The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-03-11

most Insignificant treaty Of Minister PleIi-
potentiary want validity till it is ratified p
And shall the highest treaty Of the people
with themselves be made in corner by their
servants without their assent? Is form every-
thing and substance nothing2 Is appearance
everything and truth and right and reality
nothihg2
There Is not = precedent for enforcing a
constitution against the consent Of the people.
The priniple of popular ratification is sane
toned 10 the Minnesota Act. The President
in his annual Message; emphatical'y declares
that the examples OF submitting constitution
to the people is founded on correct princi-
pie; so that his. Instructions to Gov. Walker
on that subject were properly expressed Ii
unqualified terms.
Again: The concentration Of power in the
hands of convention like that Of Lecompton,
is not an American idea. II is borrowed from
those republics Of Europe which were not
capable Of existing long, for The very reason
that power was SO concentrated. It is derived
from the worst examples Of the worst period
ofrevoutionafy France, when minorities us
urped power over a nation by terror and reck-
less daring. If the rule Of the minority con-
vention is now formally sanctioned by Con-
gress, it will be a most dangerous precedent;
an instrument Of wrath. treasured up for a day
Of wrath. + -.4 M sssa g. "A eosl
We will not make an appeal to the South as
such; but if any part Of the Union has cause
for alarm at an increase Of the power Of a
convention suddenly called together, we should
say it is the South; and were jefferson alive,
we should on this occasion have profess. from
his ZEN. The ending principle of his states
manship was, to consult the people aud to re-
we're the people. But what do | say Z. A
voice comes to US from one of Jeffsrson's sue
cesscrs in the, chair of State in the Old Domin-
ion. anti in clear and distinct terms he rejects
the Lecompton Constitution as not the act and
deed Of the people Of, Kansas, aud he rightly
condemns the Lecompton- schedule as not re-
Publican. New York will respond to ,vir-
gina, aud the great Northwest will swell the
echo. IS s s--es.s.. IS SD 40 "a
The policy Of enforcing the Lecompton
Constitution on an unwilling people is neither
wise, nor expetiient, nor possible. Principle
is the true diviner's wand by which the Presi.
dent Of free people sways the millions and
secures maiorties for his measures in Congress
The neglect of principle for temporizing ex-
pediency always loses herespect of maiorities
in Congress and out of it The ship of state is
waterlogged; throw the fraudulent Lecompton
Consultation overheard; let principle take the
helm, and helbark will spring forward on its
way as in the beet years Of our republic -
Ours is the cause of peace, of order, of trne
Democracy, of union and Of freedom. All
coed omens are with US. For our part, we
areiresolved to walk in the central paths of
humanity, stunning sectionalism and fanati-
cism on the one side. and subseryiencyto die
tation on the other. True Democracy in-
scribes on its banner, THE RrGHTs OF THE
STATES AND THE SOVEREIGNTY or THE PEo-
PLIGHT upholds freedom to the individual in
the Stale, freedom tothe State in the Union,
aid the indefeasible right of the majority,
whether in a State or ina Territory, calmly.
deliberately and undisturbed to form and ac-
cept or reject Constitution for themselves.