agninit lhs GoveFnmeat; Il u the
same spirit which h11 pfodueod actual Fa.
beIlion in Utah. Our onIf salely eousiSta
ia obsdisncs and conformity othe law
ShohId gsnsfsi spirit against lie shfotcs.
NEST prevail. this will prSTs fatal TO us %
nstion. Ws scknowlsdRs no master but
the law. And should We cut loose from its
rsstraiats, and every one do what sesmeth
good ia their own eyes, our case 10 indeed
hopelsss.
The enemies OF the Territorial Govern
ment are determined siill to resist the at.--
thori,y Of cougress- They rsfused 10 vote
fcr delegates 70 the Cvnvenlion--not be-
causs. from circumstances which | need not
detail, there was en- ommission to Veaister
comparatively few voters whe were fnhsbi-
tants Of certain counties In Ksasas In the
sSrly Spriug Of ls6T---but Because they had
pre- determined, at ell haEardG, 70 adhere to
their revolutionary orgahiz iion, and defeat
the estsblishmSnt Of any other Constitution
than that which they had fFsmed At Topek i.
The slection, therefore. wac suffered 10 psss
in default. But OF this result the qualified
electors, whs reused to vote, eau Eeyer
lastly complsin,
From this review il 10 msnifeSt that the
Lsesmplon Convention, according to eVary
principle OF Constitutional law, was lNgaAy
constituted, and invested with The power 70
frame Constitution.
The sacred principle Of popular sovsr.
sigsty has been invoked in favor Of the enc.
miss Of law and srdsr in Kansas. But in
what manner is popular sovereignty to bc
exercised in this county, il not through the
instrumeAtality Of sstablishcd laws. In
certain small republics OF ancient times
people did assemble in primsry meetings
passed laws, and directed public affairs. In
our country, this 10 naniiss,iy impossible
I Popular sovereignty can be exercised here
only through the ballot box, md il peOpl,
will refuse to exercise il, in this manner, q
they have done in KaHsas at the elsetioa o
delegates, it 10 not for them to complain
that heir rights have been violated.
This Ksnsas Convention, thus law 'ull
constituted. proceeded to frame q Constitu
/ ton, and, having completed the work, hn.l
, " si~unned on the 7lh Of November lie,
TAsy did not think proper to submit u
whole o. this Constitution to the poPuls
!. vste, but did submit the question, whe,ae
. Kansss should be q Free or 2laUe STATE
a to the people. This was the question whic
n had lighted the Gimes Of civil war in Ksr
I sas, and produced dangerous sectional pa
0 ties throug ghou, the Confeteracy. 1t was
d q character 81 paramount in respect to III
Q condition VI kaasas, nS TO riyet the atel
ton Of the people Of the whole coartry "
on il alone. No person thaught Of aay oil
Or question. For my own psrt. wheA I il
: structed Governor Walker in gen. raj teru
{ in favor 0f submitting the Constitution
} the people, I had no object in view sxreI
= the all.absorbing qusstion Of slavery.
what manner the people might regulate the
:, own concerns, was not the subject which =
trscted my attention. In fact, the gener
3 provisions Of the recent State Cone itutior
y after an experience Of eighty years, are
J. similar ard exeellont III t it would be diff
- cult 10 70 far wrong at the present day,
- framing a now Constitution.
l then believed, and s,ill believe, that vi
ct der the organic act, the kansAs Convent,
~ wss bound to submit this all imporia
a. question of slavery to the pcope. Ii W
~ never, however, my opinion. that, indcpe
IDENTIFY Of this act, they would have be-
v bound 10 submit sny portion Of the Cons
- tulion 90 the popular vote, in order to give
'' validity. Had | entertained such an opi
!. ion, this would have beeniS opposition
= many preeedsn,s in our history. commsn
y ing in the very hest oge OF the Republic.
II would have been in opposition to d
10 principle which pervsdes our institution
= = and is every day carried ih,o pr4etice, tn
~ the people have the right TO delegate TO re-
% resentstivss chosen BY them, svrs, tbs
J sovereign power to frame Con. titu'io
!, enact laws. aad perform any other impo
tant acts, without requiring that these shou
be subjected 10 th ir subsequent spprok
{ tion. II would be . most inconVenient lin
y itation Of their own power, Imposed by Il
p oPls upon themselves, to exclude the
from exercising their sovereignty in any lss
ful manner they may think proper. II
true, the people OF Kansas might, il the
had pleased required the Convention
submit the Constitution to the popular vui
. But this they have done. The only r"m'
:. dy. therefore, in this case, is that " hich "a
u lists In . II other similar csses. II tho del,
g,tes who irsmed the Kansas Constitution
4 have in any way violated the will Of the
. constituents, the people alwsys possess tn
+. pswsr 10 change their Constitution or Iaw
9 according to their swn pleasure.
The question Of slavery was submitted
I the election Of the people OF Kansas on Il
d 2lst Of December last, in obedience to tt
mandate OF the Constitution. Here again
fair opportunity was presented TO the sdht
rents Of the Topeka Constitution, il the
. were in the majoriiy, 10 decide this sxcitin
h question Gin their own wsy," and thus n
. store peace to the distracted Territory. b.
i, they again reused the right VI popular so,
sreigniy. and sgain suffered the election I
, p"ss in default. 7
9 heartily rejoice that a wirsr and bett'
= spirit prsvsiled among a large mnjority
' these people on the first Monday in Janus
. ry, and that they did that day vote under III
}. LecomptoD Constitution for Governor ~
. other State tf6ssrs, member Of Cunxrcs
' and members OF the Legislature. Th
0 election was warmly contested BY pSrtie
. and larger vote was pollcd than at. sr
!. previous election in the Territory. w
= may now reasonably hope that the revolt
o tionsry Topeka organisation will be speed
IL and finally abandoned, and this will /
= far towards the Anal settlement o. the y.
d happy Differences in Kansas. II fraut
e have been comlnitted at this election,
1t one or both parties, the legislature and u
q people OF Knnsas, under the Constitutio
know how to redress themse Ives, and pun
ID these detestable, but too common crime
,r without outside interference. a
lie The people Of Kansas have, then, /"
in their own way" and in strict accordan
st with the orgsnic act, framed Constitu'ii
.. and State government, have submitted Il
n aIltimportant a question Of slayery TO the pc.