Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-12-17
PBGSiDEST'S YESSlGa.
Fellow Citizens of tle
Ssaafe end Houss Of Representatives.

try at t!i= present uay &iJE HiiQl II was year
ago, al tae meeting Of Congress, we have much
reasoa for gratitude to ,has Almighty Providence
which has never failed to interpose for our re-
lief, at the most critical periods of our history
08e year ago, the sectional strife between the
north aud South, ou tbe dangerous subjsc. Of
slavery, ha1 again become so intense as to
threaten the peace aud perpetnity OF the con-
federaoy. The application for tic admission Of
Kansas State into The Union fsstcrei his
unhappy agitation, aud brou s!lt sde whole sub
jsct opee more before Congress 1t was the
desire OF every patriot thlt such measures Of
legislation might be aiopted as wonld remove
the excitement from the States, and couine it
to lia te.iieefy where il tegititp4teiy belonged.
Aasl, h,s tfea ione, ! an happy TO sty, tow4lds
the accomplishment Of this objcct, during the
last session Vi Cuug'ess.
The Suorcme Court Q. the United States had
preeiousy !eci4e. that al Aneroal citizcns
hsYc an equal right to take into the territories
whatever Is held as properly under the laws Of
any q be States, aud 10 hold such property
there nDt3er ito guardianship Of the feieral
Constitution, - bong Is he Territorial condition
sts.l rem N.
Tbis is ao.s eeli est .!jisbsI pcsitios, aud
tie proceedings Il he last session were aluue
wanting to give il !eaeii14l effect. The prin-
cj3.e has been us;ui2-d "a some form OF 9th
er, by an almost uuannous vote Of both houses
of Congress, ;l.;a territory hos right ~ come
INFO the Union either as a free 0f sisvc State,
according to the sil Of majority Of is peo-
Pie. Tie just equality u all the States ms
thus teen yiuiicatel, aud fga,fui source Of
dangerous dissensiau aincng them Las .een re-
moved.
Whilst such has heeu the beneficial tendency
oj your legislative proceedings outside Of Kat
sas, their lraueace has nowhere baca SO happy
within hat territory Itself. L:it to manage
aud control lis owa aF. IRIS il is own way, With
ut iae pressure % exrerual inference, the rev
clnfienAry iopeka orgaut2 l'ion and all resist
to the territorial government established
ty Congress, baye been finally abaIioae:. As
" natural consequence, t!si fiue territory NV
appears to DC tranquil aud prosperous, aud Is
attracting Increasing thousaDds ot rin'grants 10
make it their happy home
The past unfortunate expericLcc Of kspsas
mas enforced the lesson often aiseady ;augi,
that resistance 70 lawful auiorlty, uaier our
form Of government, cauhot fail III tie end to
prove disastrous to its authors. Hal the pei
pie Of the territory yelied obedience 10 the
laws enacted by their legislature iC ,goiii at
ihe present uoineut have couttiaed large ad.
ditonal population rE Industrious aud euior
pr>ing eIriz:ns, Who have 6Gen deferred from
entering its borders by the exi>tencr oj c!yi!
strife aud organized rebellion.
II was the resistance to rghtful alihcruy
aud the perseverlng attempts TO establish a rev.
olutionary government under the Topeka con-
stitutiOu, which caused The people Of Kansas to
commit the grave erros OF refusing to vote fol
delegates 20 t.,e convention to frame consti-
tu:lon, under Law not denied to be fair ard
just iu lis provisions. This FefusA! te vote hss
leeu the prolific source of oil The evils which
cave followed. In their hostility to the terri
toral government, they disregarded ihe princi
Pie, absolutely essential to ,he working ot our
.9ra Of government, thai { majori,y OF those
who yote-noi The majority who NAY reuIain at
home, FROM whatever cause-must decide the
result OF an election. For this reason, seeking
TO take advantage OF their own error, they de-
MED the authority of The convection thus elect
ed 10 frame constitution.
The convention, notwithstanding, proceeded
TO adopt constitution uEexceptionable in lis
general features, aud providing for the submis-
zion of the slavery question 10 vote Of the
people, which, III my opinion, they were bound
10 do, uuder the Kansas and Nebraska act
L
alone conyuised the territory, aud yet the op-
pencnts OF tue lawful government, persistiDg
10 their first error, RETAINED from exercising
their right 20 vote, and preferred that slavery
should continue, rather than surrender their
revolutionary Topeka organization
wiser and better spirit seemed to prevail
tefore the first Monday Of January last whea
aa election was held under the constitution
majority Of the peoplo then voted for gov
ernor and other State officers, for member OF
Congress, and members OK the Sale Legislature.
This election was warmly contested by the two
political parties in Kansas, and greater vote
was poiled than at any previous election. A
large majority of the members Of the legisla-
ture elect belonged TO That party which had
previously refused 10 vote. The autI-slavery
party were thus placed III the ascendant; ana
the political power Of the State was 10 their
own hands. Had Congress admitted Kansas
into the Union under the Lecompton consritu-
ton, the legislature might, at It's very first ses.
ses, have submitted tho question 10 vote of
the people, whether they would or would not
have convention to amend the constitution:
either on the slavery or any other question, apd
have adopted all necessary means for giving
speedy effect to the VIII of the majority. Thus
Ihe Kansas question would have been immadi
stely and finally settled.
Under these circumstances, | submitted TO
Congress the constitution thus framed, with all
the officers already elected necessary to put the
STATE government into operation, accompanied
Gy strong recommendation in favor OF The ad-
MISSION .. Kansas az State. In the course
OF ny long pubic life hase never performed