Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-02-11
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

The Message OF the president accompanying
the Kansas (Lccomp.on) Constitution has been
communicated to Congress They are having in
that grave assembly quite an animated discussion
oyerits merits and dement's. The Message takes
very decided grounds, and, as our Correspondent
aiiirrns, has made profound impression on the
Washingtoniars. We give some lengthy extracts
and "cgret that we arc not able to lay it before
our readers IN crteRso.
a great delusion seems TO pervade the public
mind in relation to the condition of parties III Kan
s,s. This arises from the difficulty Of inducing
the American Ucope to realize the fact that any
norton Of them should be- in state OF rebellion
against the government under which they live
Wien we speak of the affairs Of Kansas we are
apt 10 refer merely to the existence of two violent
rotical parties in that Territory, divided on the
question of slavery, just We speak of such par
ties in the StntcS. This presents no adequate
idea of the trne state Of the case. The dividing
line there is not between two political parties,
both acknowledging the lawful existence of the
government, hut between those who are loyal to
this government and those who have enlca coTed
to destroy its existence hv force and uSnrlat!on-
between those who sustain and those who have
done all in their power tn overthrow the territorial
government established by Congress. This gov
cruncn. they would long since have suLvertcd
had it not been protcct"d from their assaults by
the troops of the United States
Such has been the condition Of Affairs since my
Inauguration. Ever since that period n large por-
ton Of the people of Kansas have been ina state
Of rebellion against the government, with Il mill
tary leader ut their head Of Il most turbulent and
dangerous character. They have never Gcknowl-
an,ln al lnEn
the government to which they owe allegiance, and
have been ali the time in 4 state of resistance a
Gains; It's authority They have all the time been
cnlleayorne to subvert it. and to establish revo
lu;ionarv government, under the so-called Topc-
ka Constitution, in its stead. Even ut this very
moment the Topeka Legislature are III session.
Whoever has read the correspondence of Cover
nor Walker with the State Department, recently
communicated to the Senate. will be convinced
that tis picture is not ovrrdrlwn. He always
protests against the witldra wal Of any portion Of
the military force of the United States from tho
Territory. dccniug its presence absolutely ncccs-
sarv for the preservation Of the regular govern
ment and the execution of the laws.
:: = = = :: =
After quoting from the dispatches Of Governor
WALKER, in confirmation Of the above assertion
the message proceeds
From this statement Of facts, the reason be-
comes palpahlc why the enemies of the govern
ucnt authorized by Congress have refused to vote
for lelcratcs to the kansas constitutional cOnvcn-
ton, and also afterwards on the question Of slave
~ submitted by it to the people. 1t Is because
they have ever refused to sanction or recognize
any other constitution than that framed ut To-
pcka.
Had the whole Lccompton constitution been sub
mtted to the people, the adhrrcnts Of this organ
ization would doubtless have voted against 1t, be-
cause. if successful, they would thus have removed
an obstacle out Of the way Of their own rcvou-
tionary constitution. They would have done this,
not upon consideration of the merits of the whole
or any part of the Lccompton constitution, but
simply because they have ever resisted the author
ity of the government authorized by Congress,
from which it emanatcd.
Such being the unfortunate condition Of affairs
in the Territory, what was the right as well as the
duty Of the laM-abidng people? We're they ST.
lently and patiently to submit to the Topeka usur-
patton. or adopt the necessary measures to cStah-
iish constitution under the authority Of the or
ganic law of Congress:
That this law recognized the right Of the people
of that Territory, without any enabling act from
Congress- to form State constitution is too clear
for argument. For Congress ''to leave the people
of the Territory perfectly free" in framing their
constitution "to form and regulate their domestic
! institutions in their own way, subject only 10 the
constitution of the United States" and then to
say that they should not be permitted to proceed
and frame constitution i'll their own way without
an express authority from Congress, appears to
be almost !. contradiction in terms. 1t would be
much more plausible to contend that Congress I"u
no power to pass such IN enabling act, than to ar
! que that the people of Territory might be kept
out of the Union for an indefinite period, and
until it might please Congress to permit them to
exercise the right of self government. This would
be to adopt not ''thcr own way," but the way
which Congress might prescribe.
! From this review it is manifest that the Le-
compton Convention, according to every principle
7 OF constitutional law, was legally constituted and
was invested with power to frame Il constitution.
The sacred principle of popular sovereignt! has
been invoked in favor of the enemies OF law anu
order in Kansas But in what mannerls Is popular
sovereignty 10 be exercised i'll this country, il not
through the instrumentality of established law {:
In certain small republics of ancient times the
people did assemble in primary meetings, passed
laws and directed public affairs In our country
this is manifestly impossible. Popular sovereign
ty can be exercised here only through the ballot
box: and if people will refuse to exercise 1t IN
this manner, as they have done in Kansas at the
= plertion nf tha lalnc.uteS not for them To