Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-02-10
KANSAS AND THE IECOMPTON CONSTITUTION,
MEssAGEsdF PRESIDENT BUCHANAN.

KANSAS AND THE 'I.Ec0MPToN CONSTITUTION
MEssAGESdF PRESIDENT BUCHANAN.
Z The following Message from the President was
transmitted to both Houses of Congress on Tuesday:
80 the Senate and House of Representatives. Of 7@s
e limited States: .
have received from j. Calhoun, Esq, President
of the late Constitutional Convention OF Kansas
opv. duy certified by himself Of the Constitution
1Snmed by that body, with the expression OF hope
shat would submit the same to the consideration o.
Congress- with the view ef the admission OF AsEsas
tinto the Union as independent state. IN CV'l-
oli.nce with this request herewith TRANSMIT 20 Ooh'
: xress for their action, the Constoton u Na"sas,
Win the ordinance respecting the public lands as
Veil as the the letter of Mr. Calhoun dated at Lecomp
ton on the l4th ult, by which they were accompa-
MED Having received but single copy OF the Coh-
-stitution and ordinance, send this to the Senate
great deusion seems to Pervade the public mna
-srises from the difficulty of inducing the American
Deople to realize the fact that any portion Of them
shonld be in stste Of rebellion against the govern
ment under which they live. When we speak Of the
affairs of Kansas apt to refer merely to the
existence of two violent political parties IN that Ter
ritory divided the question OF slavery, just as we
sxpeak Of such parties in the States This presents
no sdeauate idea of the true state of the case The
dividing line there is not between two political par
ties, both acknowledging the lawful existence OF the
government but between those who are loyal to this
government and those who have endeavored to des-
troy its existence by force and usurpation-6etween
those who sustain and those who have done all their
power TO overthrow the territorial government es-
tablished by Congress- This government they wouia
long since have subverted had it not been protected
from their assaults by the troops OF the United
States -
Such has been the condition of affairs since my
inauguration Ever since that period q large portion
Of the people of Kansas have been in state OF re-
belion against the government, with military lead
ar ut their head of a most turbulent and dangerous
character. They have never acknowledged, but nave
constantly renowned and de6ed the government to
which they owe allegiance, and have been all the
time in state of resistance against its authority
They have all the time been endeavoring to subvert
it and to establish a revolutionary government un'
der the socaled Topeka constitution IN Its steac.-
Even at this very moment the Topeka Legislature
are in session. Whoever has read the correspond
ence of Governor Walker with the State Department,
recently communicated to the Senate will be con-
WINGED that this picture is not overdrawn. tie al
ways protested against the withdrawal OF any por-
ton of the military force of the United States from
the Territory deemng its presence absolutely nec-
essary for the preservation of the regular govern
ment and the execution of the laws. In his very
frat despatch to the Secretary of State dated June
2, 1857, he says: "The most alarming movement,
however proceeds from the assembling on the 9t.
June Of the so-caed Topeka Legislature, with view
Of course, it will be my endeavor to prevent
such result as it would lead to inevitable and
disastrous collision, aud, in fact, renew the
civil war in Kansas" This was with Difficult.
~ prevented by the efforts of Gov Walker; but
soon thereafter on the 14th of July, find him re-
ouestng General Harvey to furnish him a reg
iment of dragons to proceed to the city of
Lawrence-and this for the reason that he had re-
ceived authentic intelligence, verified by his own
actual observation, that dangerous rebellion had
AnR-
and the establishment of an insurgent government
in that city.
In the Governors despatch of July 18th he in
forms the Secretary of State that "this movement
1T Lawrence was the beginning of aplan, orig nating
Territory and especially in all towns ces ~ ebH:
ties where the Republican party have a majority
Lawrence is the hotbed of all the abolition move
ments in this Territory. 1t is the town established
by the abolition societies of the East and whilst
there respectable people there, il is filled by
considerable number of mercenares who paid
by abolition societies to perpetuate and diffuse agi-
tation throughout Kansas, and prevent q peaceful
settlement of this question. Having failed in indu-
cling their own socaled Topeka State Legislature to
organize this instruction Lawrenceha has commenced it
herself and, if not arrested, the rebellion will extend
throughout the Territory"
And again: " In order to send this communca-
ton Immediately by mail / must close by assuring
you that the spirit of rebellion pervades the great
mass of the republican party of this Territory in
stigated, as ] entertain no doubt they are, by
tern societies, having in view results most disas-
trous to the government and to the Union and that
the continued preaence of General Harvey here is
indispensable, originally stipulated by me, with
large body Of dragons and several batteries"
On the goth july 1857, Gen. Lane under the au-
thority of the Topeka Convention, undertook as
Governor Walker informs US, to organize the whole
socalled free State party into volunteers and to take
the names of all who refuse enrolment The pro-
fessed object is to protect the polls the election
in August of the new insurgent Topeka State Leg
islature.
"The object Of taking the names of all who re-
fuse enrolment is to terrfy the free State conserva
atrocities committed on such men by Topekaites-
The speedy location of large bodies Of regular troops
here, with two batteries, is necessary. The Law
renee insurgents await the development of this rev.
dictionary military organization"
In the Governors despatch of July 9th, he says
that Gen. Lane and his staff everywhere deny the
authority of the territorial laws, and counsel total
disregard of these enactments"
without making further quotations of similar
character from other dispatches of Gov. w aker, it
appears by reference to Mr.. Stanton's communica-
ton to General Cass of the 9th December last that
the "important step of calling the Legislature was
taken after The had become satisfied that the cleo
ton ordered by the convention the 21st instant
could not be conducted without collision and blood
she'd" So intense was the disloyal feeling among
Inc enemies OF the government established by Con-
gress that an election which afforded an opportun.
ty, in the majority, Of making Kansas free State
according to their own protested desire, could not
be conducted without collision and boodshed
- The truth is, that up till the present moment, the
enemies of the existing government still adhere to
their Topeka revolutionary Constitution and gov
eminent. The very first paragraph of the message
OF Governor Robinson, dated on the 7th December,
to the Topeka Legislature, now assembled at Law
renee, contains open defiance of the Constitution
and laws of the United States. The Governor says !:
The Convention which framed the Constitution
at Topeka originated With the people of Kansas Ter
rtory. They have adopted and ratified the same
twice by direct vote and also indirectly through
two elections of State officers and member the State
leRislatnre Yet Il r,laasad 4ho .a.:-:sx..I:..