The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-22
KANSAS NEWS.

~NS~S 40
The Kansas correspondent of the New Yo,s
Post, under date of April s, writes as follows
"The Constitutional Convention comple,a3
its business, and adjourned Saturday af,erpoon
after session of eleven days. The Corstitution
framed is believed to be equal, in all desirable
respects, to that of any State in the Union. I,
is exceedingly liberal in its provisions, and will
doubt not, be ratified by an almost unanimous
vote of the people.
by the Constitution, as adopted all male
citizens over twenty one years Of age who bavs
resided three months in the Territory and ten
days in the precinct where they may offer their
ballots, are entitled TO vote on its ratification or
rejection. As concerns the question OF negro
suffrage, which, for time, proved quite an an.
pie Of discord in the Convention, a compromiss
was finally effected, by which it was agreed
and 30 stated in the Constitution, that the frat
General Assembly might submit it to the peo
pie, at the next succeeding general election, in
the shape of an amendment, which, if adopted
Will thenceforth form part of the Constitu.
ton.
"The only other clause of the Constitution Of
special interest to your Eastern readers is tbst
which declares that there shall be no Slavery
in this State, and no involuntary servitude, ex
duly convicted 1t will be seen that this Ian
guage is peculiarly felicitous, inssmuch as i,
recognises the proper. but seldom explicitly
stated distinction between the condition Of Grim
inals and that of persons whose only offence
consists of sable complexion.
DAT caucus of delegates and citizens, held
Saturday evening, the Free-State Central Com
mittee were instructed to call Convention of
the Free State party to assemble at Topeka.
either on the 2lst or 18th of this month, 10
nominate State officers under the Constitution
just framed, to be voted for on the day that the
latter is submitted to the people, /. e. the third
Tuesday in May.
"The Hon. Henry J. Adams, it ia understood,
will head the ticket as Governor, but who will
compose the remainder is, believe as vet IN.
determined.
81 am enabled to post your readers as con.
Germs the programme decided upon by the Free.
State leaders in relation to the pending strug.
gle. If the Lecompton Constitution be defeat.
ed in Congress, of course the way is open and
clear, and needs no telling but in case Of its pas
sage, the Free-Sate officers elected under it will
be requestedin the name OF the people to step one
side, and make way for that of Lesyenworth. Ii
they accede to the request, they being BY Cal.
houn's decision in majority, well and good
bCCOmpIOu Will IuIOuBU. II lQbY manifest
Discrimination to withdraw in favor of the
Leavenworth Government, as is barely possible,
though not probable, they will be forced into sub.
mission, while the work Of establishing the peo.
pies Government will pros ress. Should the Gov.
ernor elect under Lecompton, Frank Marshall,
call upon the President to furnish a force to put
down the rebellion and the Administrative
respond to the demand, there will be no back.
ing down from the programme, the Free State
leaders being firmly, aud I believe Justly, Of
the opinion, that the people are prepared to
support their stand in defence of their rights
and liberties at any cost"
The Leavenworth correspondent of the st.
Louis Republican says that letter was in cir.
culation for signatures, assuring General Cal
houn of his safety against personal violence, in
case he shall return to reopen the Surveyor
Generals Office. Mayor Adams is among the
signers. The State Central Committee had is.
sued call for q Delegate Convention to nomi.
nate officers under the Lesvenworth Constiu.
ton, to be held at Topeka, on the 2j,h mat
The sense of the people will be taken as to
who shall be the United States Senators.
The dispatches from st. Louis in respect to
the action of the Kansas Constitutional Con.
vention on the negro question was not correct
The Convention took no action on the cues.
ton, but gave to all citizens the right to vote,
without undertaking to make an issue with the
Supreme Court, as to how black man must be
to forfeit the right of citizenship. The location
of the State Capital is referred separately TO the
people, the town which has majority OF votes
to be the capital and if no town has a majority,
the Legislature decides. The Constitution il
to be voted upon by the people on the third
Tuesday of May.
Judge Lecompte is holding court at Lecomp.
ton. In one week, he dismissed from the docket
100 Of the suits instituted against Free.State
men for the purposes of persecution. Most of
'hese indictments were for the highest crimes
such as murder, arson, robbery, and the like
The notorious DR.. Stringfellow, almost the last
Of the old guard of Pro Slavery Democracy
has left the Territory, and gone home to Vir.
yinis.
The Washington correspondent of the NJ T.
Times writes.
"Calhoun has entered into the most solemn
engagement to give to the Free State men of
ansas the whole Legislature, with the excep.
ton OF four members, and to lay before that
body the returns for State officers. If Mr.. Cal
houn can be trusted, these promises certainly
settle the whole question, and Kansas will in
'ix months be an shtiquated word. The Free
State men assert and believe that not single
nan Of the opposite party was legally elected to
any Legislative or executive office.
"A change is said to have occurred in the re-
atoms OF the President with Mr. Calhoun. The
after has been advised to hasten back to Kan
las, and resu me the duties of his Office The
President has declined to entertain his urgent
application for another appointment and learn
las declined to see him. For one. I think il
afest to doubt the sincerity both of Mr.. Cal.
,oun and the Administration in these matters.
n reference TO the President, it is premature
o ascribe to him change of policy towards
parties in Kansas, when his official act in that
was to turn out Mr.. Dennis, the
darshal of the Territory, because he had refns.
ID to connive at the Oxford and Shawnee frauds
nd has appointed in his place one Winston
f Virginia, notorious for his connection with
,rockett, the murderer of Bailey, and other
haracters the most criminal and turbulent in
be whole Territory. This last act of the Pres.
lent is one of the worst he has performed in
bis bloody Kansas drama, and is of q piece
18th the appointment of Emory, the murderer
Phillips, and bis federation in office of Clarke,
he murderer of Barbour"
The New Kansas Constitution.
We received yesterday evening, from the Office
the Qntnddro Chindopan, two copies of the
sw Kansas Constitution. The document is too
ng for publication in our columns to-day, but
Q shall hereafter present some of its most
nportant sections. Meanwhile we will state
W of the most monument points of intarest 70