The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-02-04
TIL E DISPATC
THURSDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 4, 1884,
SPECIAL MESSAGE
FROM THE PRESIDENT ON THE
ADMISSION OF KANSAS

= nave received from j. Calhoun, ESQ. president
oil the late constitutional convention Of Kansas A
copy, duly certified by himself of the constitution
framed by that body, with the expression OF hone
that would submit the same to the consideration
OF congress, with the view of the admission Of
hahsas inte the Union as an independent State"
III compliance with this request, herewith trans
nit 10 Congress- for their action the constitution
oi Kansas, with the ordinance respecting the pub
nc lands, as well the letter of Mr. Calhoun da-
ted at lecompton on the l4th ultimo, by which
they were accompanied. Having Received but a
single copy Of the constitution and ordinance.
send this to the Senate
great delusion seems to pervade the puttc
mind III relation to the condition of parties In Kan
sas This arises from the difficulty OF inducing the
american people to realize the fact that any DOR
tion OF them should be In a ytate of rebeIiisn
against the government under which they live
When we speak of tue affairs of Kansas we are
apt TO refer merely to the existence Of two violent
political parties in that Terfritory divided ON the
question 81 slavery, just as we speak of such par
ties 10 the States. This presents no adequate idea
OF the true state of the case. The dividing line
tnefels not between two political parties, both
acknowledging the lawful existence of the govern
ment; but between those who are loyal to this
government and those who have epdsavored to
destroy its existence by force and by rsurpatiou-
between those who sustain and those who have
done all In their power to overthrow the territorial
government established by Congress. This gov
ernment they would long since have subverted had
IL not been protected from their assaults by the
troops OF the United States. Such has been the
condition of affairs since my inauguration. Ever
since that period large portion of the people of
Kansas have been in state of rebellion against the
government, with a military leader at their head
OF most turbulent and dangerous character
They have never acknowledged but have constant
~ fenounced and dehed the government to which
they owe allegiance, and have been all the time in
"A state of resistance against its authority They
have all the time been endeayOring to subvert il
ana 10 estaDiish revolutionary government, IN
der the so called Topeka constitution in its stead
Even at this ry ment the Top ka lepisatu are
in session. Whoever has read the correspondepce
OF Cover nor Walker with the State Department
recently communicated to the Senate will be con-
vinced that this picture is not overdrawn. He al
ways protested against the withdrawal OF any Dor.
tion OF the military force of the United States from
the Territory, deeming its presence Absolutely ne
cessary for the preservation of the regular govern
ment and the execution of the laws. Ia his very
first dispatch to the Secretary of State, dated June
2, 1851, he says: "The most alarming movement
however. proceeds from the assembling on the 9th
June Of the so-csied Topeka Legislature with
view to thc enactment of an entire code of laws
Of course, it will he my erdeavOr to prevent such
result as it would lead to inevitable and djsas
trous collision, and, in fact the civil war in
Kansas" This was with difficulty prevented by
the efforts of Governor Walker; but soon thereaf
ter, on the l4th Of July. we find him requesting
General Harvey to furnish him regiment of dra.
goons to proceed to the city of Lawrence-aud this
for the that he had received authentic in ell
ligence verified by his own actual observation that
a dangerous rebellion had occurred "invOlving an
open defiance Of the laws and the establishment of
ali insurgent government in that city''
In the governors dispatch of July 18th he in
forms the Secretary of State "that this movement
at Lawrence was the beginning of plan. origna-
ting in that city, to organize insurrection through
out the Territory and especially in all towns ci.
ties, or counties where the republican party have
a majority. Lawrence is the notbed of all the
abolition movements in this Territory. IL is the
town established by the abolition societies of the
East, and whilst there are respectable people
there, it is filled by considerable number of mer
cenares who paid by abolition societies to per
petuate and ditfuse agitation throughout Kansas
and prevent peaceful settlement of this question
Having failed in inducing their so-calied Topeka
State Legislature to organize this insurrection
Lawrence has commenced it herself and, if not
arrested, the rebellion will extend throughout the
Territory"
And again: .'In order to send this communica-
ton Immediately by mail, must close hy assur-
ing you that the spirit of rebellion pervades the
great mass of the republican party of this Terri
tory, lnstigated, rs entertain no doubt they are.
