New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-07
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE,

hen a.
.,,,r,se,. day With what j. was one year % -;
- & cun.ress. we have much isH"p 10
,ns. 20 that Almighty Providence WIG" ',1.o N@
f.,,,s N inferno for our relief at the mo''
ro,,t tory. One year sgo the -c'"o""' s'''''
-, IL Nh and The South on tue otogoio'' .
t;. -, Sio,.rv had again become ~ ihteh'o 10 -
-, a.. roace ard psrpetdity oi tue ''p'V'.erAcy'
T, so,lcatou for the admission oil hh'as a. S,a,s
..,o ,tr Upou fo.tercd this unhappy sgli,ton act
,rousht the whole ,utjeot once more before Coosfv
va the d,sirs Of every Pa.rot Ihst such measures
az e;sla,ion might be adopted wond Il f5ye the
,,tm.rt from tie Ststes, ann ccliac u 10 the Fer
,,ory Where il ltgtmately t'l'Agei. mctn has been
dU, az hapiy 10 10y, tO"DId tpc Gcc M hshIient
- ,li, oli.ct duYiig he as' eessgcn Of Coegrsss.
III SUR, ne Cont ollie Cnit'd Stscc hai previous
~ divided thot al American cat zsns a' egntrgAt
10 take into the Territories "haevf IS hemas pr P
c,ty prder tic laws u sIy Of the state, GLd to hold
such properly tnere under the guardlansh;p of tho
Federal Constitution % !o4g as the IenlciA! cead''
Gsn siak feInon. ,,
e.diur Of the sS Session were alone y.uting to svc
II rrartcu eflec. The principle has hoen Iecog ozcd
jD sopio form ,t0eT 10y almOtt eosnmous vote ot
both houses * Congress that Territory has night
10 come into the Uuicl either os a free or save
State according 60 the ai Of ma Gity o. It's people.
Yheust eou a,y Of AZ The States las thus htcn yujl-
caied AID y fruitful eOurce OF -Gn9erOus d's7nsloh
ainorc then has been removed
Whie s-!oh has been the ben@f cal tendency OF yo1
loc;s,ii, urocoed,-iss Cuside Of Kansas their in1
tIce has nowhere been SO happy a. "hn'n thet Ter
rtery itself. iet 10 manage and cOntrG ~ o"n III,
fajrs IN iIs way, withpU the pressure Oi VztI1lI
influence, tie revolutionary Topeka organization sud
all resistance 20 the Territorial Government estap-
bshed by COlgsofs have bctn finally hOandOnel As
q natural Consequence, taat fine Territory now ap-
yeaIs 20 be Tranquil and prosperous ana IS attracting
inereasing thousands Of immigrants TO make II tnelr
H.. pact unfortunate experience of Kansas has en-
feIcto ihe lesson oitc1 already taught that resist
aLee 20 lawful authority, under our form OF govern
sDert fail in the end 10 prove disastrous to IT.
authors Had the people Of the Territory yielded obe
dience to the Laws cnoctcd by their Lcgsliturc, 1t
would at the present moment have contained a barge
additional population of industrious and entr prisng
citizens, who have been deferred from entering It's
boider, by the existence oi oivi stie andor8eDled
rebellion.
Itwas the resistance TO rghtfr suthor and the per
sevsripg attempts TO establish revolutionary govern
meIt under the Topeka Constitution which caused tue
people Of Kansas to commit the grave error of refusing
To vote for delegates to the Convention Ia II me "a
Constitution unoer law not denied to be fair and ust
IL it, provisions. This refusal to vote hes been the
prolific source of all the evils wbch have followed. n
their hostility ~ the Territorial Government they dis
regarded the pin cple absolutely essential L. the work
iYg Of form of goverf ment that majority OF those
VINO v0te-not the majority wno may remGn at home,
from whatever decide the result Of an cleo
toa. For tlis reason seeking to take advantage o.!
Their own error they denied the authority OF the
Convent on thus elected 70 frame Constitution.
