Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-02-11

WAsHNGroN, February .. 1858.
TO the Senate and House Of Representatives.:
| have received from Gen Calhoun the
President of the late Constitutional Conyen-
ton of Kansas, a copy, duly certified by him.
self, of the Constitution framed by that body
with the expression of hope that | would
submit the same to the consideration of Con
gress, with the view of securing the admission
of Kansas into the Union as an Independent
State. In compliance with this request, |
herewith transmit to Congress, for its action,
the Constitution of Kansas, with the ordinance
respecting the Public Lands, as well as the
letter of Gen. Calhoun, dated Lecompton, l4th
ult by which they were accompanied.
Having received but a single copy OF the
Constitution and Ordinance, | send this to the
Senate.
A great denSion seems to perrade the pub
lie mind in relation to the condition of parties
in Kansas This arises from the difficulty of
inducing the American people to realize the
fact that any portion of them shonld be in a
state of rebellion against the Government un-
der which they live. When we speak of af-
fairs in Kansas, We are apt to refer merely to
the existence of two violent political parties
in that Territory, divided on the question of
slavery, just as we speak of such parties in
the States. This presents no adequate idea
of the true state of the case The dividing
line there is not between two political parties
both acknowledging the lawful existence of
the Government, but between those who are
loyal to this Government and those who have
endeavored to destroy is existence by force
and uSurpatiOn-between those who sustain
and those who have done all in their power
TO overthrow the Territorial! government es-
tab!lshed by Congress. This Government
they would long since have subyerted, had il
not been protected from their assaults bv the
troops OF the United States Such has been
the condition of affairs since my inauguration
Ever since that period large portion of the
people OF Kansas have been in q state of re-
belhon against the Government, with a militia
ry leader at their head of the most turbulent
and dangerous character They have never
acknowledged but have constantly renounced
and defed the Government to which they owe
allegiance, and have been all the time in
state Of resistance against its authority. They
have all the time been endeavoring to subvert
it, and establish a revolutionary Government
under the so-called Topeka Constitution in its
stead. Even at this very moment, the Tope-
ka Legislature is in session. Whoever has
read the correspondence of Governor Walker
with the State Department, recently commu-
ncated to the Senate, will be convinced that
this picture is not Overdrawn He always
protested against the withdrawal of any por-
tion of the military force of the United States
from the Territory, deeming its presence abso
lutely necessary for the preservation of the
regular government and the execution of the
laws. In his very first dispatch to the Secre
tary of State, dated June "A, 1857, he says
" The most alarming movement, however,
proceeds from the assembling of the so-called
Topeka Legislature, with the view to the en-
actment Of an entire code of laws. Of course,
it will be my endeavor to prevent such result
as would lead to an inevitable disastrous COLI
sion, and. in fact, renew civil war in Kansas -
This was with difficulty prevented by the
efforts of Governor Walker, but soon General
Harvey was required to furnish him a regi-
ment of dragons to proceed to the City of
Lawrence and this for the reason that he
had received authentic intelligence verified by
his own actual observation, that dangerous
rebellion had occurred, involving open de-
lance to the laws, and the establishment of
an insurgent government in that city" In
the Governors dispatch of July 18th, he in
forms the Secretary of State that the move
ment at Lawrenre was the beginning of q plan,
originating in shat city, to organize an insur-
rection throughout the Territory, and especial
ly in all towns, cities and counties, where the
Republican party have majority Lawrence
is the hotbed of all the abolition movements