The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-02-10

for the sake of peace and quietude. Sure
ly he will not object to the application of
the same liberality to Kansas, so as to
leave that question unprejudiced; for if
Illinois could come into the Union with
a constitution requiring the Governor to
be citizen for the space Of thirty years,
surely it is no iDsuperable objection to
Kansas that she requires only twenty
years citizenship. So with the State of
| Missouri-my own State. Her constitu-
tion requires the Governor to be q native
born citizen of the United States; and SO
it is with various other States. The con-
stitution of the State of Mississippi re-
quires twenty years citizenship of the
United States on the part of the Governor;
and large number of the constitutions
of the States require them to be native
horn. The constitution Of the United
States requires the President to be na-
tive born citizen of the United States
I refer to these facts for the purpose of
showing that, in all times past, such
matter has never been urged on the Sem
ate as any reason why the application of
State for admission into the Union ought
to be rejected. Perhaps the Senator viii
say, however, that he did not urge it in
that view, and that he only stated that
the people should have right 10 pass on
that question. [ shall avert to that point
after a while In the same connection,
however, he uses this language, which an
examination of the constitution does not
warrant
'If men think no person should vote or hold
office until he has been here twenty years, he
has right to think so.''
The lymeut of this language on the
| IL Il.
not. examined the constitution of Kansas,
to Believe that it requires twenty years
citizenship before the light of voting can
attach. The Senator mas fallen into an
error. The constitution simply requires
for the exercise of the right of suffrage in
Kansas, that person shall be a citizen of
the United States, aud free white male
inhab.tant of the State. If this were to
go broadcast through the land, those who
| object 10 the stringent rules which the
party to which he referred somei lines have
been held to advocate, would feel greatly
prcjudiced against the Kansas constitu-
tion ; while, II they examine it. and see
what its provisions are, they viii fnd that
the Senator has misstated its provisions.
So or other qpestions-the subject Of
bai Is, aud he mode OF taxa,ion II an
imadyertcd OF all these, points With pleas
ufe, and vi h view, as 1t would seem.
(though doubtless for no such purpose, at
least to poiut out objections in the Kan.
sas constitution, on the subjec: of banks,
"a wrll rs on the subject OF taxation
Now if he comedies, as [ know he will
| couccde, that Congress has no right t.,
consider any of the features of the consti-
tution of State save whether it be re-
publican, why reed be dwell on anything
else ? 1t would, if be regarded it as OBJ.
noxious, connected with the powerful in
! fsepce of that distinguished character
which he possesses, spread prejudicill
| Influence abroad on subject which he
admits be has no right to-consider in the
Selate of the United States
SO with regard to one other branch Of
| his argument. The ordinance that accom-
paaies the constitution is held by some to
| be extraYagant iii lis demands on the Fed
| eral Government. 1t may or may not be
So. Whether it be right to accede to the
| proposition submitted in the shape Of an
| ordinance or not [ shall not now stop to
| discuss for l hold that it is no part of
| the constitution Of Kasas. 1t is a sepa-
rate propoition presented by the conven-
! tion of Kansas, and it is matter of con-
tract with the Federal Government wheth-
er we accede to it or not. We may disaf
firm that contract. In other words, it is
| a proposition, and we may make a coun
| ter-position. 1t is a matter for consider
alton, for adjustment and it is no branch
or part of the constitution of the State.
The question which we have to consider
is, rot the qualification required IN the
Kansas constitution for Governor; not
the mode in which the elective franchise
is to be exercised; not the provisions in
regard to bauks; not the provisions with
regard to the mode of taxation. These
are all subjects with which we have moth
ing to do. They excl sively pertain to
| the people of Kansas This they have,
through their convention, decided for
| themselves.
There is but one single legal question
to.which our attention can be directed; is
it "repubiican" form of government
As it respects the mum bers requisite to en-
title the people of Kansas to admission in
to the Union, [ believe it has never been
called in question. Certainly the Senator
from Illinois has not called it in question,
aud I have not heard it called in ques-
tion by any other Senator. 1 do not un-
derstand the Senator from Illinois to say
that the constitution of Kansas is not stre-
publican" On the contrary, l have no
doubt of the fact that all will admit it to
be as republican as the constitution of any
State in the United States; as consonant
with the principles of republicanism as
as any constitution that has ever been pre-
sented to the American people. If it
comes before US In that shapc--admited to
be repubIican-admited to have suffi
cent population to entitle them to admis
sion-admitted that the peculiar features
of the constitution are questions with
which we have no concern, whereforeris it
that the admission of the State into the
Union is to be resisted and opposedH For
what purpose What reason is to be as
signed |?
The first reason that is assigned is that
there is no "ena6Ling act. =" Mr.. Presi-
dent, there seems to be a want of clear
understanding of the relation which the
Federal Government sustains to the Ter