Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-02-13

the PrcSidSnt'S Message conSLIulnS MIN 10 ulucE
with the President ofhis choice. He protests
against the mode in which the Lecompton con-
stitution was pretended to he submitted as an
lti-repnblican and oppressive, and as offensive
| to the self-respect and moral sense offs free
people.
After expressing the opinion that the Kansas.
Nebraska act was an enabling act' ITSELF he
admits that the conduct of the Topekaites was
violent and unlawful, and that their opponents
acted under lawful authority up to the submits
sion of the constitution to the people. But
that has nothing to do with the issue. Is this
contribution the act and deed Of the people and
is the schedule republican, The wrong of the
Topekaites will not justify the wrong of the
Lecompton convention, nor cure the defects of
the Lecompton schedule, which, though provi-
ding for its ratification or rejection was submit
| ted for approval alone, without allowing vote
upon rejection.
After scaIhing review of the Lernmpton
Conventions election jugglery, Governor Wise
proceeds to give his view of the question.
The Democratic party had just come out of a
severe and doubtful conflict with the Know
Nothing, secret society, the most odious feature
! of which was q steSt-0dth." Now behold an
honest peaceful, law-abiding citizen approach
| ing the polls in Kansas under this schedule;
Imagine myself an ultra-Southern stakeholder
put to the ordeal ola challenge under this clause
of the schedule; am anxious, very anxious to
record my vote for my right to hold the chief
part of the little property own; L am told
have the right by the grant ofthe high Lecomp!
ton Convention, to vote for or against property,
in slaves; approach the polls to exercise the
] right; am challenged the Billie is held out to
me to swear first to Support the Constitution
80 TT,..A
that oath; l urge that the obligation is binding
on me without the oath that love aud obey
the Constitution of the United State and that
it is made the supreme law of the land, binding
of itself-but. being illing to support that in
strument, and anxious to vote for my property,
assent to swear to support it. But am told
l must, in the second place, swear also, to sup
port the Lccompton Constitution, if adopted,
under the penalties of perjury under the terri
torial laws" i redden into wrath under the in
suit of such an oath rendered to freeman at
the polls-to support constitution, if adopted,
before its adoption! l denouncc the obstacle.
to my freedom ofelection. 1t IS in vain; must
take it or leave my property unprotected. !
Isuppose-the supposition is almost intolerablc
Il take the oath; am then, and then only,
granted the privilege Of voting. vote for sla. ;
Vcry, but against the constitution. am then
told that my vote cannot DO counted, yet am
sworn to support, if adopted, what / have voted
against Stung by insult and then disfranchi
sed | go away naddened to violence by iniGs-
tice, inequality, and insult added to injuryl Is
that my act and deeds? Is that republican? If
Caligula was a tyrant for posting laws too high
to be read by the Roman people, what docs this
deserve TO be called, which puts the whole and
a part together, so that minority for the whole
may prevail over majority for or against the
part2 Is it not the very hocus-pocus and legeT-
demain of keeping the promise to the ear ofthe
people and breaking it to their hopes? tell
van that M pSill cfn
and outrage like this, and such despotism is
enough to drive peaceful and good citizens to
violence for redress of grievances. But the
question is not whether the Leconpton Consti-.
tuition has been opposed unlawfully, but is it the
act and deed OF the sovereign people, whoseit
purports to be-and is itrepublican in its sub
mission 10y the schedule of the Lecompton Con-
StitutonG And mark, too, that this test oath is
applied when the Constitution is to De sent to
Congress from Territory for approval After
taking this OATH the casuist may determine
whether he could, the Constitution bc'adop
! ted, oppose it before Congress, though he voted
| against it at the polls.
/ He contends that there Was obviously SIMS
ter and anti. republican purpose in thus giving
an unfair election as to part of the constitution,
with no election as to the whole.
| He denies the assertion of the President that
no people could have proceeded with more reg.
uatlon in the formation of constitution than
the people of Kansas have done. The people
We're not allowed fair election at all A fair
election could not be held undr the schedule as
| appears fromsitS face.
He contradicts the Presidents idea hat the
admission of Kansas would speedily en- the agi-
tation in Congress- and localize it in K .nsas. =
He declares that it never can be local again.
1t is all essential that the settlement shall be
Just, rghtand equal and, if not so, it is sure to
! be miSchievous To that party sustaining power
without right, and doing wrong that good may
come.
Tho letter concludes with the following wanr-
ing appeal to the friends of the President
We have proudly, heretofore, contended only
for equality and justice; but if this be want
only done, without winning stake-the pow
er of aslaTe state thereby-it will be worse than
vain. twill be snatching power r.tas aut
netas, to be lost speedily" with tho loss of
something of far more worth than political votes
our moral prestige. If We are not willing to
lido justice We can't ask justice ;fwe can't agree
to equality, we must expect to be denied it 1t,
is our bull goring the anti-siaveryox. Suppose
We had majority ofslavehoIders in that terrific
~: suppose minority of abolitionists had got.
ten the census and registry into their hands and