The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-01-21
GOVERNOR WISE LEFT ALONE.

may practically from the opponents of the rec.
ognition Of the Lecompton Constitution thu
scathing language in which he exposes and de-.
nounces the fraud of the Convention and its
violation of the rights of the People, is offensive
to his saveholding friends.
The entire Constitution, he saws. oupb, 70
have been fairly submitted to the vote of thu
whole People. Instead of this,
There was a usurpaton-s withholding
from them of fair, free, full, and equal cleo.
ton, to choose or not to choose their own Con.
stitution of selfgovernment. 1t was er parts
it was all on one side; it was, in gambIing
phrase, the foul 'heads l win, and tails Won
lose; the Constitution was obliged to be adont
ed, with the clause or without the clause tho
vote was bound to be for the Constitution > i
was all pro and no con; and we NAV say Tint
was no submission to an election at all. Flee
ton is choice of slternatives-to adopt Ga
well as reject. There was no choice in hi,
case, and no equality of voters in this case
Three men went to the polls. said: Il vote
for the Constitution, with or without the clause
but and G said We vote agsins, il. with or
without the clause AS vote was counted. B's
and C's were not to be counted, and thus one
was made not only to Offset two, but to be sole
substitute, in fact, fer three, against the major
ity of two to one out of three.
Now, this was but the unveiled trickery and
shameless fraud of a sc-called schedule. There
was neither right nor justice in it. The De-
mocracy OF Virginia at least scorns title of
any sort founded on fraud, occult or palpable.
like this. We say, that as between the Conveu
ton OF Lecompton and the people of Kansas.
the question was one de jure, and de lure the
whole Constitution in all its parts ought to
have been submitted to all the legal voters pro
and con, and the two voters ought to have been
allowed their voices against it, as we'll as the
one voter his voice for it. And, 30 far as Sla.
very is concerned, it made the case worse
against that species of property TO submit the
Slavery clause alone to the election of the PEG.
pie. Why discriminate in respect 10 that "pe.
cular institution? Is it because it was pecu.
liar? If we contended for anything especially,
it is that our property shall not be distinguish
ed or Disseminated from other property in
legislation. 1t stands on the same footing of
right to protection and preservation which ia
claimed for any other description of thing own.
ed or possessed by others as property. Why
was this singled out for the chances of prohibi.
tionY Was it not enough that the Badger
amendment of the Ksnsas-N ebraska bill had
already enacted that all laws protecting and
it prior to l8l9-'20, should be re.
pealed? Why repeat a discrimination against
Slavery in this schedule of submission"
The Governor says, he does not agree with
Mr.. Douglas that the Kansas Nebraska act was
IN itself an enabling act; nor does he agree
With the President that Slavery is the only
domestic institution it was necessary to sub.
nit 10 tho People.
But, what is to be done? Here is the point,
where the Governors logic fails, and he Jumps
o conclusion. Shall Congress reject the
Constitution? MOTOR the Convention was
egitimate, and the Constitution is republican
n form aud for these reasons Congress ought
o adopt it. Certainly, this is non seguitur
rom the positions taken and maintained with
10 much vehemence in his Letter. The Con.
'ention, he Gays, in refusing to submit the
Whole Constitution, violated the Principle of the
Kansas ebraska act-its enabling act-viola.
ed the principles Of pure and undefled Repub.
icsnism-violated the Rights of the People of
he Territory; and, in submitting it in the pc.
uliar way designated in the Schedule, was
utility of fraud, and also of an invi1ious dis.
against Slavery. According to the
own premises, then, although the
was legitimate, its action was lie
itimate. Congress ought not therefore to rec.
gnise it, by adopting its work. By adopting
his, it sanctions its illegitimate action, its vio
alton of the Organic Law of the Territory, Of
pure Republicansm," of the Rights of the
'eople; it sanctions its fraud, and its invid
US discrimination against Slavery. And yet
be Governor, shrinking from the plain, prac-
cal conclusion which his premises necessa.
lily involve, assumes that Congress has no
ght to look beyond the legitimacy of the Con,
ention, aud the republican character Of the
Constitution.
"What then? Why, then, if the schedule Of
admission was anti republican, if it was par
al, if it did not acknowledge and allow the
overeign right of the people to judge for them.
elves on the question of highest dgnity-the
rganic law of their Government-and discrim.
mated unequally between the subjects of proper
Y, the Congress Of the Uaitsd States ought not
reject the legitimate and republican Consti-
ltion, 6ut ought TO adopt 1t, subject to a fair
nd legal Uote Of the people Of Kansas, accord
1g to taU to be prescribed by their Terrific
iat Legislature, and to admit the State under
he Constitution cheneper the Territory shall
reclaim its approval and adoption 6y The peo-
te. If they adopt 1t, TO admit her into the
1nion ipso facto; and if they reject IL, to ledue
he people Of Kansas, in their oiDn ,cdy, to or
anize another Convention, and so submit an.
Their Constitution to Congress for approval.
"This would be plain and easy solution,
nd would take all the asses over the bridge
f shrieks.' And for any difference of opinion
8 to the mere mode of submitting or solving
his question, l protest that no true, honest,
arrest Democrat shall be prescribed. No
Iortherner ought to denounce the President for
the fact of the legitimacy of the
.ecompton Convention, and no Southerner
ught to denounce Senator Douglas for con-
ending manfully for the right of the sovereign
eople to adopt or reject their own form of self.
overnment. There is no conflict, in truth, be-
ween the two principles, de .jure and de Jacto-
hey, combined, rule he case, and rule it right.
?. 1t may be very desirable to have Kansas
Omitted as State as early as practicable; but
othirg will be gained by admitting her into
he Union in q mode offensive and oppressive
, large majority of her voters"
We have italicized what the Governor STYLES
a plain and easy solution" True, it may sui,
ce to "take all the asses over the bridge Of
lrieks.'" But is be sure that it will equally
those who do not belong to that
ibe? Look at this plain and easy solution"
an you tell its meaning? Congress ought
to adopt" the Constitution. What then?
ecognise Kansas as State? No. Receive
er Representatives and Senators? No. Do
nything else in consequence OF adopting it,
70. What then? Send it back to the People,
} as to give them an opportunity to ratify or
,ject it-reject what Congress has adopted