Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-01-07

would use all the power at his command to defeat
its acceptance by Congress, if it were not thus
submitted to a vote o. the people.
Mr.. President, am not going 10 stop
and inquire how fa- the Nebraska bill
which said the people should be left per
fectly free to form their constitution tor
themselves, authorized the President. or
his Cabinet, or Gov. Walker, or any other
territorial officer, to interfere and tell the
convention of Kansas whether they should
or should not submit the question to the
people. am not going 10 stcp to inquire
how far they were authorized TO do that, il
being my opinion that the spirit of the Ne
5raska bill required it to be done. 1t is
sufficient for my purpose that the Admins
tration Of the Federal Government unani.
mously, that the Administration Of the Ter
ritorial Government, in all lis parts, unani-
mously understood the territor al law under
which the convention was assembl led to
mean that the constitution 10 be formed by
that convention sht uld be submitted 10 the
people for ratification or rejection, and, il
not confirmed by majority of The people,
should be null and void without coming to
Congress for approval.
Not only did the national government and
the territorial government SO understand
the law at the time, but, as have clearly
stated, the people of the territory SO und'r-
stood it. As a further evidence on that
point, large number, il not the majority,
of the delegates were Instructed in the nom-
mating conventions to submit the constitu-
tion to the people for ratification. | know
that the delegates from Douglas county, 81
in number, MIR. Calhoun, president OF the
convention, being among them, were not
only instructed thus 10 submit the question,
but they signed and published. while can
didates, written pledge that they would
submit i: to the people for ratification. /
know that men. high in authority and in the
confidence of the territorial and national
canvassed every part of Kan
sas during the election Of delegates. and
each one of them pledged himself TO the !
people that no snap judgment was to- be ia
ken; that the constitution was to be sub |
lnitted to he people fer acceptance or -
jec2rs at wpuld. -hs6aeid. ph.ess xnsfss
was eone; that he. Adm nistf4tioh we'd,
spurs aud scgfn Us sas zsiolat>ssu u
principles 3, Vii hsstysme into power. alda
that BE !. Sg ssts slc,sSeress sspnld .hari III
from their presencfn an insuit<-fo Demo
nerats-.ho eseed pledged TO sae-.i.e-- people
left free tu form their domestic Institutions
for themselves. I
Not only that, sir, but up to the time !.
W hen the convention assembled, on the lsf
Of September, So far ds can learn. it was
unders, ood everywhere that the Sc6Rsti!u-
too was TO be submittedfor ratification or
rejection. They met, however, on the first
Of September. and adjourned until after the
Oetober-election. think it was wise and
prudent that they should thus have adjourn
ed. They did not wish to bring any ques-
lion into that election which would divide |
the Democratic party, aud weaken our
of success in the election. Il was
rejoced when saw that they did .adlonrn,
So as not TO show tneIf hand On asy ques-i
ton that would divide ani distract the par
cess, while the convention was adjourned,
Governor Ransom, the Democratic candi- |
date for Congress, running against epres-
ent Delegate from that Territory, was can
rassing every part OF Kansas in favor etItIe3
doctrine of submitting the constitution 10
the people, declaring that the Democratic
party were in favor of such submission, and |
that it was sIander Of the Black Repubi- |
cans TO intimate the charge that the DEM
ocratic party did not intend to carry out
taat pledge in good faith. Thus, up to the
time OF the meeting of the convention, in
October last. the pretense was kept up, the
profession was openly made, and believed
by me, and | thought believed by them,
that the convention intended 10 submit
constitution to the people, and not TO at
tempt to put in operation government
without such submission. The electionl
being over, The Democratic party being de-
ieated by an overwhelming vote, the oppo-
si:ion having triumphed, and got possession
of both branches of the Legislature, ana
having elected their Territorial Delegate,
ceeded 10 complete their work.
Now let US stop to enquire how they re.
deemed the pledge to submit the cons,itu-
lion to the people. They first 60 on and
make constitution Then they make al
schedule, in which they provide that the
constitution, on the 2lst of December-the
present month-shall be submitted to all tie
bona fde inhabitants of the territcsy on thar
day, for their Tree acceptance or rejection,
in the following manner, to wit:-thus ac-
knowledging that they were bound to SUBJ
nit 1t to the will of the peope, concedng
that they haG no right to put it into operation
without submitting it to the people, provi-
ding in the instrument that it should take
effect from and after the date of its ratifi
cation, and not before, showing that the
constitution derives its vitality, in their esti-
nation, not from the authority of the Con-
vention, but from that vote of the people to
which it was to be submitted for their free
acceptance or rejection. How is it to be
submitted! IL shall be submitted in this
form: "Constitut;on with slavery or consti-
lulioH Win ho slavery. All uleu inuSL vote
for the constitution, whether they like it or
not, in order to be permitted to vote for or
against slavery. Thus constitution made
| by u convention that had authority to assem-
| bic and petition for a redress Of grievances,
but not to establish government-.a cont
stitutlon made under pledge of honor tha-
it should be submitted tu the people before
it took effect; constitution which provides
on its tacc, that il snail have no valid tv ex.
cept what it derives from such submission
is submitted to The people at an election
where all men are at liberty TO come forward
freely without hndrance and vote for it, bu
no man is permitted to record vote agains
it.
That would be as fair an election as som,
of the enemies OF Napoleon attributed t,
him when he was elected First Consal
He is said to have called out his troops an,