Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-02-16
The Presidents Message.

press without it. JuN. PUB.
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The Presidents Message.
To enter into a lengthy discourse upon
the merits of this document, would ap-
parently be presumption that our citi-
zens were not familiar with Il c circum-
stances which called it forth. 1t is evil
dent, however, that it was gotten up
for Tie purpose of br.n5 5irg halt to the
general stampede from the Democratic
ranks; to insure, also, his Southern sup
porters that he stands firmly by them,
and to deude and furnish new material
to Northern men who are in search oi
facts to substantiate their belief that it
would not materially damage their in
terests, were Kansas admitted as slave
State, inasmuch as the constitution could
be changed in q short time if the peo-
pic there desired it. 1t being, then, al.
most universally conceded that this
change will be made, what other motive
can the supporters of the Lecompton
Constitution have than to secure from
Kansas, if possible, two Pro-Slavery U.
S. Senators?
The President quotes lavishly and
extracts freely from the early correspond
ence of Gov. Walker, but is careful to
withhold the remarks he made on, and
the reasons for, resigning the Office Of
Governor of Kansas.
That justice may be meed out on both
side. we publish the message elsewhere,
and II portion of Gov. Walkers letter of
resignation in this connection. He says:
t'My instructions from the President,
through the Secretary of State, under
date 3Oth March last, sustain the regular
Legislature of the Territory in assembling
a Convention to form constitution. and
they express the opinion of the Pres-
dent that when such a constitution shall
be submitted to the people Of the Terri
tory they must be protected in the exer-
else of their right of voting for or against
that instrument. and the fair expression
Of the popular will must not be interrupted
by fraud or violence. l repeat, then, as
my clear conviction, that unless the Con-
vention submit the constitution to the vote
of all the actual resident settlers of Kan
sas, and the election be fairly and justly
conducted, the constitution will be, and
ought to be rejected by Congress-
Again:
by my inaugural and subsequent
address, | was pledged to the people of
Kansas to oppose, by all lawful means,
the adoption of any constitution which
was not fairly and fully submitted to
their vote for ratification or rejection.
These pledges l cannot recall or violate
without personal dshonor and the aban-
donment of fundamental principles; and,
therefore, it is impossible for me to sup
port what is called the Lecom pton Con-
stitution, because it is not submitted to q
vote of the people fo- ratification or re-
lection"
In the face of this, and more, the Pres
ident has the audacity to use Walkers
correspondence in his endeavors to prove
that the Lecompton Constitution has been
ratified fairly by the citizens of Kansas.
Walker further remarks:
81 repeat that, in nineteen counties out
of thirty-four, there WAS 10 census. In
fifteen counties out Of thiriy-four there
was no registry, and not solitary vote was
given, or could be given, for delegates to
the Convention in any one Of these coun.
ties. Surely, then, it cannot be said that
such q Convention chosen by scarcely
more than one-tenth Of the present voters
of Kansas, represented the people of that
Territory, and could rightly impose Con.
sti!ution upon them without their consent.
These nineteen counties, III which there
was no census, constituted a majority of
the counties Of tho Territory, and these
fifteen counties in which there was no req
istrY gave a much larger vote at the Oc-
tober election, even with the six months
qualification, than the whole given to the
Lecompton Constitution on the 18th of
November last. If, then, sovereignty can
be delegated, and the Convention as such
are sovereign, which l DENY, surely il
must he only III such cases rs when such
Conventions are chosen by the people,
which we have seen WAS not The case as
regards the late LecUmpton Convention.-
II WAS for this aud other reasons thai in
my inaugural and other addresses insisted
that the Cois,i,uiOn, ~ ,le ouly means ..