Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-08-19
The Great Issue.

When the English bill was pending be-
fore Congress, Governor Walker made two
predictions if the bill passed: 81.
lst. That the Lecompton Constitution
would be rejected by an Overwhelming ma
Jority OF the people of Kansas, and every
county Of Kansas.
I'd. That the Territorial Legislature of
Kansas, elected in October next mon i,s
assembling next January, would call a Con
vention of delegates to be chosen bv the
people of Kansas, which Convention would
frame a Constitution, and submit it to the
vote of the people for ratification or reiec-
ton; that it would be ratified by an over
whelming majority of the people of Kansas
and submitted for the action of Congress
in December, 1859. The first of those
predictions is already verified. The people
of Kansas, by majority, it is believed, in
every county have rejected the Lecompton
Constitution. The criminal has been tried
and condemned by the only competent tri-
bunnL the people of Kansas. The charges
of fraud, forgery, and perjury, preferred
by Walker and Stanton in their official
proclamations against Lecompton, have
been submitted to the electors of Kansas,
and the verdict of guilt and infamy has
been rendered Who so bold as now to
assert that the Lecompton Constitution ever
WAS the choice Of the people of Kansas?
Who so reckless as now to deny that Con-
gress was asked and urged by the Admin
;,-,,;o, e. f,roo tI;. roDet;,,,.;,n uno,.
the people of Kansas against their will 3
Nav, more-to make it test of Democra
cv, and ostracise all who would not endorse
these detestable frauds and forgeries?
Now, the first prediction of Gov. Walk
er as 10 the rejection of Lecompton has
been fully verified. But what as to the
second! Will they not proceed, without
census, and frame new Constitution
and send il ratified by the people of Kan
sas for the action of Congress? We think
this will be done, thus stamping with false
hood the preference that the people of
Kansas do not now desire to become
State. And what then? Will Congress
admit them without census showing the
population to exceed $4,000? They agreed
to admit them under :he Lecompton Con-
sttution with fraudulent census, showing
but $4,000 people: and will they reject
them when having certainly much larger
population?
The restriction in the latter clause of the
English bill is not binding upon this Con
greSs. much less upon the next; it can be
repealed or disregarded by Congress, and
we have no doubt Kansas will be admitted
in 1859, if the people will do their duty III
the coming election by voting for no man
who favored the forcing, without submis
sion, the Lecompton Constitution on the
people of Kansas. Trust no such men,
whatever their present pledges may be-
They violated the most solemn pledges of
the canvass of 1s56-they betrayed their
constituents. They took the executive
bounty in 1858, and would do SO again in
1859. Well, let us suppose new Con-
stituiion without census ratified by the
people of Kansas, and accepted by Con-
gress in 1859. Will it receive the sane
ton of the President, or his veto? We trust
the former, but fear the latter. The same
disunion organs of the South, whose threats
and opposition drove the President from
his position in 1856 and 1851, and caused
him to abandon the doctr ne embodied in
his instructions to Governor Walker, we
fear will produce the Ike result in 1850
Indeed, this is said 10 bu a part of the bar
gain. And what next! Why, if the Presi-
dent veto such a bill, he will renew the
Kansas question in its most distinct form;
he will make it the direct issue of the Pres
idential election of 1860, which must then
be decided by the American people. How
it will be decided il were insanity to doubt.
Lecomptonism and Lecomptonites will be
swept beneath the surges of popular indig-
nation, and they will share the fate which
must ever await treason to selfgovernment,
in every Republic where the people are en-
Iightened and incoruptible.-Pha. Press