Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-02-10
VOL. 4.--NO. Is.
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT.

| TIE LEcoaPToN CONSTITUTION SENT TO cosGREss.
The President, on the I'd instant, communi-
| Gated the following message to Congress, and
accompanied it with g copy Of the Kansas
| (Lecompton) Constitution: i-uess.I
| To the Senate and House Of Representatives. Of
| The United States: --t-
| have received from J. Calhoun, Esq, pres
| ident of the late Constitutional Convention OF
/ Kansas. COPY, duly certified by himself, OF
the constitution framed by that body, with the
expression of hope that / would submit the
| same to the consideration of Congress. sswith
! the view of the admission of Kansas into the
| Union as an independent Stste.' In comph-
ance with this request, herewith transmit to
Congress. for their action, the constitution OF
] Kansas, with the ordinance respecting the pub
| lie lands. as well as the letter of Mr.. Calhoun,
dated at Lecompton on the 14th ult., by which
| they were accompanied. Having received bus
single copy of the constitution and ordi-
nance, send this to the Senate. H
a great delusion seems to pervade the pub.
| nc mind IN relation to the condition OF parties
in Kansas. This arises from the difficulty OF
| inducing the American people to realize the
fact that any portion of them should be in .
state of rebellion against the government un-
| der which they live. When We speak OF the
| affairs of Kansas apt to refer merely to
| the existence of two violent political parties
| in that territory, divided on the question Of
| slavery, just as we speak OF such parties In the
States. This presents no adequate idea of the
| true state OF the case. The dividing line there
is not between two political parties, both ac-
| kDowiedgiDg the lawful existence of the gov
ernment, but between those who are loyal to
| this government and those who have endeay-
| ored 10 destroy its existence by force and usur-
| pation-between those who sustain and those
| who have done all in their power to overthrow
| the territorial government established by Con-
gress. This government they would long since
have subverted had it not been protected from
their assaults by the troops of the U. States.
Such has been the condition of affairs since
my inauguration. Ever since that period q
large portion of the people of Kansas have
been in state of rebellion against the govern
ment, with military leader at their head Of
most turbulent and dangerous character.
They have never acknowledged, but have con-
stantly renounced and defed the government
TO which they owe allegiance, and have been
all the time in state of resistance against its
authority. They have all the time been en-
deayoring TO snbvert it and to establish rev.
olutionary government, under the so-called
Topeka constitution, in its stead. Even at
this very N onent the Topeka Legislature are
in session. Whoever has read the correspon-
, dence of Governor Walker. and the State De-
partment, recently communicated to the Sem
ate, viii be convinced that this picture is not
! overdrawn. He always protested against the
withdrawal OF any portion OF the military force
of the United States from the Territory deem
ing its presence absolutely necessary for the
preservation of the regular government and
the execution of the laws. In his very first
dispatch TO the Secretary of State, dated June
2, 1857, he says: ssThe most alarming move
ment, however, proceeds from the assembling
the 9Th Of June of the so-called Topeka Le-
gislature, with view to the enactment of an
entire code of laws. or course, it will be my
endeavor to prevent snch result, as it would
lead 10 inevitable and disastrous collision land,
in fact, renew civil war in Kansas This was
with difficulty prevented by the efforts of Gov.
Walker; but soon thereafter, on the 14th of
July, we find him requesting General Hsrney
TO furnish him a regiment of dragons TO pro-
ceed to the city of Lawrcnce-and this for the
reason that he had received authentic intelli-
gence, verified by his own actual observation,
that dangerous rebellion had occurrad, sim
volving open defiance of the laws and the
establishment of an insurgent government in
that city," l
In the Governors dispatch of July 18th he
informs the Secretary of State ssthat this
movement at Lawrence was the beginning of
plan, originating in that city, TO organize in
surrection throughout the Territory /; and es-
pecialy in all towns, cities or counties where
the republican party have majority. Law
| reEce is the hot bed of all the abolition move
: ments in this Territory. 1t is the town estab-
lished by the abolition societies of the East
and whilst there are respectable people there,
D it is filed by considerable number of mer-
cenaries who are paid by abolition societies to
perpeIuate aud diifuse agitation throughout
Kansas, and prevent a peaceful settlement OF
this question Having failed in inducing their
1 own so-calied Topeka State Legislature to
t ganize this insurrection, Lawrence has COM
menced it herself, and, if not arrested, the re-
!, beilion viii extend throughout the Territory"
And again: ''In order to send this commu.
nication Immediately by mail, must close by
e assuring you that the spirit of rebellion perya-
$ des the great mass of the republican party Of
|, this Territory, instigated, as I entertain no
1 doubt they are, by eastern societies, having
in view results most disastrious to the goveTh-
ment and to the Union aud that the cortinu-
ed presence of Gen. Harney here is indispen-
sable, as originally stipulated by me, with
large body OF dragons and several batteries"
! On the Goth July, 1857, Gen. Lane, under
n the authority of the Topeka convention, un-
/; dertook as Governor Walker Informs US tsto
u organize the whole so-called free State party
into volunteers, and to take the names OF all
c who refuse enrolment. Tho proiessed object
is protect the polls at the election IN august
a OF the new insurgentTopekaSta StateLegi islafnre-
: ssThc Object OF taking the names of all who
d refuse enrolment is to terrify the free State
9 conservatives into Submission This is pro-
;. | yoked by recent atrocities committed on such
d men by Topekaites- Tho speedy location of
e large bodies of regular troops here, with two
a batteries, is necessary. The Lawrence insur-
r gents await the development of this new rev.
D outionary military OF ganization's &c. 80 aaI
In the Governors dispsfch of July "a, he
4 says that ssGen. Lane and his staff everya here
deny the authority of the territorial laws, and
counsel total disregard Of these enactmehts." ]"
Without making further quotations Of .
similar character from the other dispatches Of
Gov. Walker, il appears by a reference to Mr..
Stanton's communication to Gen. Cass of the
9th December last, that the "important step
of calling the Legislature together was taken
after [hel had become satisfied that the g