The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-03-30

4 GegteiaeuES psssc0 az eos ceiiiuS Cou
veption and providing for the regis
tra,ion of the legally qua flied voters o
the Territory. This act you will ais,
recollect, was vetoed by Governor Geary
upon the ground, and for the sole res
sop. that it did not contemplate a sub
mission, by the convention. of the con
stitution to the people. But the lav
was sga;n passed over the voto of th.
Governor, by two.thirds vote and wen
into operation.
The convention thereby called, had
then, pleDary power to submit the con
stitution or not as to its members might
seem proper. Here, then, was full no
tice to the inhabitants of the Territory
that unless they participated in the
election of delegates to the convention
they might be debarred from any voice
in the formation of that Instrument
You well resollect how they were ad
monished and beseeched by Walker and
Stanton, to disregard outside advicsi
and 60 to the polls aud vote. Governor
Walker said:
"The people of Kansas, then, are in
vited by the highess authority known t..
the constitution. to participate freely and
fairly in the election of delegates to
frame constitution and State goavern
ment. The law has performed its entire
appropriate function when it extends to
the people the right of suffrage, but it
canno. compel the performance of that
duty. Throughout our hole Union,
prevails, those who abstain from the ex
ercise of the right Of suffrage authorize
those who do vote to act for them in that
contingency, and the absentees are az
much bound under the law and constitu
ton, where there is no fraud or violence,
by the act of the maj ority of those who
do vote, as if all had participated in the
election: Otherwise, as voting must be
voluntary. elf-governMeut would be i'm
practicable, and monarchy or despotism
would remain as the only alternative.
You should nut console yourselves,
my tellaw citizeDs, with the reflection
that YOU May by subsequent vote de
feat the ratifiea ion of the coustituti,n
Although most anxious to secure to you
the exercise of that great constitutional
right, and believing that the convention
is the servant and not sbe master of the
people. yet have no power to dictate
the proceedings Of that body T"
Listen, also, to the remarks of Mr..
Stanton
'.The government especially rocogni-
ses the territorial act which provides for
assembling convention 10 form con-
stltutiou with the view to making applica,
ton to Congress for admission as State
into the Union. That act is regarded
as presenting the only test of the quail
fication Of voters for delegates to the
convention, and all preceding repuguant
restrictions are thereby repealed. In
this light the act must be allowed 20
have provided for full aud fair express
sion of the will of the people through the
delegates who may be chosen to repre-
sent them in the constitutional conyeu-
tion. LIDO not doubt, however, that, in
order to avoid all pretext for resistance
to the peaceful operation of this law, the
Convention itself will in some. form pro
vide for submitting the great distrnctiug
question regarding ,heir social institu-
lions which has SO long agitated the peo.
| pie of Kansas to fair vote of all the
| actual bona tf1e residents of the Ter
ritory, with every possible security
against fraud aud violence. If the con.
stitutlon be thus framed. and the ques
tiol OF difference thus submitted to the
decision of the people. I b. lieve that Kan
sss will be admitted by Congress with
out delay as one of the sovereign States
of the American Union, aud she terrific
rial authorities will be Immediately
| withdrawn"
That it was contemplated to leave the
question Of submission or not to the con
sention, even BY the famous author Of
the Kansas bill is shown by the history
of what is called the Toombs bill.
On the 18th of March, 1856, Mr.
Douglas, from the Committee on Terri
tories. introduced bill inte the Senate
.to authorize the people of the Terri.
tory of Kansas to form constitution
and State government, preparatory to
their admission into the Union.
After providing for the election Of
delegates to u convention. the following
clause occurred IN that bill
THAT the following propositions be,
a0d tho same are hereby, offered to the
said convention of the people of Kansas
when formed, fo, their fres acceptance
or rejection, which, if accepted by the
convention. and ratified by the people ut
TIE election for the adoption Of the con-
stitut,on. shall be obligatory on the
United States ana the State of Kansas. y
Mr.. Toombs offered an amendment,
retaining, however, the above clause
without alteration. On motion of Mr..
douglas this amendment, with bis or
iginal bill aud another amendment pro-
posed by Mr. Seward, was referred to
the Committee on Territories, of which
he was chairman. He reported it back,
modified as follaws:
s'A,ad be IL further enacted, That the
following propositions be, aud the same
are hereby, offered to said convention
Of the people of Kansas for their free
acceptance or rejection, which, IF accept
ed 6y the cong,ntion, shall be obligatory
upon the said State of Kausas.n
But it has been rsoently asserted BY
| NJ 80, r. +. l..