Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1858-02-18
Letter from Governor Wise
To the PHILADELPHIA Meeting.

1 GoYernor Wise says that careful review
Of the Presidents Message constrains him
to differ with the President Of his choice.
He protests against the mode in which the
Lecompton Constitution was pretended to
be submitted as anti-republican and oppres-
sive, and as offensive to the selfrespect and
moral sense of free people.
After expressing the opinion that the Kan
sas-Nebraska act was an enabling act" of
itself, he admits that the conduct of the To-
pekaites was violent and unlawful, and that
their opponents acted under lawful authority
up to the submission of the constitution to
the people. But that has nothing to do with
the issue. Is the constitution the act and deed
/ Of the people, and IS tie 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 providing for its ratification or
/ rejection, was submitted for approval alone,
/ without allowing vote upon its rejection.
After review of the Lecompton Con-
vention's election iugglery, Governor Wise
proceeds to give Southerner's 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 a test-oath" Now
behold an honest, peaceful, law abiding citi
zen approaching the polls in Kansas under
this schedule; | imagine myself an ultra
/ Southern STAKEHOLDER put to an ordeal of a
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; / am told that ] have the
right by the grant of the high Lecompton
| Convention, to vote for or against property in
slaves; | approach the polls to exercise the
| right; | am challenged the Bible is held out
to me to swear first to Support the Constitu
ton Of the United States' / ask why impose
on me that oath? | urge that the obligation
is binding ON me without the oath-that /
love and obey the Constitution of the United
States, and that is made the supreme law of
the land, binding of itself but, being willing
| to support that instrument, and anxious to
vote for my property, | assent to swear to
support it. But / am told | must, in the sec
ond place, swear also to support the Lecemp-
ton Constitution if adopted, under the pen-
alties of perjury under the territorial laws. y
| redden into wrath under the insult Of such
an oath rendered to a freeman at the polls
to support a constitution, If adopted, before
its adoption ] denounce the obstacle to my
freedom of election. 1t is in vain; must
take it or leave my property unprotected |
; suppOse-the suppositien is almost intolerable
i take the oath | am then, and then only,
i granted the privilege Of voting | vote for
slavery, but against the constitution. | am
then told that my vote cannot be counted, yet
| am sworn to support, if adopted, what
have voted against! Strng by insult, and
then diSfrancEised, 60 away maddencd to
| violence by injustice, inequality, and insult
added 10 injury Is that my act and deed !?
Is that republican? If Caligula was tyrant
fer posting laws too high to be read by the
Roman people, what does this deserve to be
called, which puts the whole and part to-
gether. so that minority for the whole may
prevail over a majority for or against the part?
is it not the very hocus pocus and legerde-
main Of keeping the promise to the ear of the
people and breaking it to their hopes? tell
you that no proud free people will stand insult
and outrage like this. and such despotism is
enough to drive peaceful and COED citizens to
! violence for redress of grievances. But the
question is not whether the Lecompton Con-
| stitution has been opposed unlawfully, but is
| it the act and deed of the sovereign people,
whose it purports TO ba-and is it republican
in its submission by the schedule of the Le-
compton Constitution And mark, too, that
this test oath is applied when the constitution
is to be sent to Congress from Territory for
| approval. After taking this oath, the casuist
may determine whether he could, if the con
stitution be adopted, oppose it before Con.
gress, though he voted against it at the polls
He contends that there was obviously q
sinister and anti-repubhcan 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 regularity in the formation of con-
stitution than the people of Kansas have
done. The people were not allowed a fail
election at ALL 4 fair election could not
be held under the schedule as appears from
its face.
He contradicts the Presidents idea thai
the admission of Kansas would speedily
end the agitation in Congress, and localizt
it in Kansas He declares that it never
can be local again. 1t is all essential thai
the settlement shall be just, right and equal
and, if not so, it is sure to be mischievou'
to that party sustaining power without right
and doing wrong that good may come.
: The letter concludes with the following
warning appeal to the friends of the Pres
ident:
, "Ws have proudly, heretofore, contends
only for equality and justice; but if this b
wantonly done, without winning stake
the power of slave State thereby-it will
worse than vain. 1t will be snatching powe
per fas AIT nefas, to be lost speedily" wit
the loss of something of far more worth tha
political yotss--our moral prestige. If "