by eastern 'iet!es having 10 view results mo- dis
astrons TO the government and the Union: and
that the continued presence of Gen. Harney here
is Indispensable sas originally stipulated by me-
with large body of dragons and several bate
ries"
On the Goth July, 1857, Gen. Lane, under the
authority cf the Topeka convention. undertook as
Gov. Walker informs us, "to organize the whole
so-colled free State party into volunteers and to
take the names of all who refuse enrolment. The
pr0fessed object is to protect he polls at the cleo
tion in August, of the new insurgent Topeka State
legislature.
..The object of taking the names of all who re-
fuse enrolment is to terrify the freeState conser
vativas into submission. This is proved by recent
atrocities committed on such men by Topekaites
The speedy location of large bodies Of regular
troops here with two batteries. is necessary. The
Lawrence insurgents await the development of
this new revolutionary military organizations" &c
In the governor 5 dispatch of July 9th, he says
that Gen Lane and his staff everywhere deny
the authority Of the territorial laws, and counsel
a total disregard of these enactments"
Without making further quotations of a similar
character from other dispatches of Gov. Walker
it appears by reference to Mr.. Stantons commu
nication to Gen. Cass OF the 9th December last,
that the ''important step of calling the egisla
ture together was taken after l (he) had become
satisfied that the election ordered by the conven-
ton on the 2lst instant could not be conducted
without collision and bloodshed." So intense was
the disiOyal feeling among the enemies of the GO
rernment established by Congress, that elec-
ton which afforded them opportunity, if in the
majority of making Kansas a free State accord
ing to their own professed DESIRE could not be
Quoted without collision and blo0dshed!"
The truth is, that. up till the present moment,
the enemies of the existing government still ad-
here to their Topeka revolutionary constitution
and government The very first paragraph of the
cember, to the Topeka legislature now assembled
at Lawrence, contains an open defiance of the con-
stitution and laws of the United st tss. The Gov
eruor saws "The convention which framed the
constitution at Topeka originated with the people
of Kansas Territory. They have adopted and rati-
fled the same twice by direct vote, and also III
directly through two elections of State officers and
members of the State legislature. Yet it bas
pleased the administration to regard the whole
proceeding revolutionary.
la
reasonable pertnacity, is government in direct
opposition to the existing government prescribed
and recognized by Congress. 1t Is a usurpation OF
the same character as it would be for portion of
the people of any State of the Union to undertake
TO establish q separate government within its
limits for the purpose of redressng any grievance,
real or imaginary, of which they might complain,
against the legitimate State government. such
principle if carried into execution, would destroy
all lawful authority and produce universal anar-
ehy.
From this statement of facts, the reason becomes
palpable why the enemies of the government au
thorzed by Congress have refused tO vote for del
egates 20 the Kansas constitutional convention,
and also afterwards Oh the question of slavery
submitted by it to the people. 1t is because they
have ever refused to sanction or recognise any
other constitution than that framed at Topeka
Had the whole Lecompton constitution been
submitted to the people, the adherents OF this or
paniZation would doubtless have voted against II,
because, if successful, they would thus have re-
moved an obstacle out of the way of their own
revolutionary constitution. They wonld have done
this not upon consideration of the merits OF the
whole or any part OF the Lecompton constitution.
but simply because they have ever resisted the
thority Of the government authorized by Congress,
from which it emanated.
Such being the unfortunate condition OF affairs
in the Territory, what was the right as well as
the duty of the law-abiding peoplef Where they
silently and patiently to submit to the Topeka
usurpaton, or adopt the necessary measures to
establish constitution under the authority of the
organic law Of Congress!
That this law recognised the right of the people
Of the Territory, without any enabling act from
Congress, to form State constitution is too clear
for argument. For Congress Ito leave the peo pie
of the Territory perfectly free," in framing their
constitution, Ito form and regulate their domestic
institution in their own way, subject only to the
constitution of the United States,' and then to
say that they shall not be permitted to proceed
and frame constitution in their own way was
without an eypress authority from Canpresa an