The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1858-12-16

UT MUulu uOb udNB 70 COUNCublUu W
amend their Constitution either on the
slavery or any other question, and have
adopted all necessary means for giving
speedy effect to the will Of the majority.
Thus tho Kansas question would have
been Immediately and finally settled.
Under these circumstances / submit
ted to Congress the constitution thus
framed, with all the officers already
elected, necessary TO put the State gov
ernment into operation, accompanied by
a strong recommendation in favor Of the
admission of Kansas as a State. In the
course of my long public life I have
never performed any official act which,
in the official retrospect, has afforded me
more heartfelt satisfaction. It's admis-
sion could have inflicted no possible in.
jury on any human being, whilst it
would, within a brief period, have re-
stored peace to Kansas, and harmony to
the Union. In that event, the slavery
question would ere this have been f..
nally settled, according TO the legally
expressed will of a majority of the vo-
ters, and popular sovereignty would
thus have been vindicated in a consti-
tutiOnal manner.
With my deep convictions of duty, I
could have pursued no other course
It is true, that, as an individual, 1 had
expressed an opinion, both before and
during the session of the Convention,
in favor of submitting the remaining
clauses Of the Constitution, as we'll as
that concerning slavery to the people.
But, acting in an official character, neith-
er myself nor any human authority, had
the power to rejudge the proceedings of
the Convention, and declare the Consti-
tuition which it had framed to be null
lity. To have done this would have
been a violation of the Kansas and Ne
braska act, which left the people of the
Territory perfectly free to form and
regulate their domestic institutions in
their own way, subject only to the Con-
stitutiou of the United States" 1t
would equally have violated the great
principle Of popular sovereignty, at the
foundation of our institutions, to de-
prive the people of the power, if they
they thought proper to exercise it, Of
confding to delegates, elected by them
selves, the trust of framing a Constitu-
ton, without requiring them to subject
their constituents to the trouble, ex-
pense and delay of a second election
1t would have been in opposition tC
many precedents in our history, com.
moncing in the very best age of the Re
public, of the admission of Territories
as States into the Union, without pre-.
vious vote of the people approving their
Constitution.
1t is to be lamentcd that a question SC
insignificant, when viewed in its praoti
cal effects on the people of Kansas
whether decided one way or the other
should have kindlcd such flame Of ex
citemcnt throughout the country. Thi.
reflection may prove to be lesson Of
wisdom and of warning for our future
guidance. Practically considered, tho
question is simply whether the people
of that Territory should first come in
to the Union and then change any pro
vision in their Constitution not agreea
BILE to themselves, or accomplish the
very same object by remaining out of
the Union and framing another Consti
tuition in accordance with their will?-
In either case, the result would be pre-
cisely the same. The only difference
in point of fact is, that the obiec
would have been much sooner attained
and the pacifcation of Kansas moro
speedily effected, had it been admitted
as State during the last session of Con
gress.
My recommendation however, for th,
immediate admission of Kansas, failed
to meet the appreciation of Congress
They deemed it wiser to adopt a differ
ent measure for the settlement Of thu
question. For my own part, l shoulC
have been willing to yield my assent t,
almost any constitutional measure t
accomplish this object. I therefore cor
daily acquieseeed in what has beer
called the English Compromise, and ap
proved the "Act for the admission of
the State Of Kansas into the Union
upon the terms therein prescribed
Under the ordinance which accompa
MED the LecOmpton Constitution, tn,
people of Kansas had claimed double
the quantity of public lands for The
support Of common schools, which hoC
ever been previously granted to an
State upon entering the Union; and alst
the alternate sections of land for twclvu
miles on each side of two railroads, pro
posed to be constructed from the North
ern to the Southern boundary and from
the Eastern to the Western bOundar,
of the State.
Congress, deeming these claims un
reasonable, provided, by the act of Ma,
4, 1858, 60 which have Just referred
for the admission of the State on al
equal footing with the original States
but "upon the Fundamental condition
precedent" that a majority Of the peo
pie thereof, at an election to be held fo
that purpose, should, in place of tn
very large grants Of public lands whicl
they had demanded under the ordinance
accept such grants as had been made Il
Minnesota and other new States. I'm
der this act should a majority reiec
the proposition offered them, ''it shal
be deemed and held that the people of
Kansas do not desire admission into thu
Union with said constitution under thu
conditions set forth in said proposition.
In that event, the act authorizes tn,
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