Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-01-07
EATON. O., JAN. 2 1858.
The Register Man ON our Posi-

proper to differ with him and the Ohio
statesman in regard to the settlement
of the Kansas question, and in his arti-
Gle, either intentionally OIL ignorantly
misrepresents us when he says that we
defined it all to mean Submitting that
clause of the Constitution relating to
slavery, to, the popular vote" We have
not been sdriftedc around by public
opinion to advocates doctrine now, that
six months ago we denounced as a
Fraud and a cheat as has our neigh
bors buteontend for the same We always
have, to wit, that the people of Kansas,
and not Congress, haveaa right to adopt
a CONSTITUTION in any manner and form
they think proper and may establish
their domestic institutions sin their ora
,n4y," which is the express language
ofsekc KansaseN ebraska act.
The whole secret, however, of our
neighbours cringirg and aneaking over,
and making a weak effort to advocate a
doctrine that he always deridedt aud spit
upon, is with the hope ofkeeping open
this unhappy feud in Kansas. He, nor
no other abolitieRiss ever dreamed Of
any other question, thant that of slavery.
The.leaders Of his party have been and
are now using this question for upoliti-
ell purposes, and had it not been for
their interference Kansas would be en-
joying the same measure of repose and
tranquility which distinguishes it bor-
der territory-Nebraska. But failing
to elect Fremont upon that issue they
madly determined to keep the question
open for 1860, by opposing the adop-
ton of a Constitution, and the admis-
sion of Kansas as a State. Having de-
MED the legality of the Territorial Leg
islature, they were bound to oppose the
Lecomptoni Convention, aud repudiate
its acts, no matter how just and proper
thoy might be. The slavery question
WIS the only one at issue in Kansas
and even that was semi-oficially de-
termined blythe election for "a Terrific
rial Delegate to Congress: Acting upon
this expression of the popular will, and
knowing that there was no point of diff
ference between the people of Kansas
but the one, the Lccompton Convention
very wisely dctermtned to submit the
Constitution in such a way as to ALLOW
every white male resident of the Terri
tory to have a voice in determining the
only c~ontroverted issue, while at Il e
same time a most important step would
be taken towards the, admission of Kan
sas into the Union. It has not leel
denied that all the white male residents
o. Kansas had an opportunity to vote
OH the 21st Of Dec. and upon the long
talked of issue, ''shaI1 Kansas. be a free
or a slave State" But this did not
suit our ncighbor and his party. They
knew if a vote be taken Kansas would
send such a Constitution to Congress as
would make it impossible for any mem
Der to vote against her speedy admission,
aad hence they urged the factionists in
that Territory to! absent themselves
from the polls, in order to raise the cry
of minority against the Constitution, as
they did with reference to Territorial
Legislation, and the Lecompton Con-
v~cntion; and herein is the most incom-
- -
prehensible-p part of. this whole Kansas
business!s And yet in the face of this
base treachefy of their profession, this
political ~,cedthercock" of the Register,
donounccs us because we will not come
outoand join him in the wall he sends
up to heaven for the oppressed of Kan
sas-and the Ohio Statesman upon the
pitiful prctext that, in only submitting
the slavery clause to the people of Kan
sas, the true intent and purpose of the
Kansas bill is not carried out!
"If he has not the manliness to come
out and defend the right, let him lay
his mouth. in the dust, and be SILENT"
SAYS this modern wise-acre Of the Reg
lister. And pray, is it your puny judg-
ment that is to step in between that of
Senator Douglas and President Buch-
anan, and decide which is right, and the
course wo should pursue? We think
not. We examined the matter tho
roughly for oursclf before taking u
stand, and found that the President is
consistent with all his pledges-with
the Cincinnati platform-with the bred
Scott dccision-with his letter in ans
swer to the forty 1Glergymen, and last.
but not least, with the principle of the
Kansas Nebraska bill, and hence our
course was plain. The course he rec
ommends in his Message for the settle
mept of the Kansas embroglio, we con-
slider that of a patriot-a statesman
one whom having reached the summit
Of human hopes, stands on an elevation
from which he can, unbiased by selfish