Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-12-16


] Had Congress sduitted KANSAS into
the Union Under the Lecompton Con.
stitution the Legislature might, at its
very first session, have submitted the
4 question to vote of the peoplclwhether
\ they would or would not have con
| vention to amend the constitution, either
on the slavery or any other question,
and have adopted all necessary means
/ for giving speedy effect to the will of
the majority. Thus the Kansas ques-
ton would have been Immediately and
finally settled. naraltla q
Under these circumstances, i sub.
lHAiEted 70 congress the constitntion thus
framed, with all the officers already
elected necessary to put the State gov
ernmcnt into operation, accompanied
by strong recommendation in favor Of
the admission of Kansas as State. In
the course of my long public life / have
never performed any official act, which,
in the retrospect, has afforded me more
! heartfelt satisfaction. Its admission
could have inflicted no possible injury
on any human being, while it would,
within a brief period, have restored
I pCttC ~ LNabSdS anu w ehS
Union In that event, the slavery
question would ere this have been final
ly settled, according to the legally ex
pressed will of a majority of the voters,
and popular sovereignty would thus
have been vindicated in a constitutional
manner.
With my deep convictions of duty l
could have pursued no other COURSE
| 1t is true that, as an individual, had
iexpressed an opinion, both before and
during the session of the convention, in
favor of submitting the remaining
clauses of the constitution, as we'll as
that concerning slavery, to the people,
But, acting in an official character, nei-
thcr myself nor any human authority
had the power to rcjudge the proceed
| ings of the convention, and declare the
constitution which it had framed null
| lity. To have done this would have
been a violation of the Kansas and Ne
braska Act, which left the people of
the Territory perfectly free to form and
their own way, subject only to the Con-
stitution of the United States
It would equally have violated the
great principle of popular sovereignty,
at the foundation of our institutions, to
| Icpri1e The fe0psU or The Power,=fr they
thought proper to exercise 1T. OF cOnh-
ding to delegates elected by themselves
the trust of framing Il constitution,
without requiring them to subject their
constituents to the trouble, expense and
delay of second election. 1t would
have been in opposition to many prece-
dents in our history, commencing i'll
the very best age of the republic, of the
admission of Territories as States into
the Uuion, without a previous vote of
the people approving their constitutions.
1t is to lie l1mented that question
so insignificant when viewed in its
practical effects on the people of Kan
sas, whether decided one way or the
other, should have kindlcd such Il flame
of excitement throughout the country.
THIS reflection may prove to be lesson
OF wisdom and of warming for our future
guidance Practically considered, the
question is simply whether the people
of that Territory should first come into
the Cnion and then change any pro-
vision in their constitution not agreea-
bic to themselves, or accomplish the
very same object by remaining out of
the Union and framing another consti-
tuition in accordance with their will ?
| In either case the result would be pre-
cisely the same. The only difference in
point of fact is, that the object would
have been much sooner attained, and
the paci6cation of Kansas more speedi
1y effected, had it been admitted as a
State during the last session of Con-
gress.
My recommendation, however, for
the immediate admission of Kansas,
failed to meet the appreciation of Con-
gress. They deemed it wiser to adopt
a different measure for the settlement Of
the question. For my own part L
1 should have baen willing to yieId my
assent to almost any constitutional
. measure to accomplish this object. 1,
therefore, cordially acquiesccd in what
has been called the English Compro-
mise, and approved the "act for the ad
mission of Kansas into the Union" up
on the terms therein prescribed.
Under the ordinance which accom-
panied the Lecompton Constitution, the
people of Kansas had claimed double
the quantity of public lands for the sup
port of common schools which had ever
been previously granted to any State
, upon entering the Union; and also the
!. alternate sections of land for twelve
; miles on each side of two rail roads
! proposed to be constructed from The
northern to the southern boundary, ant
from the eastern to the western bounda
ry of the State, Congress deemins
, these claims unreasonable, provided, By
the act nf May t.. 1858, to which | have
! just referred, for the admission of thu
f States, but "upon the fundamental con
r dition" that a majority of the people
f thereof, at an election to be held TO
o that purpose, should, in place of th
' very large grants of public lands, whicl
: : they had demanded uuder the ordinance
accept such grants as had been made t.
Missouri and other new States.
G Under this act, should a majority re
y ject the proposition offered them, 81
!. shall be deemed and held that the peo
4 pie of Kansas do not desire admission
! into the Union with said constitution
d under the conditions set forth in sal
1 L ~