Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1858-02-03
Kansas with the Lecompton Constit,.;.-


The great question of the day will soon come ~
in Congress for decision. The Lecompton Const;.
tuition will most probably be laid before the fun
Houses during the present week, accompanied bv i.
special message from President Buchanan uro;n.
the admission of the State. This will omen tho
discussion again, which will not be terminated in 81
probability before the first of March, The two sec.
tons withstand in hostile array on the floor of Con.
gress the North and Northwest, with few exceptions
protesting against the Lecompton Constitution and
the South with one voice demanding the admission
of the State under that instrument
No true republican will deny the proposition that
majority of the people shall rule. The opponents
of the Lecompton instrument affirm that it ought to
have been submitted as whole to the people: while
its advocates hold that the action of the Convention
which framed it was the action of body exercising
sovereign power, and that the only question in dis
pute to wit, that of slavery, aoas really and fairly
submitted to the people, They hold also that it was
not incumbent on the Convention to submit any
part of the Constitution to the people, since the p
pile in Convention had already made the Consttu
tion and further that Congress possesses no power
to say 20 the people of Territory that they shall
form their Constitution in certain way Both par.
ties claim to be the advocates of the right of the peo
pie to form and regulate their domestic institutions
in their own way-both claim that the Constitution
should be the emanation of the sovereign will But
they differ in this case as to the mode of ascertanine
that will. This difference of opinion among the
friends of the is to be deeply re.
gretted and it may lead to the most disastrous con.
sequences.
But, says our contemporary of the Richmond En-
guirer, "had the Convention referred the whole
Constitution to the people, there would have been
no further difficulty" We think differently The
black Republicans who have the majority in the
Territory, would have voted it down, and anarchy
and confusion would have again prevailed. But, we
are answered. it is not republican to impose Con-
sttution people majority of whom are against
it. As an abstract proposition this is correct; but
these black Republicans in state of rebellion
they had refused to recognize and be governedby
the very organic act under which the Lecompton
Convention called and they would have voted
the Constitution down, not on its mer;ts-not be.
cause they were opposed to its provisions and de.
sired another Convention chosen and new Consti.
tuition framed, but because they and deter.
mined to adhere to the Topeka instrument which
was formed in rebeliious and revolutionary man.
ner and in defiance of the authority of the lawful
Legislature of the Territory and of Congress. They
have uniformly refused to act in concert with the
other inhabitants of the Territory, from the day the
Immigrant Aid Society" of Massachusetts was put
in motion to the present moment They have
nounced their rights as inhabitants by becoming
bells and instead Of being permitted to CONTROL they
should be put under control until they return to
their allegiance and their duties. But if it be true
that majority of the people in state of rebellion
in an organized Territory, ought to be permitted to
control--to make or unmake Constitutions at their
own pleasure, without regard to the lives and the
property of the minority, and for the purpose
of continuing strife, discord and anarchy, then the
entire Constitution of Kansas should have been sub.
mitted and should have been, as it would have been
voted down.
But, with the Enquirer, We feel that "the Kansas
question has given trouble enough to the country;
and we heartily hope that the Lecompton Consttu
ton will be received by Congress, and the contro-
versy brought to an end. If the people of Kansas
are really dissatisfied with it, let them then Gala
Stale Convention and remodel their organic laws
The Lecompton Constitution is surely not oppres.
sve in its provisions that they will not be able to
endure it for few days weeks. If SO it is not
republican; and that being the case, Congress, Of
course, could not receive it. Otherwise, we say open
the doors of the Union and let "bleeding Kansas
in"