Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-02-17
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
On Submitting the Lecompton Constitution
10 the Senate and House Of Representatives
Of the United States:

tue President Of the late Constitutional Con-
vention of Kansas. copy, duly certified by
himself, OF the Constitution framed by that
body, with the expression of a hope that
would submit the same to the consideration
of Congress with the view of securing the
admission Of Kansas into the Union as an
Independent State In compliance with this
request, [ Herewith transmit to Congress
for its action, the Constitution of Kansas. with
the ordinance respecting the public Lands, as
well as with the letter of Gen. Calhoun. da-
/ ted Lecompton, l1th ult., by which they were
accompanied,
Having received but single copy of the
Constitution and Ordinance, | send this to
the Senate.
A great delusion seems to pervade the pub
lie mind 10 relation to the condition Of par
ties in Kansas. This arises from the difficult
ty of inducing the American people to realize
the fact that any portion of them should be
in state of rebellion against the governm eLt
under which they live. When we speak Of
affairs in Kansas, we are apt to refer merly to
the existence of two violent political parties in
that Territory, divided on the question of
slavery, just we speak of such parties in
the States. This presents no adequate idea
of the true state of the case. The dividing
! line thcre is not between political parties,
both acknowledging the lawful existence OF
the Government but betw cen those who are
! loyal to this Governmerr al those whe have
endeavorcd to destroy its exia tence by force
and usurp ition between those who sustain
and those who have done all in their power to
! overthrow the Territorial government estab-
/ lished by Congress. This Government they
/ would long since have subverted, had it not
] ltc h,- bo
] troops of the United States. Such has been
the condition of affai s since my inaug guration
! Ever since that period large portion of the
people Of Kansas. have been in a state of re-
! bellIou against tI, Government with a milf
/ tary leader al their head of the most turbu-
/ lent and dangerous character. They have
/ never ack knowledge but have constantly re-
nounced and def Il the Government to which
they owe allegiance against its authority -
/ They have all the time been endeavoring to
/ subvcrt it, au2 establish Revolutionary gov
..r,rnnr.f ,-.'.ln onilAa Toneka CJustitu-
ton in It's stead. Even at this vaFy IL =: Ut the
Topeka Legislature is in sesSi "a Whoever
has read the correspondence OF Governor
| Walker with the State ID partrnrIt, recently
: communicated 10 the Senate, will be cOnvin-
ced that this picture Is not oyerdrawn lie
/ ALWAYS protested a.anSt the withdrawal of
the military force of the United States from
! the Territory, deeming its presence abSolu-
I tcly necessary f,r the preservation Of the re-
gular government and the execution of the
laws In his very first dispatch to the Sec
retary of State, dated June 2nd, 1857, he
says:-
The most alarming movement however
proceeds from the assembling of the 80 cal
led Topeka Legislature. with the vi,w 10 the
enactment of entire code of laws. Oi
course it will be enIcavDred to prevent such d
result as would lead to an inevitable disas-
trous collision, and in fact renew civil war III
Kansas"
This was with difficulty prevented by the
efforts of Governor Walker, but soon Gen
eral Harney was rc1uirid to furnish him a
regiment Of dragons to proceed to the city
Of Lawrence; and this for the reason that he
had received Authentic intelligence, verified
by his own actual observation, that danger
Gus rebellion had occurred, involving open
defiance to the laws, and the est tablishment OF
an insurgent government III that city. In
thc Governors dispatch Of July 18TH he ia
forms tue Secretary Of State THAT the move
mcnt at Lawrence was the beginning OF &
plan, originating in that city, to organize al
insure ction throughout the Territory. and
especially in all towns. cities and counties
where the Republican party have majority
Lawrence is the hot bed of the all the abo!i
tion movements in dis Territory 1t Is the
town established by ,he abolition Societies o
the East; auc whilst there are respectable peo
pie there, it is filled by considerable mum
Der of merccnarics wh" are paid by the Abol
ition Societies to perretuate aud ditiuse agita
ton throughout Kansas, and prevent the
Il
failed in inducing their own. the so-callel
Topeka State Legislature, to organize thi
insurrcctiou Lawrence has commenced it her
| self, and # not arrested, the rebellion will ex
te1d throughout the Territory"
And again: In order to send this com
, munication Immediately by mail, must close
assuring you that spirit of rebellion perva
des the great mass of the Republicans of thi
Territory. nstigated, as | entertain no doub
they are by Eastern Societies, having in vie,
results most disastrous TO the GoveInmen
and the Union, And that the continues
presence of Gen. Harvey is Indispensable
as originally stipulated by me, with larg
body of dra goons and several batteries
On the 20th of July, 1857. General Lane
under the authority of the Topeka Conven
ton, undertook. as Governor Walker says
Ito organize the whole so-callod Free Stat
party into volunteers and take the names c
all who refuse enrolment The professe
object was to the now insurgent Topeka Stat
Legislature. The object to taking the name
of all who refuse the enrolment is to terrif
the Free State conservatives iuto submission
This is proved by the recent atrocities com
mitted on such men by the Topekaitcs. Th
speedy location of large bodies of regula
troops with two batteries is necessary. tn
Lawrence insurgents await the developmen