The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-11

for the Constitution with no Slavery" and il
was further provided, that the Constitution
should stand entire, if majority of votes should
be cast for the Constitution with Slavery, while
on the other hand, if the majority of votes cast
should be " for the Constitution with no Slavery,
then the existing Slavery should not be disturbed
but should remain, with its continuance, by the
succession OF its unhappy victims by descent
forever. But even this miserable shadow of @
choice between forms of slave State Constitu-
ton was made to depend on the taking of test
oath to support and maintain it in the form
which should be preferred by the majority Of
those who should vote on complying with that
humiliation. The Governor saw that by CONN.,
wing at this pitiful and wicked juggle he should
both shipwreck his fame and become responsible
for civil war. He demonstrated and appealed to
his chief, the President of the United States, to
condemn it. Denunciations followed him from
the Lecompton party within the Territory and
denunciatons no less violent from the slave
States were his greeting at the National Capital
The President disappointed his most effective
friend and wisest counsellor. This present Con-
| gress had now assembled. The President as il
fearful of delay, forestalled our attention with
recommendations to overlook the manifest OBJ
jectons to the transaction, and to regard the an
cipated result of this mock election, then not yet
held, as equivalent to acceptance of the Consti-
tuition by the people of Kansas, alleging that the
|
the |" Constitution with Slavery" or the false and
deceitful ballot for the Constitution with Sla-
very" would justly be regarded as drawing after
| it the consequences of actual acceptance and
adoption of the Constitution itself His argument
was apoogetic, as it lamented that the Consttu-
ton had not been fairly submitted; and jesutical
as it urged that the people might, when once ad-
mitted as State, change the Constitution at their
pleasure, in defiance of the provision which post
| pones any change seven years.
Copies of the message containing these argu-
| ments were transmitted to the Territory, to con-
| found and dishearten the Free State party, and
obtain surrender, at the election to be held on
| the 2lst of December, on the questions submitted
by the Convention. The people, however, were
| neither misled nor intimidated. Alarmed by this
act of connivance by the President of the United
! States with their oppressors, they began to pre-
pare for the last arbitrament of nations. The
| Secretary, Mr.. Stanton, now Governor dd interim
issued his proclamation, calling the new Terrific
| rial Legislature to assemble to provide for pre-
| serving the public peace. An Executive spy dis
patched information of this proceeding to the
President by telegraph, and instantly Mr.. Stanton
| ceased to be Secretary and Governor ad interim
being removed by the President, by and with the
| advice and consent of the Senate of the United
States. Thus the service of Frederick P Stanton
| came to an abrupt end, but in a manner most hon.
Orable to himself. His chief, Mr.. Walker was less
| wise and less fortunate. He resigned. Psetus
| Thrasea 1--WE are informed by Tactus) had been
often present in the Senate, when the fathers de-
scended to unworthy acts, and did not rise in op-
| position; but on the occasion when Nero pro-
cured from them decree to celebrate as a festi-
| val, the day on which he had murdered his mother
| Agrippina, Patus left his seat, and walked out
| OF the chamber-thus by his virtue provoking
| future vengeance, and yet doing no service 10
| the cause of Liberty. Possibly Robert j. Walker
may find less stern historian.
The new Secretary, Mr.. Denver, became Gov
| ernor of Kansas, the fifth incumbent of that
| Office appointed within less than four years,
| the legal term of one. Happily however for
| the honor of the country three of the recalls
were made on the ground of the virtues of the
parties disgraced. The Pro-Consuls of the Ro-
man provinces were brought back to the Capital
| to answer for their crimes.
| The proceeding which the late Secretary Stan
| ton had so wisely instituted, nevertheless, went
| on; and it has becomes as trust, the principal
means of rescuing from tyranny the people whom
| he governed so briefly and yet so well. The Le-
| compton Constitution had directed, that on the
| 4th of January elections should be held to fill
the State Offices and the offices of members of the
| Legislature and member of Congress- to assume
| their trusts when the new State should be adj
mtteG into the Union. The Legislature of the
Territory now enacted salutary laws for preserv-
| ing the purity of elections in all cases. 1t d-
| rected the Lecompton Constitution to be submit
ted to fair vote on that day, the ballots being
made to express consent to the Constitution
| or rejection of it, with or without Slavery The
Free Labor party debated anxiously on the ques-
tion whether, besides voting against that Consti-
| tuition, they should under protest, vote also for
officers to assume the trusts created by it. if Con-
gress should admit the State under it. After ma
Jority had decided that no such votes should be
cast minority hastily rejected the decision and
| nominated candidates for those places to be sup
ported under protest. The success of the move
ment, made under the most serious disadvanta-
ges, is conclusive evidence of their strength
While the election held on the . LIST of December
allowing all fraudulent votes, showed some six
thousand majority for the Constitution with Sla-
very, over some FIVE hundred votes for the Con-
stitution without Slavery, the election on the
4th of January showed aggregate majority
of eleven thousand against the Constitution
itself in any FORM with the choice under pro-
test, of Representative in Congress, and of a
large majority of all the candidates nominated
by the Free Labor party for the various Executive
and Legislative trusts under the Lecompton Con-
stitution.
The Territorial Legislature has abolished Sla-
very by law to take effect in March, 1853
though the Lecompton Constitution contains pro-
visions anticipating, and designed to defeat this
n
lied militia, which stands ready for the defence
of the rights of the people against any power
The President OF the Lecompton Convention has
fled the Territory charged with an attempt to pro-
cure fraudulent returns to reverse the already de-
clared results of the last election, and he holds
the public in suspense as to his success until
after his arrival at the Capital, and the decision
OF Congress on the acceptance of the Lecompton
Constitution. In the mean time the Territorial
oOis lafiJ hoa Had
the popular approval, to be held in March next
and to form Constitution to be submitted to
the people, and, when adopted, to be the organic
law of the new State of Kansas subject to her
admission into the Union. The President of the
United States, having received the Lecompton
Constitution has submitted it to Congress- and in
ssting that the vote taken the juggle of the Lee
compton Convention, held on the 2lst of Deem
Der, is legally conclusive of its acceptance by the
people, and absolute against the fair, direct and
unimpeachable rejection of by that people made
on the 4th OF January last, he recommends and
urges and implores the admission of Kansas az
State into the Federal Union, under that false
pretended, and spurious Constitution | refrain
from any examination of this extraordinary mes
sage. My recital is less complete than / have
hoped If it does not overthrow all the Presidents
arguments in favor of the acceptance of the Lee
compton Constitution as an act of the people of
Kansas, however specious, and without descend
ing to any details. In Congress, those who seek
the admission OF Kansas under that Constitution
strive to delay the admission of Minnesota until
their opponents shall compromise on that para
mount question.
This Mr.. President, is concise account of the
national Intervention in the Territories in favor of
slave labor and slave States since 1920. No
wonder that the question before us excites ap-
prehensions and alarms. There is at last q North