Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-02-17
.:s7. EBENsBURG, FEBRUARY II, 1858.
of this new revolutionary military organiza-


ticn"
In Gsv, Walkers dispatch of July 9th,
he says: General Lane and his staff every
where deny the authority of the Territorial
laws, and counsel a total disregard of these
enactments." Without making further quo
tations of similar character, from other dis
patches of Governor Walker, it appears by
reference to Acting Governor Stanton's COM
munication Co Secretary Cass, under the date
of the 9th of December last, that '' the i'm
portant step of calling the Legislature togeth-
er was taken after Gov Walker had become
satisfied that the election, ordered by the.
Convention on the Dist inst, could not be
conducted without collision or blocdshed."
So intense was the disloyal feeling among the
enemies Of the Government established by
Congress, than sn election which offered them
an opportunity, if in the ajority, of making
Kansas free State. according to their own
professed desire, could not be conducted with
out collision and hioodshcd The truth is,
that until the present moment the enemies of
the existing Government still adhere to the
Topeka Revolutionary Constitution and Gov
ernment. The very first paragraph of the
Message of Gov. Robinson, dated the 9TH of
assembled in Lawrence, contains an open de-
United States. The Governor says: "The
Convention when framed the Constitution at
Topeka originated with the people OF Kansas
Territory, They have adopted and ratified
the same twice by direct vote, and also in
directly through two elections of State Off
GERS and Members of the State Legislature,
yet it has pleased the Administration te re-
gard the whole proce cdings as revolutionary :"
This Topeka government, adhered to with
such reasonable pertiDacity, is . government
in direct opposition to the existing govern
nIcnt p. escribed and recognized by Con-
gress. 1t is an usupation of the same char
acter as it would be for portion of the
people of any State, to undertake to establish
a separate government within its limits for
the purpose Of redressing any grievances,
real or Imaginary, of which they might com-
plain against the Legitimate State govern
ment. Such principle, If carried into exc
cution, would destroy all lawful authority, and
produce universal anaIchy From this state
ment Of facts, the reason becomes palpable
why the enemies of the government author
lied by Congress, have refused to vote for
Delegates to the Kansas Constitutional Con-
vention, and also, afterwards, on the question
! eff slavery, submitted by it to the people. 1t
is because they lave ever refused to sanction
or recognize auy other Constitution than that
framed at Topeka Had the whole Lecomp
ton Constitution been submitted to the people,
the adherents of this organization would
doubtless have voted against 1t, because If
successful they would have thus removed an
obstacle out of the way of their own revolu-
tionary Constitution. They would have done
this not upon consideration of the merits of
the whole or part of the Lecompton Consti-
ton but simply because they have ever re-
sisted the authority of tie governm ent au-
thorized by Congress, from which it cuina-
ted.
/. Such being the unfortunate condition of the
/ affairs of the Territory, what was the right,
! as well as duty, of law abding people p
/ Were they silently and patiently to submit to
the usurpation. or adopt scme necessary meas
ure to establish Constitution under the Or
! ganic law Of Congress? That this law rec
| oguized the right of the Territory, without
| the enabling act Of Congress, to form State
| Constitution. is too clear for argument, For
| Congress " to leave the people of the Terri
tory perfectly free," in framing their Consti-
! tuition, & to form aud regulate their domestic
/ institutions IN their own way, subject only 70
! the Constitution of the United States and
then to say they shall not be permitted to
! proceed and frame Constitution in their own
way, without the exposes authority from Con
( gress, appears to be almost contradiction of
! terms 1t would be much more plausible
that the people of Territory might be kept
out of the Union for an Indefinite period, and
until it might please Congress to permit them
to exercise the right of self government
! This would be to adopt. not . their own
way" but the way which Congress might
/ prescribe,
1t is impossible that any people could have
proceeded With more regularity In the torma-
ton of a Constitution than the people OF
Kansas have done 1t was necessary first,
to ascertain whether it was the desire of the
people to be relieved from Trrtorlal de-
tendence, and establish a State Government
For this purpose, the Territorial Legislature
in 1855 passed law g for taking the Sense
} of the people of this Territory. upon the ex-
pcdiency OF calling Convention to form a
State Constitution" at the general election to
be held in October, 1856. The "sense Of
the people" was accordingly taken, and they
deci1 I'D in favor of Convention. 1t is true
that at this election, the enemies of the Ter.
ritorial Government did not vote, because
they were then engaged at Topeka, withou
the slightest pretext of lawful authority. il
framing Constitution Of their own, for tn.
purpose of subverting the Territorial Gov
ernment,
In pursuance of this decision of the peopl,
in favor of Convention, the Territorial lie
gisaturo on the 9th of February 1857
passed an act for the election of delegates o,
: the third Monday of June, 1857, to frame
State Constitution. This law is as fair in it
provisions as any that ever passed Legisla
ture for similar purpose. The right 0
suffrage at this election is clearly and justl,,
defined Every bona tide inhabitant o
K ansas'' on the third Monday of June. tn
day of the election, who was citizen of tn
United States, above the age of tweEty-one