The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-12-16

compton usurpers attempted, and precisely
what President Buchanan assisted them in do
ing, and staked the fate Of his Administration
upon the issue. u 4 u "
We give another specimen of Presidential
candor. He says:
"The Convention, notwithstanding, proceed
ed TO adopt Constitution unexceptiOnable in
its general features, and providing for the sub
mission of the Slavery question to a vote of the
people, which, in my opinion, they were bound
to do under the Kansas and Nebraska act.
This was the all-important question which had
alone convulsed the Territory; and yet the
opponents of the lawful Government, persisting
in their first error, RETAINED from exercising
their right to vote, and preferred that Slavery
should continue, rather than surrender their
revolutionary Topeka organization"
Every honest American must feel humiliation
on reading sophistry in Presidents message.
The man who can justify the fraudulent scheme
of compeling the people of Kansas to vote for the
Lecompton Constitution, must be insensible to
the distinctions of right and wrong, Of truth and
falsehood. The case was simply this LEG
islature elected by Missouri rufhans, as above
stated, called Convention to frame COnstitu-
ton for the people of Kansas. They met at
Lecompton, and amid scenes of drunkenness,
violence, and corruption, they adopted an in
strument as the Constitution of Kansas, which
there is reason to believe was concocted in
Washington, by the Administration.
1t was well known that, if this Constitution
were submitted to the vote of the people, they
would vote it down, in a fair election, by some
thing like ten to one. The despicable expedi-
ent was therefore resorted to of seeming to com
ply with the Kansas Nebraska bill, and the de-
mands of the people, by submitting to the pop
ular vote single clause in relation to Slavery.
But the cunning conspirators required, as
condition precedent, that no vote could be given
against Slavery, without at the same time being
recorded in favor of the Constitution. They
were required to vote " For the Constitution
aciM Slavery" or" For the Constitution 'oithom
Slavery" So that, in any event, the infamous
Lecompton conspirators would be successful in
giving law to the Territory. But this is not all.
While the clause establishing Slavery was to be
submitted on the condition of adopting the
Constitution, another and independent clause,
which was not submitted provided, that what
ever might be the vote of the people in refer
ence to the admission or exclusion of Slavery,
nevertheless, the slaves then in the Territory
were to remain slaves, they and their posterity,
forever. These facts cannot be controverted by
the most INSCRIPTIONS champions Of Lecomp-
tonism; and the bare statement of them makes
apparent the recblessness Of the Presiden-
tial misrepresentation, quoted above. The
people of Kansas preferred treating the pre-
tended election with silent contempt, determined
never to submit to the usurpation. This deter
mination at length extorted from Congress a
virtual submission of the whole Constitution to
the popular approval, under the English bill;
and accompanied, as the act was, by an infa-
nous bride, as a condition of the ratification, the
people rejected the Constitution and the bride,
by ten thousand majority. This is part of the
story which the President has omitted to elabo-
rate, but it is that for which the people of the
nation are thankful to Almighty God"
The President proceeds
Z" wiser and better spirit seemed to prevail
before the first Monday of January last, when
an election was held under the Constitution. A
majority of the people then voted for a Governor
and other State officers for member of Con-
gress, and members Of the State Legislature.
This election was warmly contested by the two
political parties in Kansas, and greater vote
was polled than at any previous election. A
large majority of the members of the Legislature
elect belonged to that party which had previ-
ously refused to vote. The Anti-Savery party
were thus placed in the ascendant, and the po-
litical power Of the State was in their own
hands"
1t is true that the people thought proper to
vote, under the Lecompton Constitution, on the
first Of January, 1853, in order to make assn
rance doubly sure. They knew that the Ad-
ministration would leave no resource of fraud,
tyranny, treachery, untred, for forcing Slavery
upon them, and they determined to Illustrate the
niquitous design. But it is we'll known that
they did SO under protest and with the resolu-
ton to demolish the infamous usurpation, if
necessary, by resort to its own forms.
But the President omits all reference to an
other popular vote in Kansas. We allude to
that which occurred under the Territorial char
ter, in October, 1857. This forgetfulness on the
part Of the President is the more remarkable
from the fact that the October election gave
him more trouble, in the removal and appoint
ment of Governors, than all the others The
President forgets the splendid victory gained by
his friends at Oxford precinct, in Johnson
county, where two judges Of election and one or
two clerks, with the aid of an old Cincinnati
Directory, voted 1924 votes in one day. The
President is also oblivious of the scarcely less
brilliant achievement in McGee county, where
l,2OO or more votes were polled under circum-
stances equally unfavorable. Considering the
i'll luck of the Administration latterly, in the
matter of popular voting, we are surprised that
no allusion is made to these Kansas victories
The President continues:
"Had Congress admitted Kansas into the
Union under the Lecompton Constitution, the
Legislature might at its very first session, have
submitted the question to a vote of the people,
whether they would or would not have Con
vention to amend their Constitution, either on
the Slavery any other question, and have
adopted all necessary means for giving speedy
effect to the will OF the majority. Thus the
Kansas question would have been Immediately
and finally settled"
This statement is made in face of the fact
tina. the Lecompton Constitution provides that
no amendment shall take place prior to 1864,
nor then, unless called for by two-thirds of the
Legislature. Had Congress acted uponthe Presi-
dents advice, entreaty, menaces, and other less
reputable promptings, and had Kansas been
admitted into the Union under the Lecompton
Constitution, he would now be prating about
the sacredness of written compacts; the first