The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-03-05
VgELECoNPToy CONSTITUTION,

THE LEC0NPT0E CONSTITUTION.
The A6oIitionis,s say that if Congress shall /
admit Kansas into the Union with the LecomP- !
ton Constitution, # sill force upon the people
of that Territory form Of government under
which they are unwilling to ike. This is not
true. There is no f2rciag about it. The facts
connected with The formation Of the LecomPton
Constitution, Of themselves, afford complete
reiutation Of tlus false assertion. The Territor-
ial Legislature, recognized by every Democrat
in the country as legal body, passed an act in
the summer OF 1855, authorizing the holding
Of an election throughout the Territory for the
purpose OF taking The sense OF the people on the
subject Of forming State government, prePar-
atorv TO admission into the Union. The cleo
ton was held and resulted, by an overwhelm-
ing vote, in favor Of having Convention 10 form
a Constitution. In pursuance of this election
the Territorial Legislature, in February 1857,
passed law providing for the taking OF census
of the people, making registry Of The qualified
voters, and for electi8g delegates TO the Con-
stituti3nal Convention which the people had
decided should be held This law was fair
and just il every respect. Il gave whole
months time after the closing OF The registry BY
the officers appointed 10 make ii, tor those voters
who were not registered, 70 call upon the pro-
bate Judges Of their respective counties, and
have their names added to the registry lists
Of which those officers were the depositaries.
II also required that copies Of such lists should
be posted IN public places, 50 that those whose
names were omitted in the registry, might see
the omission and have it corrected. That this
law was fully and fairly executed, SO far as it
was possible, by the officers commissioned to do
it, -four counties, in which those officers were
rampant .aad Tebglllous a52iisioRisls, alone eX-
best men IN Kansas. That large majority OF
the voters Of Kausas were registered and ievest-
ed, with the privilege Of voting for delegates TO
the Constitutional Convention, is beyond dis
pute TIE fact that HE highest number Of votes
ever poI,ed in the Territory, was only tlcaiUe
tiousand (Which was cast at an election held
SIC moaths after the registry was made, during
which time the population had vastly increased)
and that the number Of registered voters, was
nine thousand tuo tundrei md fifty one, shows
conclusiyeIy that such was the case. There
fore, in voting for delegates to the Constitution
al Convention, we maintain that a large major
lily Of tbe people Of Kansas bad the privilege
Of freely expressing their wishes IN regard 10
all questions involved 10 the formation Of their
Slate government. That majority could have
elected such delegates TO that Convention as
would have represented their wishes. Here
there vas fair opportunity given 10 the Peo-
PIE OF Kansas to ascertain the '.will of the ma
jority." Here the privilege was given the
Abolitionists TO crush out forever, in Kansas
the institution Of slavery. Here the people
might have 50 acted, t5y instructiag the dele
gates 10 their Constitutional Convention 10 that
eiirctl that every part Of the LtcomPton Con-
stitutIon would have been submitted TO them
for their ratification. Bat here, through tie
rebellousnesS Of the A5oIiti5nists, the ppogl,
Of Kansas made the great mistake that ha.
brought all the present trouble upon The coun-
try. They ,could not rofe. Only f.go Hou
sand Of the n,ne thousand ftco huadrad aad ffI,
one registered voters, took part in the Ghetto.
of delegates TO toe Constitutional CONVENTION
The majority allowed this minority to choos,
representatives for them. Il Is owing to THEN
own act-It is that majority 5 own aull-thefe-
fore, if the L@comPton Constitution dops no.
suit them. Had they voted for delegates 10 II,
Convention that formed that Constitution, they
might have reason to complain; as il is they
should be silent in shame. Hrnc~, We say
that if Congress admits Kansas with the Lee
compton Constitution, it viii not force any
form Of government upon The people OF tha
tersiiory, bat viii only accept that which thos,
people themselves have Fpguiarly aud legally
adopted.