The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-02-25
Democratic Sentiment against the Ls-
compton Fraud.
FROM the Philadelphia Press.

cannot attend the mas meeting Of the De
mocracy of Philadelphia proposed to be held
on Monday evening next. And | have
hardly time to respond to your letter, since
received, and the request TO present my
views on the question Of the admission OF
Kansas, Us a State of this Union, under the
Lecomp.on Constitution, rs presented to
Congress by the President Of the United
States. For the last seventeen years have
been advocating the nomination Of james
Buchanan foe the Presidency; for more
than twenty years / have been his warm,
personal friend; and | am rs responsible,
perhaps, as any other man in the United
States for his election and as deeply anX-
ious as any other person that his Admins
tration shall be successful, and above all, be
worthy of confidence and respect. Our
personal relations are as nothing compared
TO the importance of supporting his Admin
istration ON questions Of mere expectancy,
and where it is based in its action on moral
and legal right. But personal and admin
istratiye relations combined are as nothing,
on tic other hand, compared with great
fundamental, moral and political principles
involved in the issues now presented to the
country in the question OF admitting Kansas
under the Constitution now presented as The
act and deed of her people, and as an indru.
ment republican m form.
These are the two issues now pending be-
fore Congress
First. Is the Lecomp,on Constitution the
act and deed of the people Of Kansas
Second. Is 1t republican in FORM
These are the only two essential issues ia
lie tried. And with the view to a full, fair
and friendly verdict as to the iact, and judg'
ment as to the law Of the case, have care
fully, patiently and repeatedly read the Pre-
sidents message OF the al inst. in which he
recommends the speedy approval by Con.
gress of the Iecompton Constitution, and
the reception Of Kansas under il as State
into the Union. | regret to say that the
earnest honest convictions Of my mind con
strain me to differ from the President Of my
choice, and to declare | cannot endorse thu
Lecompton Constitution as the act aud deco
of the sovereign people, whose act and deed
it profsss to b.. and that protest against
the mode in which it was pretended to b'
submitted to the people as antirepublicar
/ and oppressive, and offensive to the selfr's
/ pect and moral sense Of free people.
/ These convictions Of mine have been de
| liberately formed and ! mean calmly t.
maintain them, reasoning with friends, an,
not backing from foes, though stand alon'
against a host. propose a rapid review o
the message Of the President but befor'
doing SO, it is proper ~ recur to antecelen
facts, which settled certain points of princi
! pie, which are now the tests Of truth and ar
gument in the case.
Prior to the act to organiD the Terrific
! ries Of Kansas and Nebraska, the course o
government had bcn to regulate by Con
gress the mode and manner OF application
/ by new States for admission into the Union
And the Missouri Compromise had existc'
from 1879 20, recognizing intervention b,
Congress in way deemed unconstitutional
and highly obnoxious to the slaveholdinl
States. That act made revolution II
Territorial policy, which il striking in thr"
particulars
lst. 1t repealed the Missouri Compromise
and established the principle of no',-'nter,en
ton by Congress with ddrery in the State
and Territories.
I'd. 1t declared for the people Of Terrific
RIGS popular sovereignty and elfgovernmen'
by leaving them perfectly free 10 form am
regulate their domestic institutions IN the,
own ray subject only to The Constitution Q
the United States
81. 1t repealed tie Territorial laws
Louisiana, previously existing to $50, pro
tecting and establishing slavery.
Thus. if anything new, if anything valua
bile, was established by this act it was non
Intervention by Congress with siareryin tn
States and Territories, and above all. tn
perfect freedom Of the people OF thos
Territories TO form and regulate, not one
but all their domestic institutions an their our
,ray, subordinate only to the supreme law o
the Union. They were to be trammelled b.
no views Of expediency Of the Federal Gov
ernmen,s or auy Of its departments but th
people for themselves were 10 form ami reg
ulate their own affairs in their own way
subject only to the Constitution Of the I'm
ted States Popular sovereignty and tb
right Of sefgovTnment in the people {
Kansas, then, is not an open question now
Ii was closed by the positive enactment {
this law, declaratory Of their rights. Tru.
the people were. Of course, 10 exercise TIN
sovereignty of self government in apractica
and usual mode They were not lett TO pr
mary assemblies, 10 mobs, or aggregs'
meetings. The American mode OF st-go'
eminent Is by conventional, representative
or municipal bodies. But all these bods
are but agents, servants, and representative.
When they form and regulate, they s'i
form and regulate for tbe peop.e, and no
for themselves. Their acts, at last are bu
the acts Of the people, and their deeds bu
the deeds Of the people. wben. therefore
a Convention send COnstitutba TO Coz
gres to b. approved, and it goes up nc,
ihnr act anil deed, but as the act and dee
Of the people. done and performed by the'
a. their agents tn question. thtn Is Away
mt whether the act and deed u the u
and desd Of a Convention, but is it the N
and deed Of the people! and this, no matt.
whether the instrument goes up from Il