Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-02-11

Ijority of the people desire it, as by ad-
hitting her into the Union under her
present constitution. On the other
hand, should Congress reject the con
stituti sunder the idea Of affording the
disafected in Kansas a third opportu-
nifty to prohibit slavery in the State,
(which they might have done twice be-
fore, and in the majority, no man can
~toretell the consequences.
If Congress for the sake of those men
who refused to vote for delegates to the
Convention, when the might have exclu-
ded slavery from the Constitution, and
who afterward refused to vote on the
21st of December, when they might, as
they claim, havestricken slavery from the
Constitution, should now reject the State
because slavery remainsin the Censtitu-
ton it is manifest that the agitation up
on this subject will be renewed in a more
alarming form than it has ever before
assumed. Every patriot in the country
had INDUCED the hope that the Kansas
Nebraska act would have put a final end
to the slavery agitation, at least in Con-
gress, which had for more than twenty
years ~convulsed the country and endan-
gered the Union.
This act involve great and fundamen-
tai principles, aud if fairly carried into
effect, will settle the question. Should
agitation be again revived-should the
people of sister States be again estranged
from each other with more than their
former bitterness, this will arise from a
cause, so far as the interests of Kansas
are concerned, more trifing and insig-
nifcant than has ever stirred the ele-
ment of a great people into commotion.
To the people of Kansas the only prac-
teal difference between admission or
rejection depends simply upon the fact
wheter they can themselves more speed
lily change their present Constitution, if
ii does not accord with the will of the
majority, or frame a second Constitution
to be submitted to Congress hereafter.
Even if this were a question of more
expediency, and not of right, a small
difference of time one way or the other
is not of the least importance when con-
trasted with the evils which must neces-
sarily result to the whole country from
the revival of the slavery agitation. In
considering this question it should new
err be forgotten that, in proportion to its
insignifcance, let the decision be what
it may, so far as it may. af-
feet a few thousand inhabitants
of Kansas who have from the beginning
resisted the continuation and the laws;
for this very reason the rejection of the
constitution will be so much the more
kcenly felt by the people of fourteen
states of the Union where slavery is recog-
nizcd under the constitution of the.
United States. Again, the speedy ad-
mission of Kansas into the Union will
peace aud quiet to the whole
country. Already the affairs of that
Territory have e%ngrossed an undue pro-
of public attention, and have
affected the friendly relation of
the pople of the States with each other
and alarmed the fears of patriots for the
of the Union.
Kansas once admitted, the excitement
becomes localized, and would soon die
way for want of outside ailmept, and
then every difficulty could be settled by
the ballot box. Besides, and no trifing
consideration, l shall then be enabled
to withdraw the troops from Kansas and
them on a service where they
much needed. They have been kept
here on the earnest importantly of
Governor Walker, to maintain the exis
of the Territorial government and
secure the executions Of the law. He.
considered at least two thousand regu-
ar troops, under the command of Cen
eral Harvey, necessary. Acting upon
his reliable information l have been
obliged, in some degree, to interfere
with the expedition to Utah in order to
keep down the rebellion in kansas, which
has involved very heavy expense to the
Government.
Kansas once admitted, it is believed
here will be no longer occasion there
For the troops. l have thus performed
my duty in this important question I'm
Ter a deep sense of my responsibility to
God and to the country. My public
life will termine in a brief period, and
[ have no other object of earthly ambi-
ion than to leave my country in a
and prosperous condition, and
live in the affections and respect Of
countrymen.
The dark and ominous clouds now
impending over the Union I conscient-
ously believe will be dissipated with
,onor to every portion of it, by the ad,
of Kansas during the present
of Congress; whereas, if she
be rejected, I greatly fear these
clouds will become darker and more
than ever yet threatened the
Constitution and the Union.
(Signed) JAMES BUCHANAN.
The Patent OlIcc.
1t appears by the Patent Office Re
BORT for last year, just submitted to Con
sress, that there have been 4771 appli-