Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-08-26
(From The Philadelphia Press.
The Great Issue.

(From The Phiadeiphia Press.)
The Great Issue.
When the English bill was pending be.
foe Congress, Governor Walker made two
predictions if the bill passed:
That The Lecompton Constitution would
be rejected by an overwhelming majority
o. the people of Kansas, and OF every county
Of Kansas.
I'd. That the Territorial Legislature Of
Kansas, elected in October next, upon its
assembling next January, would call Con-
ycntiun of Delegates to be chosen by the
peopie of Kansas, which convention would
frame a constitution, and submit it to the
vote of the people for rati6cstion or rjec-
ton; that it would be ratified BY an over
whslming majority of the people OF Kansas,
and submitted for the action of Congress
in December. 1859. The first of thuse pre-
dictions is already verified. The people of
Kansas, by a majority, it is believed, in
every county. have rejected the Lecompton
constitution. The criminal had been tried
and condemned by the only competent trib-
unal, the people of Kansas. The charge of
fraud, forgery and perjury, preferred bv
Walker and Stanton in their official pro c.
lsmatiun against Lecompton, have been
submitted to he electors of Kansas, and
the verJicr of guilt and iniamy has heen
rendered Who SO bold as now 10 assert
that the Lecompton constitution ever was
the choice of the people of Kansas! Who
SO reckless as now io deny that Congress
was asked and urged by the Administration
to force this constitution upon the people
of Kansas against their willi Nay, more
to make it . test of Democracy. and ostra.
else sill who would not indorse these detest.
able frauds and forgeriesi
Now, the first prediction of Gov Walker
as to the rejection of Lecompton has been
fully verified But what as to the second !!
Will they now proceed. without census.
and frame new Constitution and send it
ratified by the people of Kansas for the
&C ton of Coneressi We think this will
be done. thus stamping with falsehood the
pretense that the people Of Kansas do not
nov desire to becnne State. And what
theni Will Congress admit them without
a census showing the population to exceed
90 .00oi They agreed 10 admit them under
the Lecom2ton Constitution with a fraud
uient cenrus, showing but $4,000 people;
and will they reject them when having
certainly a much larger population1 The
restriction in the latter clause of the
Eng lish bill is not binding upon this Con-
gress, much less upon rhe next; it can be
repealed or disregarded by Congress, and
we have no doubt Kansas will be admitted
in 1859, ifthe people will do their duty in
the coming elecuons BY voting for no man
who favored the forcing, without submits
sion, the Lecompton Constitution on the
people of Kansas. Trust no such men
whatever their present pledges may be-
They violated the most solemn pledges oI
the canvass Of ls5s-.hey betrayed theiI
constituents. They took the executive
bounty in 1855, and would do 90 again in
1859. Will it receive the sanction of the
President, or his veto. We trus: the for
mer, but fear the lstter. The same disunior
ergan of the South, whose threats aid op
position drove the President from his po
sition in 1856 and 1857. and caused him tc
abandon the doctrine embodied in his in
structions to Governor Walker, we fea
will produce the like result in 1859. Tndee,
this is said to be part of the bargain
And what nextl Why, il the Presiden
veto such a bill. he will rerew the Kansa
question in its most distinct form; he viii
make it the dir,ct issue of the Presidential
election of 1860. which must then be de
cided BY the American people. How it vii
be decided il were insanity to doubt. LIE
comptonism and Lecomptonites will
swept beneath the surges of popular indie
nation, and they will share the fate whicl
must ever await treason to self government
{ in every Republic where the people are en-
. lightened and incorru2tib:e.