The Kanzas news., 1858-02-20
The Kanzas News.
sArURDAY:::::::FEBRUARY go, 1883.
KANzAs! AT WASHINGTON.
The Lecompton Constitution Endorsed.
Fsllor- Citizens of the Senate
and House of REPRESENTATIVES:


and House Of Representatives.:
have received from Mr. Calhoun, Presi-
dent of the late Constitutional Convention of
Kanzas, copy, duly certified by himself, of
the Constitution framed by that body. with the
expression of the hope that would submit
the same to the consideration of Congress,
o.with the view of the admission of Kanzas
into the Union as an independent State. |"
In compliance with this request, l herewith
transmit to Congress for its action the Con-
stitution of KaDzas, with the ordinance re-
specting the public lands, as well as the
letter of Mr.. Calhoun, dated Lecompton, the
18th 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
public mind in relation to the condition of
parties in Kanzas. This arises from the
difficulty of inducing the American people
to realize the fact that any portion of them
should be in state of rebellion against the
Government under which they live When
we speak of the affairs of Kanzas, we are
apt to refer merely to the existence of two
violent political parties in that Territory,
divided by the question of Slavery, just as
we speak of such parties in the States. This
presents no adequate idea of the state of
the case. The dividing line there is not be-
tween two political parties, both acknowledge
ing the lawful existence of the Government,
but between those who are loyal to this
Government and those who have endeavored
to destroy its existence by usurpation-be
tween those who sustain, and those who have
done all in their power to overthrow the
Territorial Government established by Con-
gress. This Government would long since
have been subverted had it not been pro-
tected from assaults by the troops of the
United States. Such has been the condition
of affairs since my Inauguration. Ever
since that period large portion of the peo-
pie of kanzas have been in state of rebel
lion against the Government, with military
leader at their head of most turbulent and
dangerous character. They have never ac-
knowledged, but have constantly renounced
and defed 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 establish a revolutionary
Government, under the so-called Topeka
Constitution, in its stead. Even at this very
moment the Topeka Legislature are in ses-
sion. Whoever has read the correspondence
of Gov. Walker with the State Department,
recently communicated to the Senate, will
be convinced that this picture is not over
drawn. He always protested against the
withdrawal of any portion Of the military
force of the United States froRa the Terrific
ry, deeming Its presence absolutely neces-
sary for the preservation of the regular
Government and the execution of the laws.
In his very first dispatch to the Secretary of
State, dated June 2, 1857, he says: ga
most alarming movement, however, pro-
ceeds from the assembling of the se-called
Topeka Legislature, with view to the
enactment of an entire code of laws. Of
course it will be my endeavor to prevent
such result, as it would lead to an inevita-
bic and disastrous collision, and in fact re-
new civil war in Kanzas.'' This was pre-
vented by the efforts of Governor Walker,
but soon he had to send to General Harney
to request him to furnish regiment of dra-
goons 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 dangerous rebel
lion had occurred, involving open defiance
OF the laws and the establishment of an in
surgent government in that city. In the
Governors dispatch of July 5, he informs
the Secretary of State that "the movement
IN Lawrence was the beginning of plan,
originating in that city. to organize an in
surrection throughout the Territory, and
especially In all the towns, cities and coun-
ties where the Republican party have ma
jority. Lawrence is the hot bed of all Abo-
Ition movements in this Territory. 1t is
the town established by the Abolition socie-
ties of the East, and, while there are re-
spectacle number of people there, it is filled
by considerable number of mercenaries,
who are paid by the Abolition societies to
Perpetuate and diffuse agitation throughout
kanzas, and prevent the peaceful settlement
of this question. Having failed in inducing
their own so-called Topeka Stale Legislature
to organize this insurrection, Lawrence has
commenced it herself, and, if not arrested,
rebellion will extend throughout the Terri
tory" And again: lin order to send
this communication Immediately by mail,
must close, assuring you that the spirit OF
rebellion pervades the great mass of the
Republican party of this Territory, instigs-
Ted, as L entertain no doubt they are, BY
Eastern societies. having in view results
most disastrous To the Government and the
onlon; and that the continued presence OF
zen Haraey is indispensable, as was orig
inaiiy stipulated by me, with large body
oi dragons and several batteries On
tne 10Th of July, 1857, Gen. Lane, under
The authority of the Topeka Convention,
undertook, as Gov. Walker says, s'to or
Sanlze the whole Free State party into vol
unteers, and to take the names of I'll who
refuse enrolment. The professed object
was to protect the polls at the election. in
august, of new insurgent Topeka State
legislature. The object in taking the names
Tt all who refuse enrolment Is to terrify
the Free State Conservatives into submis-