Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1858-02-11
Kansas Once More.

Congress has been, for some days past.
in "sea Of excitement" on this "vexed
question" The friends of either policy
are striving with most commendable zeal
to ,cin. and, as yet, it is all uncertain as to
which belongs the "balance of power. =
The friends of Lecompton may have the
heaviest patronage. but in point of energy,
and individual strength, the question may
vol be disputed.
Douglas, "a host in himself" IS at the
helm of the opposite party. and unpropi-
tious, indeed, must be the winds and waves
which he will not successfully out-ride.
The Lecompton Constitution has arrived
at Washington. and the President has sent
it 70 Congress, accompanied by message
of considerable length. He sets up the
same posi- tions. substantially. that he did
in previous message. His strong point
of argument is, that in as much as the peo-
pie Of Kansas suffered the election of June
last to go by default, they cannot now come
in and claim any rights under that default.
and thereby take advantage Of their own
wrong This we readily grant, but if, as
has been represented by the chief execu-
tive of that territory. portion of the peo-
pie were legally debarred from exercising
the right of suffrage, on that occasion, it
puts very different coloring on the mat.
ter-with the premises thus altered. the
conclusions must be altered also. Aud
even if they did suffer the election to go
by default. as declared by the President,
they have an undoubted right to enter their
protests agains! that conventional body tran
scending the authority delegated to them by
their constituents, which they did in tram.
ing, and not submitting the Constitution
The President quotes largely from Gov
Walkers State papers, to show the revolu
tionary condition of Kansas during hi:
(Walker's) administration, and his Ian
guage would Seem to intimate, if not a CO
alition, at least encouragement on the par
of the opponents of Lecompton to that trea
sonable faction in Kansas, called the To
pekaites. If this is the correct construc
ton TO put upon the Presidents language
we are compelled to utter our unqualife,
protest against it.
The outrages committed, and rebellion
spirit manifested, by that lawlesss party
have long been matter of serious lament
and none have more earnestly desired tn
utter determination of the Jim Ian
Gang" than this same Douglas party; bu
if it now happens that we meet on the com
mon ground Of opposition to the LecomE
ten fraud. it argues no sympathy with ther
in anything beyond this. Is it not true
moreover, that all the law-abiding citizen
in Kansas. Of whatever party, who hay
opposed, from the first, every measure {
the Topeka faction, are now bitterly OF
posed to the Lecompton Constitution?
And yet, with all our differences, we pre-
fess undated confidence in the integrit
end patriotism of our Executive. Far I
it from US to give assent to the mcndaciol
charges heaped upon him by Republics
press; on the contrary, we believe he &C
from no other motive than desire for Il
best interests of his country. He has e,
pressed wish. in previous message, tn
in the admission of future territory the CO
stitution should be regularly submitted
the voice of the people for ratification, pr
vious to their becoming State; but. it &c
tainly is remarkable error in judgment
suppose, that by forcing constitutio
framed in fraud, upon people, who ear
.es,ly protest against it, will allay agitatio
and localize, and in a measure settle t
difficulties that are now shaking our Uni
to its center.
tits true, the people of Kansas m
have their remedy to speedily and peace
bly, relieve themselves at the ballot-box,
the wrong imposed upon them; but is
not rather the part of wisdom to suppc
tina. they will act, as injured men have a
ed III svery age Of the world. on the i
pu;se Of tke faer4eBt7 Though we m
not be gifted with tbe prophetic afflat
yet we predict, that, II Kansas Is admit
under the Lecompton Constitution, tn
will be difficulties ia that territory Of VIII