The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1858-12-17

f majority Of the members OF the legisla.
, ture elect belonged to that party which
/. had previously refused to vote. The
i anti slavery party were thus placed in
; the ascendant, and the political power
of the State was in their own hands,
Had Congress admitted Kansas into the
Union under the Lecompton constitu-
j ton, the legislature might, at its very
t first session, have submitted the ques-
, ton to vote of the people, whether
they would or would not have con-
vention to amend their constitution
either on the slavery or any other ques-
tion, and have adopted all necessary
means for giving speedy effect to the
will of the majority. Thus the Kansas
question would have been Immediately
and finally settled.
, Under these circumstances, submit
ted to Congress the constitution thus
framed, with all the officers already
elected necessary to put the State gov
: ernment into operation, accompanied
: by strong recommendation in favor
Of the admission of Kansas as State.
In the course of my long public life l
have never performed any official act
which, in the retrospect, has afforded
me more heartfelt satisfaction. Its ad-
; mission could have inflicted no possible
injury on any human being, whilst it
would, within brief period, havo re
stored peace to Kansas and harmony to
the Union. In that event, the slavery
question would ere this have been final
ly settled, according to the legally -ex
pressed will of a majority of the voters,
and popular sovereignty would thus
have been vindicated IN constitutions
al manner.
/ With my deep convictions of duty, I
could have pursued no other course. 1t
lis true, that, as an individual, | had OK
pressed an opinion, both before and dur
ing the session of the convention, in fav
or of submitting the remaining clauses
of the constitution, as well as concern
ing slavery, to the people But, act.
! ing in an official character, neither
myself nor any human authority had
the power to rejudge the proceedings
of tho convention, and declare the con
stituton which it had framed to be a
nullity. To have done this wo@ld
have been a violation of the Kansas
and Nebraska act, which left the peo-
pie of the Territory perfectly free
to form and regulate their domestic
institutions in their own way, subject
only to the constitution of the United
States" 1t would equally have violated
the great principle of popular sover-
eighty, at the foundation Of our institu
tions, to deprive the people of the pow
er, if thoy thought proper to exercise
it, of con6ding to delegates elected by
themselves tho trust Of framing con-
stitution, without requiring them to
subject their constituents to the trouble,
expense, and delay OF second election.
1t would have been in opposition to
many precedents in our history, COM
mencing in the very best age of the re-
public, of the admission Of Territories
as States into the Union, without pre-
vious vote Of the people approving their
constitution. s
1t is to be lamented that question
SO insignificant when viewed in its
practical efforts on the people of Kan
sas, whether decided one way or the
other, should have kindled such flame
of excitement throughout the country.
This reflection may prove to be lesson
of wisdom and of warning for our flu
ture guidance. Practically considered,
the question is simply whether the peo-
pie Of that Territory should first come
into the Union and then change any
provision in their constitution not agree
able to themselves, or accomplish the
very same object by remaining out Of
the Union and framing another consti-
tuition in accordance with their will?- :,
In either case, the result would be pre-
cisely the same. The only difference in
point of fact is, that the object would
have been much sooner attained, and
the pacitication of Kansas more speedi-
ly effected, had it been admitted as
State during the the last session of Con-
gress. ~ r-.... ..e.-. ...... {
My recommendation, however, for the
immediate admission of Kansas, failed I
to meet the appreciation of Congress-.
They deemed it wiser to adopb differ
ent measure for the settlement of the q
question. For my own part, should q
have been willing to yield my assent to :
almost any constitutional measure to t
accomplish this object. l, therefore, .
acquiesced in what has been
called the English Compromise, and ap-
proved the 'Act for the admission of t
tho State of Kansas into the Union" a
lpon the terms therein prescribed. t
Under the ordinance which accom- b
panied the Lecompton constitution, the
people of Kansas had claimed double the Q