Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-01-20
GOV. WISE on TEE KANsAsTRouBLE.,

Governor Wise, of Virginia, has written
Characteristic letter, which was read at the
Tammapy Celebration Of the Battle OF New
Orleans on Friday evening. Strictly speak
ing, the Governor considers the Lecompton
Constitution legal, but he does not go for for
cling it through Congress in the fire-eater style.
His moderation is quite refreshing. He re-
marks:
The Kansas bill enabled the people to gov
ern themselves; that was its very essence and
its chief excellence, and every municipal in
stitGtion- OF a State government is as.domestIc
institution" The President is a bachelor,
and he must therefore, be excused for not COM
pretending s'domestic institution as well
as we who have houses full OF children. He
had better reasons for his Recommendation
than he assigned. He was bound to look to
the fact that this was the work of legitimate
Convention, and that the work itself was in
form republican, and that these were subjects
for Kansas alone to judge of. But whether
Kansas had been allowed to judge-whether
her people had been allowed to choose, to elect
to adopt or reject the constitution of govern
ment proposed for them-whether they had
been allowed to govern themselves, was anoth
er fact which had to be looked to-de facto
whether the schedule was republican De
fdcfO, whether there were not other domestic
institutions besides slavery which ought to
have been submitted to the sovereign legal
voters? 1t is the very gladness and glory of
our State governments, when organized, that
they guard and govern the hearthstones and
| homes of the people of the United States
| State governments are the municipalities of
| sovereignty which embrace especially the in
| dividual persons, the families, the households,
| the affairs and the home of our people. 1t is
/ that which makes State rights, State laws,
| State organization, State action, SO precious,
/ because so domestic, in our confederacy'-
| The federal government embraces rather ne
/
| therefore, it ought to leave all domestic ques-
tions to the States and the people. What
theni Why, then, if the schedule Of sub
mission was anti-republican, if it was partial,
! if it did not acknowledge and allow the SOW
| oreign right of the people TO judge for them
selves on the question of highest dignity. the
! organic law of their government, and discrim-
| mated unequally between the subjects of prop
/ erty, the Congress Of the United States ought
not to reject the legitimate and republican
constitution, but ought to adopt it subject to
a fair and legal vote of the people of Kansas,
| according TO a law to be prescribed by their
Territorial Legislature, and to admit the State
under the constitution whenever the Territory
shall proclaim its approval and adoption by
! the people. If they adopt it. TO admit her in
! 10 the Union ipSo facfo and if they reject it.,
] to leave the people of Kansas in their own
way to organise another Convention, aud to
submit another constitution to Congress for
approval. This would be plain and easy So
luton, and would take all the asses over the
s.bridge of shrieks.'' And for any difference
of opinion as to the mere mode of submitting
or solving this question, protest that no true,
| honest, earnest Democrat shall be prescribed.
| No y ortherner ought to denounce the Pres-
dent for recognizing the fact of the legitimacy
| of the Lecompton Convention, and no South
erner ought to denounce Senator Douglas for
coutending manfully for the right of the SOW
ereign people to adopt or reject their own form
| of self government.