The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-12-18

On motion, the Secretary was ordered
to furnish the Territorial papers with a
copy of the proceedings.
On motion, adjourned to meet on the
last Saturday in December, at 2 O'Clock
Pm.
JOHN H. STEARNS, Secretary.
Territorial papers please copy.l
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
FelloW- citizens of the Senate
and Of the House Of Representatives
When we compare the condition of the
country at the present day with what it
was one year ago, at the meeting of Con-
gress, we have much reason for gratitude
to that Almighty Providence which has
never failed to interpose for our relief, at
the most critical periods of our history
One year ago the sectional strife between
the North and the South, on the danger
Gus subject of slavery, had again become
so intense as to threaten the peace and
perpetuity of the Confederacy. The ap-
plication for the admission of Kansas as
State into the Union, fostered this unhap-
ply agitation, and brought the whole sub.
ject once more before Congress. 1t was
the desire of every patriot that such meas
ures might be adopted as world remove
the excitement from the States, and con-
fine it to the Territory where it legiti-
mately belonged. Much has been done,
| am happy TO say, toward the accom-
plishment of this object, during the last
session of Congress.
The Supreme Court of the United
States had previously decided that all
American citizens have an equal right to
take into the Territories whatever is held
as property under the laws of any of the
States, and to hold such property there
under the guardianship of the Federal
Constitution, so long as the territorial con-
dition shall remain.
This is now well established position,
and the proceedings of the last session
were alone wanting to give it practical
effect. The principle has been recognized
in some form or other, by an almost unan.
imous vote of Congress, that Territory
has right to come into the Union eithel
as free or slave State, according to tn,
will of majority its people. The jus
equity of all the States has thus been vim
dictated, and fruitful source of dangerous
dissension among them has been removed
Whilst such has been the beneficial
tendency Of your Legislative proceeding
outside Of Kansas, their influence has no
where been so happy as within that Ter
, ritory itself. Left to manage and contro
its own affairs in its own way, without tn
pressure of external influence, the revolu
tionary Topeka organization, and all re
sistance to the territorial government es
, tablished by Congress, have been fnall,
; abandoned. As a natural consequence
: that fine Territory now appears to be tran
quill and prosperous, and is attracting in
creasing thousands of emigrants to max
it their happy home.
, The past unfortunate experience 9
Kansas has enforced the lesson so ofte
already taught, that resistance to Lawful
authority, under our form of government
| cannot fail in the end to prove disastrou
to its authors. Had the people of tn
Territory yielded obedience to the law
enacted by their Legislature, it would q
5 the present moment have contained
3 large additional population of industriou
and enterprising citizens, who have bee
, deferred from entering its borders by tn
existence of civil strife and organized re
Q bellion.
1t was the resistance to rightful author
ity, and the persevering attempts TO es
|, tablish revolutionary government unde
S the Topeka Constitution, which cause
the people of Kansas to commit the gray
error of refusing to Uote for delegates to I'll
7 convention to frame a constitution, under
l lao not denied to be fair and just in its pro
visions. This refusal to vote has been tn
prolific source of all the evils which hav
followed. In their hostility to the Teri
Q torial Government they disregarded tn
!, principles, absolutely essential to tn
9 workings of our form Of government, ths
0 majority of those who vote-not tn
P majority of those who remain at HON,
:. from whatever cause-must decide th
result of the election. For this reason
: seeking to take advantage of their own Ell
a ror, they denied the authority of the cor
vention thus elected TO frame a constitu
1 ton.
!, The Convention, notwithstanding, prc
: eeeded to adopt constitution unezceptiona6
n in its general features, and PROVIDED for h
It submission of the SLAVERY question to vote 3
e the people, which, in my opinion, they wei
e bound to do, under the Kansas ebral
g ka Act. This ,cas all the important que
II ton ichich had alone convalsed hs Ieritorl
: and yet the opponents of the lawful gov
!. eminent, persisting in their first error, r,
Trained from exercising their right to yot
a and preferred that slavery should cor
! tinue, rather than surrender their revolt
!. tionary Topeka organization.
4 A wiser and better spirit seemed to pr,
' vail before the first Monday Of Januar
last, when an election was held under th
constitution. A majority of the peop
voted for Governor and other State of
GERS, for a member Of Congress, and men
! bers Of the State Legislature. This ele,
ton was warmly contested by the two pr
Ilitical parties in Kansas, and a greater vol
was polled than at any previous election
" A large majority of the members of ii
9 Legislature elect belonged to that part
which had previously refused to VOTE
Q The anti-slavery party were thus place
in the ascendant, ar the political pow'
Of the State in their own hands.
n Had Congress admitted Kansas into th
o Union under the Lecompton Constitution
9 the Legislature mig At its very first Sc
:. sion, have submitted the question to
: vote of the people whether they woul
i lor would not have convention TO amen