Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1858-12-11


Il The present day with what il was one year ago,
nt the meeting Of Congress, we have much reason
lur gratitude 10 that Almighty Providence, which
hna never failed 10 interpose for our relief at the
mos critical period Of our history. Que year
ago, the sectional strife between the North and
Esulh on The dangerous subject Of slavery, had
again become 60 iniense a. 20 threaten the peace
And nofpctuity of the confederacy. The applica-
lion ibf he admission Of Kansas as State into
The Uni0n. iosiered ihis unhappy agitation, and
bynght the whole subject once more before Con-
ercss. II was the desire Of every patriot that
such measures Of legislation might be adopted
nn would rem9ve the excitement from The States,
Hnd ooniine u 10 the terrilory where Il legitimate
~ belonged. Much has been done, am happy
10 say towards the accomplishment Of this object
Ehe Supreme Court during the late session of
Congress Of the United 5 ales had previously de-
eidcd, that al Americas citizens have an equal
ripht to take into the Territories whatever il held
IS property under the laws Of any Of the States,
and 10 hold such property there under the guar
dianship of the federal constitutions, 50 long as
the territorial condition shall remain. This is
now a we'll established position, and the proceed
Tags Of the last session were alone wanting to give
II practical effect, The principle has been reoog-
niscd, in sof0e lorm or other by an almost uuan-
inous vote Of both houses OF Congress. that
territory has a right to come inlo the union ei-
cher az 3 free or slave State, according to the
will Of majority Of its people The just equal
ity Of all the States has thus been vindcated and
fruitful source Of dangerous dissension among
them has been removed.
Whilst such has been the beneficial tendency
q your legislative proceedings outside of Kansas.
their influence has been nowhere so happy a.
within that territory itself Lch 10 manage and
control its own affairs in its way, without the
pressure Of external influence, the revolutionary
Topeka organization and all resistance to the ter
Tit6rial government established by Congress. have
been fnally abandoned. As natural conse-
Quence that fine territory nov appears 10 be tran
ouil aud prosperous; and is attracting increasing
thousands Of Immigrants TO make it their happy
homes
The past unfortunate experience of Kansas has
enforced the lesson so often already taught, that
resistance to lawful authority, under our form of
government, cannot fail in the end 10 prove dis
aslrous to its authors Had the people OF the ter
ritory yielded obedience to the laws enacted by
their Legislature, it would at the present moment
have contained large additional population of
industrious and eHterprislng citizens, who have
been deferred from entering its borders by the ex-
istence OF civil strife and organized rebellion.
II was the resistance to rightful authority and
the persevering attempts to estsbisha revolution
ary government under the Topeka constitution.
which caused the people of Kansas 70 commit the
grave Of refusing to vote for delegates to the
sonvention to frame a constitution under law
not denied to be fair and Just in its provisions
This refusal to vote has been the pru6e source of
all the evils which have followed. In their hos
tility to the territorial government they dsregar-
ded the principle, absolutely essential to the
working Of our form OF government, that major
ity Of those who vote--nOt the majority who NAV
remain at home, from whatever csuse--must de-
eide the result of an election. For this reasoR
seeking to take advantage of their own error they
denied the authority ofthe convention thus elect
cd to frame q constitution The convention, not
withstapding proceeded TO adopt a constitution
unexeeptiopable in IFS general features, and pro-
vidipg for the submission of the slavery question
TO vote of the people, which, in my opinion,
they were bound 10 do under the Kansas and Ne
braska act. This was the all-important question
which had alone convulsed the territory; and yet
the opponents of the lawful government, persist
ing in their first error, relrained from exercising
their right to vote, and preferred that slavery
should continue rather than surrender their revo-
lutionary Topeka organization.
wiser and better spirit seemed to prevail be-
fore the first Monday of January last, whea an
election was held under the constitution. A ma
iorty Of the people then voted for governor and
other state officers. for a member of Congress and
members Of the state Legislature. This election
was warmly contested by the two political parties
in Kansas, and greater vote was poled than at
any previous election. A large majority of the
members Of the Legislature elect belonged to that
party which had previously refused to vote. The
anti-slavery party were thus placed in the ascen-
dant, and the political power of the State was in
their OWE hands. Had Congress admitted Kan
sas into the Uaion under the Lecompton cOnsti-
tuition the Legislature might at its very first ses-
sion, have submitted the question to vote Of the
people, whether they would or would not have a
convention to amend their constitution, either on
the slavery or any other question, and have adop-
ted all necessary means for giving speedy effect
to the will of the majority. Thus the Kansas
question would have been Immediately and final
~ settled.
Under these circumstances, I submitted to Con-
gress the constitution thus framed, with all the
officers already elected necessary to put the State
government into operation, accompanied by a
strong recommendation in favor of the admissioa
Of Kansas as a state. In the course Of my long
public lie have never performed any official
act which, in the retrospect, has afforded me more
heartfelt satisfaction. It's admission could have
inflicted no possible injury on any human being.
whilst it would, within brief period, have re-
stored peace to Kansas aud harmony to the Un-
ion. In that event the slavery question would
this have been finally settled, according to the
legally expressed will of majority of the voters,
and popular sovereignty would thus have been
vindieated in a constitutional manner.
With my deep convictions of duty, | could have
pursued NO other course. Ii is true that, as an
Individual. had expressed an opinion both be-
fore and during the session of the convention, iu
favor Of submitting the remaining clauses of the
constitution as well as that concerning slavery to
the people. But, acting in an official character,
neither myself nor any human authority had the
power to reiudge the proceedings Of the conven-
tion, aad declare the constitution which it had
framed 10 be q Rullity To have done this would
have been violation of the Kansas and Nebras-
ka act. which left the people Of the Territory "per-
ieety Tree TO form and regulate their domestic in-
siitutions IN their own way. subject only to the
constitution Of the United States" Ii would
equally have violated the great principle Of pop
ular sovereignty at the foundation Of our iasiitu-
tions, to deprive the people Of the power. If they
thought proper to exercise il, OF oonfdng TO def
egates elected by themselves the trust of iranins,
4 aconsfitutiOn, without requiring them 10 subieci
their constituents to the trouble, expense aud de-
lay OF a second election. 1t would have been in
opposition TO many precedeatsSin our history
commencing in the very best age Of the republic.
Of the admission Of Territories as States into the
URion, without previous vote OF the people ap-
proving their constitutions.
! II is TO be lamented thai a question 80 insigaif-
ieaat. when viewed in It's praeiiealeffeets on the
people Of Kansas. whether decided one way or the
other should have kindled such flame Of excite
meRt throughout the country This reflection
may prove to be Lesson Of wisdom aRd Of war
AiHg for our future guidance. Practically cOnsid-
cred, the question is simply whether the people
Of that territory should first come into the Union
HRd then change any provision in their con stitu-
tioR not agreeable TO themselves, or accomplish
the very same object by remaining out of The Un-
ion and framing another constitution in aceor-
dance with their will. Ia either ease the result
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