Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-12-09
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

We presume that most Of o. readers, who
were anxious to read the message entire, have
done so ere this, and we therefore give only
q compend of the moss important subjects on
which it treaTs.
1t commences with u congratulation on the
settlement OF the Kansas question, and then
goes on to repeat the anne old stories, about
the trouble in Kansas, being caused by the re-
bellion character Of the citizens of that Terri
tory, and their refusal to vote. He says:
1t was the resistance to rightful authority
and the persevering attemps to establish a
revolutionary government under the Topeka
constitution, which caused the people of Kan
sas to commit the grave error of refusing to
vote for delegates to the convention to frame
q constitution, under a law not denied to be
fair aud just in it's provisions. The refusal TO
| vote has been the prolific source OF all the evils
I which have followed. In their hostility to
! the territorial government, they ~disregarded
! the principle, absolutely essential TO the work
ing Of our form Of government, and a majority
| of those who vote-Rot the majority who may
| remain at home, from whatever csuse-must
| decide the result of an election. For this rea-
| son. seeking to take tke advantage OF their
own error, they denied tho authority of the
| convention thus elected TO frame q ~constitn-
| tion.
The convention, notwithstanding, proceeded
to adopt q constitution Unexceptionable in its
general features, and providing for the sub
mission of the slavery question to Il vote Of the
people, which, in my opinion, they were bound
to do, under the Kansas Nebraska act. This
was the all important question which had alone
conyulsed the Territory; and yet the oppo-
uent of the lawful government, persisting in
their first error, remaining from exercising
| their right to vote, and preferred that slavery
| should continue, rather than surrender their
revolutionary Topeka organization.
A wiser and better spirit seemed 20 prevail
begar the first OF January last, when an cleo
ton vas held under she constitution. a ma.
iority of the people then voted for a governor
and other State officers, for a member Of Con
grsss, and members Of the State Legislature
| This election was warmly contested by the po-
litical parties in Kansas, and G greater vote
was polled than at any previous election. A
large majority Of the members Of the legisla-
ture elect belonged to that party which had pre-
~tyously refused to vote. The antislavery par
o were thus placed in the ascendant, and the
holitical power Of the State was in their own
vands Had Congress admitted Kansas into
the Union under the Lecompton c~onstitu-
ton. the Legislature might, ct its very hrst
session. have submitted the question to a vote
Of the people. whether they would or would
not have a convention to amend their consti-
tuition either on the slavery or any other eues-
ton, aud have adopted all necessary means
for giving speedy effect to the will OF the ma
|"jority Thus the Kansas question would have
been Immediately and finally settled
Mr.. Buchanan migh. have made much
shorter work Of the above, by simply saying,
that if the people Of Kansas, had quietly SUBJ
mitted TO have slavery forced npon them
against their will, the Territory would have
heen admitted es a STATE without any dificnl-
fS