The Cg" ros RrGe'eSed % SeSerS to
features and prOydu for the submission os the Sav-
cry question to vote OF tue people, which, in my
opinion, they houtd 10 do under the Kansas aud
Nebraska act. Thls was the eli-important question
which had alone cohvulsed the Territory; ana yet the
opponents Of tho lawful Government, peIssting in
their fTst error, reau,d tToI exercising thor Tght
to vote. and preferred that Slavery should continue
Ssther tban surrender thef revolutionary Topeka or
gGuiza,On.
A wiser and bettcr spirit seemed 10 prevail before
the fret Monday of JGndlly last, when an electiOa
lell y
people then voted for GOvcrnoy and ohor State oii
Gers fora Member t Congress ard members OF tbs
State L. gslature. This election was warmly contest
ed by tie two political parties IN Kansas, and greater
Voie was poled than at any previous electon.
large majority Of the members OF the Legislature eeci
belonged 70 ihet patty which bad previously rsluset
to vote. TIE Au,iSlavery party were thus placed IN
tle ascendant and the political power OF the STATE was
IL ,hcr own hands. Had Congress admitted Kansas
into the Union under the Leco pton Constitution the
Aec ciratuTe might at ITS very met sts,ion nave sno
ii,ed the question TO vote Of the people, whether
they would or would not have Convention 10 amend
Their Con sttutiop either on the Slavery or any other
question: aud have adopted all necessary means for
giving speedy eject to the viii of the msjnity Thus
HE KsIsas question would have been Immediately
and fin ally settled.
Tncer these circumstances ! submitted 70 Congress
tie Constitution thus framed, with all tho officers a.
ready elected necessary TO put the State Government
into operation accompanied by strong recomnen-
Saon in favor Of the adnissiono of Kansas as State
In the of my long public lie have never per-
formed any official act winch, IN the retrospect, mas
afforded u,e more heartfelt satisfaction. Its admission
could have Inflicted no possible injury on any human
teag, wlnle il would within biei period, have re-
stored peace to Kansas and harmony TO the unon In
that event the Slavery question would ere TINS have
beer finally settled, according to the legally expressed
1ill Of majority Of the voters and Popular SJVo-
Ieign;y would thus have been yindicated IN conettu-
fiOnal manner.
With my deep convictions of duty ] could have pur-
sued no other cOursc. IL true that, individual
had expressed opinion, both before and duIiGe
Abe sesou Of the Convention, in favor Of submutiug
tbc remaining clauses OF the Constitution, as well as
that concen ing Slavery 10 the people. But, acting
IN official character neither myself nor any hu nsu
authority had the power 70 reiudge the proceedings oi
the Com eLtioi declare the Constl Ution which II
had framed 10 be nudity. To have d)Ie ih's wonli
have been violation of the Kansas end Nebrasfa
act which lett tie people Of the Territory perfectly
=" IL thtr own way, subject only 10 the Constu atom
" Of tic United States ii would equally have yiO-
lated the great principle OF Popular Sovereignty at
ire foundation of institutions - deprive the peo
pie of the power they thought proper TO exercise
IT, OF coi fJne 10 delegates eGed by Themselves the
&fust Cf tanning a Constitution, without requiIiTg
th, III to subject their cOn;tuen,s TO the trouble eN-
pense and delay Of u second election. IL would have
been IL opposition t. many precedonts IN our ms
torv comIe ucr IN the yer, best age Of the Relub-
ic Of tie admission Of Territories States into the
UDi, without previous vote OF the peope appIoN-
iIg thtn Con stt1tion.
1tis to be lanentod that question so insignificant
when viewed IN its pTacca! eflc rs on The people OF
Kans0s whether decided way or the other, should
have kindled such fame Of excitement throughout
TIE country. This rod, cliOn may prove 10 be les
OF wisdom and OF waning for oar igtlrc gGld-
spce. Practically c0reidorcc the question is simply
whether the people Of that Territory should fret
into the Union ANA then change any provision tcr
GomtituEOn not agreeable TO themselves, or accom-
p!,sh tle very same otjec: by remslpuc out Of th.
UIiou tid fran Dg anoher constitution ia dance