The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-12-14
PRESIDENTS MB%AGR.

FeHov CWissns the Senate and Houss Of Repr
When we compare the condition Of the countr
at the present day with what il was one year az,
at the meeting of Congress, we have much rei
son for gratitude TO the Almighty Providenc
which has never failed TO interpose for our relis
at the most critical period Of our history. On
year ago the sectional strife between the Mort
and the South on the dangerous subject of Slave
ry had again become so Intense as TO threaten tn
peace aud perpetuity of the confederacy. The ap
plication for the admission of Kansas as q Stat
into the Union ostered this unhappy agitation an,
brought the whole subject once more before Con
gress. Ii was the desire of every patriot tha
such measures of Legislation might be adopted a
would remove the excitement from the States, ,anc
confne it to the Territory where il legitmately
belonged. Much has been done, l am happy t.
say, towards the accomplishment Of this object
during the last session Of Congress
The Supreme Court of the United States had
previously decided that all American citizens
have an equal right to take into the Territories
whatever is held as property under the laws OF
any of the States, and to hold such property there
under the guardianship of the federal constitu
tion so long as the Territorial constitution shall re-
main.
This is now we'll established position, and
the proceedings of the last session were alone
wanting 10 give il practical effect. The principle
has been recognized in some form other, by an
almost unanimous vote of both Houses Of Con-
gress that Territory has right to come into
the kUnion either as free or1slave State, ac-
cording to the will of majority of its people The
just equality of all the States has thus been vindi
Gated, and fruitful source dangerous dssension
among them has been removed.
Whilst such has been the beneficial tendency of
your Legislative proceedings outside of Kansas,
their influence has been nowhere so happy with
in that Territory itself. Left to manage and con-
troll its own affairs in its own way, without the
pressure of external influence, the revolutionary
Topeka organization and all resistance to the ter
ritorial government established by Congress, have
been finally abandoned. As a natural consequence,
that fine Territory now appears to be tranquil and
prosperous and is attracting increasing thou
sands Of immigrants to make 1t their happy
home.
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 to prove dis
astrous 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 a large additional population Of in
dustrious and enterprisng citizens, who have been
deferred from entering its borders by the exis-
tence of civil strife and organized rebellion.
THE CAUSES THE KANSAS TROUBLES
IL was the resistance to rightful authority and
the persevering attempts to establish revolu-
tionary government under the Topeka constitu
tion which caused the people of Kansas to com
NIT the grave error Of refusing to vote for dele
gates TO the convention TO frame Constitution
under a law not denied to be fair and just in its
provisions. This refusal to vote has been the
prolific source of all the evils which have follow
ed. In their hostility to the Territorial govern
ment they dsregarded the principle absolutely es
sential to the working of our form ofgovernment,
that majority Of those who vote-not the ma. |
ority who may remain at home, from whatever |
decide the result Of an election. For |
hslreason seeking to take advantage of their own
errors they denied the authority of the convention
fhns elected to frame a constitution.
The convention, Notwithstanding, proceeded to
ldopt a constitution unexceptionable in its GEN
,ral features, and providing for the submission of
he slavery question to vote Of the people, which,
n my opinion, they were bound TO do under the
Kansas and ebraska act. This was the al-in-
,ortant question which had alone convulsed the
Territory; and yet the opponents of the lawful
,overpment, persistng in their first error, re-
rained from exercising their right TO vote and
referred that Slavery should continue rather
han surrender their revolutionary Topeka organ
zation.
wiser and better spirit seemed to prevail be.
ore the first Monday of January last, when an
lection was held under the constitution A ma
ority of the people then voted for Governor and
ther State Officers, for member of Congress and
nembers OF the State Legislature. This election
gas warmly contested by the two political parties
q Kansas, and greater vote was polled than at
ny previous election. large majority of the
lembers of the Legislature elect belonged to that
arty which had previously refused to vote. The
nti-savery party were thus placed in the ascend.
pt and the political power of the State was in
leir own hands. Had Congress admitted Kansas
ito the Union under the Lecompton Constitution,
ne Legislature might at its very first session, have
admitted the question TO a vote Of the people. |
hether they would or would not have a conven
on to amend their constitution either on the |
avery or any other question, and have adopted
y necessary means for giving speedy effect to the
i'll of the majority. Thus the Kansas question
ould have been Immediately and finally settled.
HE PRESIDENT JUsrIFIEs HIS COURSE IN REGARD TO
THE LECohPToS CONSTITUTION
Under these circumstances, submitted TO Con-
ress the constitution thus framed with all the Of
N fah A.
into operation, ACCOMPANIED by a ,
rong recommendation in favor of the admission !
Kansas as State. In the course of my long ..
u6iic life have never performed any official act
hich, IN the retrospect, has afforded me more |
eartfelt satisfaction. Its admission could have G
lficted no possible injury on any human being I
hilst 1t would, within brief period, have restor-
peace to Kansas, and harmony to the Union 4
that event the slavery question would ere this :
I'VE been finally settled, according to the legally
pressed will of majority OF the voters, and I
'pular sovereignty would thus have been vindl- y
ted in a constitutional manner. T
With my deep convictions OF duty, | could have G
rsued no other course 1t is true that, as an in
vidual, had expressed an opinion, both before .
ID during the session of the convention, in favor
submitting the remaining clauses of the consti-
ton, as well as that concerning slavery, TO the
ople But, acting in an official character, nei- e
er myself nor any human authority had the DOW C
to PREJUDICE the proceedings OF the convention, h
d declare the constitution which il had framed, il
en- violation of the Kansas and Nebraska act. :,
hich LEFT the people of the Territory perfectly :
e TO form and regulate their domestic institu. =
ms Ia their own way, subject only TO the consti-
ion of the United States" II would equally 81
We violated the great principle Of popular sove. o.
gnty, at the foundation Of our institutions to "a
prive the people of the power, if they thought al
oper to exercise it, Of confding 10 delegates a.
cted by themselves the trust Of framing con. -
tuition, without requiring them TO subject their =, "
lsttuents to the trouble, expense and delay of u
ond election. Ii would have been in opposition CO
many precedents in our history, commencing in b,
very best age OF the republic Of the admission al
Territories as States into the Union without a n,
,vious vote of the people approving their con- m
tuition. ~ ~
Z is TO be lamented that question so insiRnif. ~
It when viewed in its practical effects on the 10
'ple OF Kansas, whether decided in one way or III
other, should have kindled such q fame of ex-
ement throughout the country. This reflection
prove to be q lesson of wisdom and of warn -
for our future guidance. Practically consider. &c
the question is simply whether the people of ~
4 Territory should come into the Union and an
% change any provision in their constitution ST
agreeable TO themselves or accomplish the very Vi
no object by remaining out of the Union and Sc
ming another constitution In aocordance with - -
ir will In either case the result would be pre. AZ
oily the same The only difference in point of -, ~
Is that the object would have been much soon py
attained, and the pacification Of Kansas more 81
edily effected, had it been admitted as a State at
ing the last session Of Congress. ba
w recommendation, however, for the imme- II