New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-19
paymen. Of pollta.; 80 providing in eject, th.. on

state could come in, in unlimited numbers and. by
taking up residence Of day an hour pay p,l.
far and thus become legal voters, and then after
voting return 10 their State They thus. ia prs
teal effect provided for the people Of Missouri 70
control elections at their pleasure, aud permitted such
onv OF the real inhabitants of the Territory 10 ote a.
are friendly 10 the holding Of slaves.
Th.y permitted election of any Of the officers in
the Territory be made by tie people thereof but
created the offices and filled them orapponted officers
% iii them for long periods and provided that the
annual election should be holden in October 1856
and the Ass. mbly to meet in January 1857 So that
none of these laws could be changed until the lower
Vouss might be changed, in 1856; but the Council
which 10 elected for two yean could not be changed
30 "a 10 allow of change Of the laws officers until
,Se session Of 1858 however much the inhabitants of
the Territory might desire it.
These laws made by an Assembly created by a
foreign force ore but manifestation Of the spirit Of
oppression which the parent the whole transac-
They were obviously made to oppress and drive out
all who were inclined to the exclusion of Slavery; AMI
ii they remained, to silence them this subject, and
subject them TO the will and control OF tho people of
Missouri. These are the laws which the President
saws must be enforced by the army and whole power
of this nation.
The people Of Kansas, thus invaded, sabdued op-
pressed and nsuted seeing their Territorial Govern
ment (such only in form perverted into an engine to
crush them in the dust, and to defeat and destroy the
professed object Of their organic law, by depnving
them of the perfect freedom therein provided; and
finding 10 ground TO hope for rights in that org inza
ton they proceeded under the guaranty of the United
States Constitution, "peaceably TO assemble TO petit
fon the Government for the redress of their grew
"ances." They saw no earthly source OF relief but
in the formation Of State Government by the people
and the acceptance and ratification thereof by Con-
greSs. ,..
history the people of Territory have been authorized
bv an act OF Congress 10 form State Constitution,
and after so doing were admitted by Congress. II Is
quite obvious that no such authority could be given
=, - Tarri oil En-nr Tb,tf
rearly las no power to create another Government,
paranC unit 10 itself 1t is equally true that, in numer
ous instances in our history, the people of Territory
have without any previous act OF Congress proceeded
10 call convention of the people by their delegates
have formed State Constitution which has been
adopted by the people, and a State Legislature as
sembled under il, and chosen Senators to Congress,
and then have presented said Constitution to Con-
qress. who has approved the same, and receivedthe
Senators and Members of Congress who were chosen
under il before Congress had approved the same.
Such was the case of Tennessee such the case of
Michigan where the people only formeda State Con-
sttut0n without act of Congress, and without any
act ofthe Territorial Government but they put the
State Governme Mt into full operation, and superseded
the Territoris Government, and 1t was approved by
Congress BY receiving it as State This was then
sustained in the Senate by the present President Bu
chanan who there declared that any act Of the Terri
toral Legislature for the calling OF convention
would be an act of usurpation. The people OF Florida
formed their Constitution without any act oil Congress
Cnion When the people of Arkansas were about
forming State Constitution without previous act OF
Congress in 1885, the Territorial Governor applied to
tbe President on the subject who referred the matter
TO the Attorney General and his opinion, as then ex-
pressed and published, contained the following:
II is not in the power of the General Assembly OF
Arkansas to pass any law for the purpose OF eectlng
members to a convention to form Constitution and
State Government nor to DO any other ac ufecty or
indirectly, to create such Government. Every such
law even though it were approved by the Governor
of the Territory wouldb be null and VOID; If passed ny
them, notwithstanding his veto, by vote OF two
thirds Of each branch, it would still be equally yold
He further decided that it was not rebelious or in
surrectonary unlawful for the people peace
ably to proceed without an act OF Congress, IN
forming Constitution and that the so forming State
Cor stuton, and far organizing under the same as
TO choose the officers necessary for its representation
in Congress with view to present the same to Con.
sress for admission, was power which fell clearly
within the right of the people to assemble and petition
Gr nmt sa sc Of ana we're recyed into the
Union accordingly If any rights were derived to the
people of Arkansas from the terms 9f the rrenGn a
treaty. of cessoD they equally extended to the people
of Ksnsas, it being part of the same cesslon.
In this view of the subject, the people assembled at
Topeka in said Territory by delegates, Ghosenln the
several counties, in public meetings assembled Tor nat
nurrcse in Settember, 1855, who formed Consttu-
top which was submitted to the people for their rat
fcaton or rejection, and which was duly ratified by
large majority of all who thought proper to VOTE be-
ing az we believe majority OF ali tne voters Inen
in the Territory. Under that Constitution an election
of Governor and Legislature was made, and officers
appointed and organization made tor me purpose
OF petitioning Congress TOR ADMISSION 10 tle Union;
and memorial was made ana presented 10 congress,
with said Constitution, for that purpose. That
memorial or petition for the admission OF hansas az
state under the Topeka Constitution formed as be;
fore stated, and Congrts
70 by the House of Representatives was rejected Dy
the Senate The investigation, the evidence and the
facts as 10 the invasion and subugaton OF Kansas AT
the March election Of ls55 as presented by the Com
mittee Of the House of Representatives, appointed
for such Investigations fully discoses its enormity
and outrage as before stated and shows that the IN
vason extended to every election district but one yet
the Senate entirely retraned from investigation ana
all redress for that people failed: 40 prossoh mto
made to correct the wrong and they were ieH ~
suffer under the oppression Of the tyrannical iaWs
and usurped power Of tn, INSCRIPTIONS minority
which force and fraud had there installed in oncai
position with the power and army OF the united seaes
pledged TO sustain them. Thus ended the session OF
Congress in the Summer ot 1sJ6. In that summer,
this usurped power in Kansas was exercised over t9e
people there in the spirit in which it orglnaed
and as manifested in the laws before mentioned, 10
drive the FreeState people from the Territory, aIo
prevent their emigration thereto. AIDED by the PeoPe
in Missouri who had first subjugated the ieIritoIy,
and by others lkc-mnded under pretended coior
of the laws so made freedom OF speech was
crushed printng.presses destroyed, aud Phsge,
confagrstion and murder spread over the lana. Et,
cry attempt at sef-deense by the free-Stale PSopm
was pronounced " constructive treason snd IaisSd
numbers were long imprisoned and guarded by oaaea
States troops therefor Many Of the peoPie werG
compelled to fee, and the Missouri River the usuai
means Of access to the Territory, was blockaded ana
emigrants prevented from proceeding. THUS closed
the gloomy Autumn Of 1856, and during the succseu
ing Winter large part Of the people were depenaen'
for their essaIy supplies upon the charhsole as
buttons OF the people distant States In 0ctober soo
aTenoral election forn enbers of the House It hep-
resentsves occurred, but the oppression Oh .ne Wy
rannics statutes of test Oaths and gag iaws conan
ing entirely excluded the Free-State people, perse'