Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-03-10

body al all was Clothed With power to perfey
that for which twas bro't into being Their
can be no question about this. Honoe, it ha
power to pass an election law, and every con
vention that has ever met in this Union ha
passed such laws. Even the Minnesota Con
vention passed laws. 1t said, all laws of tn
Territory, rot inconsistent with this Constitu
tion, shall be continued until al erel, amend
ed, or repealed, under the Stale government
Is not that legi5ating? Do you not, in th
schedules of all the Constitutions made 5y al
the Conventions in this whole Union, uniform
ly find the same provision! They arc clo,he,
by the people with the same power to perfcc
their work. The people have right to con
tinue in existence old laws under the new or
ganizaiion The people delegate that powe,
to the Convention. 1t is invested with full
power to derfect the end for which it wa,
brought into being and no other authorisy'or
the faceof the globe can interfere with them
Not the whole Federal power brought togeth
er can stay their han or check them in thei,
career, when they iegitmately proceed to tb,
consummation of the eud for which they were
called into existence
L know it is said, however, that this Con.
s'itution does not embody the will of the peo.
pie of Kansas; and this is mado tho great pre
text for tho opposition to the admission o.
that State. What is tho public will, as con-
tradistinguished from the making known OF
that will in tho forms of law? ! know no
public will except as that public will comes
through the channel or the law, Then i,
falls upon the ear with its Commanding inhu
cnco. and none of us can be- deaf to its co,r-
hands, but the wild cry of the ilIfurated mob
Is not the peoples voice, and We can never ia
this method ascertain the peoples will. 1t
rs through the channels cf the law. purified
kept chastc, kept holy, that we are to ascer.
tain the people, will, When the people
go to the ballot box and deposit their votes.
the people. will is known-not ALWAYS perfect.
ly. lmperfec,ion stamps all that is human
but, according to the common consent of the
human race, it has been found by the wisest
statesmen on the faco of the earth that this
apProKimates to the best method of certainty
IN ascertuining the peoples will.
Here VIC have had first an opportunity in
voting whether there should be a Convention
or no Convention. and the peoples will said,
yes, there shall be Conventior; second here
was an opportunity for the people to elect
delegates to a Convention, aud tho peoplc e.
ircted their delegates. clothed with power un-
restricted and unrestrained; third, the people
hai to vote whether they would have slavery.
or no slavery. and We hear the voice of tho
majority against six thousand seven bun-
dred and ninety five voting on that oues-
ton. 1t may be, for auyht know. thouyb
am not willing to conccde it, that there are
more opposed TO it than six thousand seven
hundred and ninety FIVE. There is one thing
am not satisfied Of that the vote of th,. 4t6 |
'f January a. which they pretended they had
largo majority--ten thousand against the !
CONSTITUTIONS not only void, asI before !!
,eharked, but that 1t is spurious; thcy have !
not the number in the Territory. The rea-
'on why | think so. shall postpone until g, |
',ture period, and present it in a moro topc;-
'lc shape. if ii shonld be necessary.
-, lhus the peoples will has been made known
he Constitution, so far as We have right to
now anything legally on the subject, is the
copies Constitution, and embodics their will,
he power OF amendment have heretofore
posen or have not single doubt on that
unject. Tie people have the right, but
iark' 'hc people must exercise it in an order
y legal manner. know that some saw it
an anti-republican Constitution. becnnse
ne he peoples hands are tied up till the wear
So4 When Indiana was admitted Tint
'mpIalnt was not made Indiana said no ,
mango should be made in her Constitution
u u twenty years after its adoption, and then
Ter ,ha', only once In twelve years theresf
IT. Mr. Jones. Iowa, said so, too : and vet
icy were admitted. Why is it we cannot have
much hberaiity on the subjects towards
ahsas.' bleeding kansas'-if YOU please
TO heal her wounds and restore ncnce {
by not be just -? Why not extend the same .
ie 10 her, and say it is a matter with the
'opie, and with the government of that STATE ,
ID not q matter for the Supervisors of Con. t
-ess1
But look at the hypoerisy-I must use G
'rsh word. and apply it to those to whom il t
"Periy applies In ksnsas-of those who saw /
az 1t Is evidence of Its being anti republican. d
hen their own Topeka Constitution in favor J
which the honorable Senator from Vermont
ade an elaborate report. and though tho
oo OF the country required the Topeka Con.
tuuon 10 be here regarded as the Coustitu- '
N OF the State of Kansas, and the State q
mitted under it, with population II en- less
an twenty-five thousand, said there should t
no change IN that Constitution until the
ar 1900. one year longer than this of L.
nPlcn' That was all right, proper, Just, IL
'uS'ican- peculiarly republican was Ii
'ported rot on y by Republicans, but bv W
,se who have christian name (black) at, "
he'd to them. Now however, when Kansas cl
nes up with q Constitution which docs not a
1t shall not be changed until 1864, what as as
We 1no lhe Constitution said no change
uio DC made until the year 1865: the Con ~
u'ioh Oh Kansas says after the year 1864
nge may be made in certain metbod ba
ne argue that before the year 1864 tIev be
be made in other methods than tbose va
tened in the Constitution but altar the of
loo4' they can be made only in Ger tel
manner, as there in stated; but I care We
an : about these legal quibbes. / have ne
held this to be the true doctrine thai of
never government undertakes to reform ar
u, 1t must comply with the Constitution col
en- pteeribss the mode; but whenever the
'le' through thei; legal organization leo
.sc 70 call convention aud exercise .!,ere
lnM 10 rights they may disregard the Con- ing
ltion altogether. Pc
he Constitution 6oes ,o& tOl