New-York daily tribune., 1858-04-01
THE LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION
GOV. WALKER TO THE DEMOCRACY OF
EEW-JERSEY.

HoBoKEs, N. j., March q, 1853
GEHTLEMEs: l regret that 1t is not in my power 70
accept your kind invitation to address the Democracy
of Sussex County, NewJersey, at the meeting called
for Tuesday next to express their opposition to the
LeoOmpton Constitution. That is an appropriate
name for that instrument for II is not the Constitution
of the State of Kansas The Constitution of State is
their first great fundamental aw-ther Magns Chatta
not embodyng, however, rights as mere privileges
grated by royal power, ethei 10 oya or reoeinous
subjects but as the free will Of tue people themselves
BY that people it must be fairly and freely made and
By them presented for the acceptance Of Congress;
and if il be net the will Of the people OF Kansas 1t Is
not their Constitution, under whatever specous FORMS
or fraudulent devices transparent forgeries, it may
be forced upon them. The LecOmpton fiction IL not a
State Constitution, for that can only be fairly and
freely made by the people OF state; but 1t Is a
wretched counterfeit to be forced by violence,
f,auis and Orgcries under the pretended forms of law,
upon protesting people. And when did not usurpa-
ton, frsud and forgery invest themselves win the
stmblance of legal forms and powers
When the British Parliament adopted the obnoxious
tea and stamp duties. it was done under all the
fo1ms Of law. 1t passed the British Parliament; /.
received the royal sigLet; asserting or eXPedsnt
place men, tiuid corrupt, gave il their wretceed
sanction. Nay, more; the royal George like bis
Stuart predecessor, james the lst denounced our an
ccs,ors who opposed these laws as rebels and tra,
ors; hut We the people, who have simply protested
seains: the adoption of such laws, are visited with
similar threats ard condemnation. Rebels against
what Traitors to whom Is II to our country
which we love- to the Federal Constitution we re-
popular sovereignty would iortfy and uphold, or
IL TO our INCIDENT ants by our votes exer
csng a little brief authority, and denouncng the pso.
ple their masters, with treason and rebellion
Nhen tie usurpatiops preceding the Revelation
occurred under the forms OF law, the people asserting
their majesty, rose in opposition fIrf, they peti-
tioned; next they protested, then they denounced;
al last tiey fought for the great principle of self
government. Among the rest, the people OF New,
Jesev then rose TO the rescue of their threatened
liberty They conquered even by bulets where we
may now succeed by ballots only. New-Jersey 10 that
day was rot only then the headquarters OF Washing
ton-the strate gical line of military operadons-but
slso the victorious battlefield of the Revolution.
From the glorious hills Of old Morris, first touched by
the sunlight Of liberty ere II reached the PLAINS below,
from the bloody erould of Monmouth to the decisive
trumphs Of Trenton and Princeton, the people OF
Jersey rose in defense Of their rights and liberties
After lorg might of gloom and darsness, victory
rerched at length upon our standard MsIa.aOn wiz.
peseed The birth Of Grocan liberty, but Trenton ana
Princeton not only behe'd the dawn OF our freedom
but il hoped also, unlike Marathon Will never vii
ress cur decline.
But we are now in the midst OF the batle the bugle
notes sounding 10 the advance Of the approaching
columns the principles of Revolutionary Father
are Tow endangered the right of selfSovernment is
again invaded. and the people OF oNewJersey are called
once more TO the rescue. Telk to US not now ol any
Democr icy which admits not in form only but IN re.
atty, the rower Of the people. Tslk TO us not now OF
State rghts, IT, under frauds and fOrgeres proved and
established, under forms hctions however speclous,
ttc let pc Oh stale 10 not, In TACT, make tnen Cou
sttutitn. Talk to us not Of popular sovereignty, If
the people in fact do not establish al their own ID.
mestic institutions. Many criminals have escaped
under the forms Of law but sovereign State is not
criminal. No miserable quibbes, worthy the lowest
Pc Poudre Court, car touch the Of q sovereign
State upon tie great question of her admission mo
the CDloD. On such an occasion affecting the sacred
and sovereign rights Ct the people Of State the
great que stlon s do they present their own C0nstu
tion framed by Themselves and ask, under its provls
ions TO be admitted into the Union Ii not there is
an erd of the question aud if, under such crcuu'
stances, Congress should force the people OF S'ate
into the Union against their viii, our Government
would have become consolidated despotsIn, the No.
critics CT the people would have vani.hed, and State
rights have sunk, undiscoverable spots upon TIE
happen under the petex that wrong and unjust as
may bel the people may hereafter strike of the caans
of a usurpDg minority, that although Congress msy
low subvert the Will Of the people, that they may
hereafter redress their grievances with or WHhou
revolutioa-wbat then Shall strike down the
great principle Of State and popular sovereignty IN the
miscaled compulsory admission of a State, under
the apology that TIE people msy hereafter overthrow
the usurpation, which Congress would have forced
upon tbem' Shall we drag Kansas from the camp ana
prson-house Of Lecomptop as chained and coliarei
convict lto the Union in the hope that she Will fere-
after sike of her shackes rise from her abJect deg
at some future period II this can be done; II
frauds. ard forgeIies ard usurpaton, can now be IN
otrsed aud sanctioned; # a miserable and diegraced
minority can be clothed by Congress with the pancpy
OF stale sovereignty; # the feon fox can De covered
VITA the hons skn il Kansas csn be dragged through
tbe streets Of Nashns.on like captive IN sn Imperial
htmah o'aiaoa, IN the hcps that the degrade vicIim