Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-12-10
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

When we compare the condition of the coun-
try at the present day with what it was one
year ago, at the meeting of Congress, we have
reason for gratitude TO that Almighty Proyi-
dence, which has never failed to interpose for
our relief, at the most critical periods of our
history. One year ago the sectional strife be-
tween the North and the South on the danger
Gus subject of slavery, had again become so in
tense as to threaten the peace and perpetuity
of the confedcracy. The application for the
admission of Kansas as a State into the Union,
fostered this unhappy agitation, and brought
the whole subject once more before Congress.
1t was the desire of every patriot that such
measures of legislation might be adopted as
would remove the excitement from the States,
and ccnfne il to the Territory where it legiti-
mately belonged. Much has beeh done am
happy to say, towards the accomplishment of
this object, during the last session of Congress.
The Supreme Court of the United States had
previously decided that all American citizens
have equal right to take into the Territories
whatever is held as property under the laws of
any of the States, and to hold such property
there under the guardianship of the Federal
constitution, so long the territorial condition
shall remain.
This is now a well-established position, and
the proceedings of the last session were alone
wanting 10 give it practical effect. The prin-
ciple has been recognised, is some form or
other, by an almost unanimous vote of Com
gress. that Territory has right to come into
the Union either free or slave State. The
just equity of all the States has thus been vim
dcated and fruitful source of dangerous
dissenion among them has been removed.
Whilst such has been the beneficial tendency
of your Legislative proceedings outside of Kan
sas, their influence has nowhere been SO happy
as within the Territory itself. Left to manage
and control its own affairs in its own way
without the pressure of external influence, the
revolutionary Topeka organization and all re-
ststance TO the territorial government estab-
Gshedby Congress have been finally abandoned
As natural consequence that fine Territory
now appears to be tranquil and prosperous.
and is attracting increase thousands to immi-
grants to make it their happy home
The past unfortunate experience Of Kansas
has enforced the lesson so often already taught,
that resistance TO lawful authority, under our
form of government. cannot fail in the end to
prove disastcrous TO its authors. Had the peO-
pie of the Territory yielded obdience TO the
laws enacted by their Legislature, it would at
the present moment have contained ii large adj
dtional population of Industrious and enter
prising citizens, who have been deferred from
entering its borders by the existence OF civil
strife and organized rebellion.
Ii was the resistance to rightful authority
and the persevering attempts to establish a rev
olutiOnahy government under the Topeka con
sttution. which caused the people of Kansas
TO commit the grave error of refusing TO vote
for delegates TO the convention to frame a con
stitutiop, under law not denied to be fair and
Just in its provisions. This refusal to vote has
been the prolific source of all the evils which
have followed. In their hostility 10 the terri
torial government they disrcgarded the princi-
pie, absolutely essential to the working of our
form oi government ti~. rnaJority Of those
who vote-not the ajority who may remain at
home, 1rc'n rlIHtv'vr va"ro must decide the
result of an election. For his reason, seek
ing TO take advantage of their own error, they
denied the authority Of the convention thus
elected TO frame constitution.
The convention, notwithstanding, proceeded
to adopt a constitution uneXceptionable in its
general features, and providing for the submis-
sion of tbs slavery question to a vote of the
people, which in my opinion they were bound
do. und the Kansas and Nebraska act. This
was the all important question which had alone
convulsed the Territory; and yet the opponents
of the lawful government, persistidg in their
first error. retrained from exercising their right
to vote, and preferred that slavery should con
tinue rather than surrender their revolution
ary Topeka organization.
wiser and better spirit seemed to prevail
before the first Monday of January last, when
an election held under the constitution
A majority of the people then voted for Gov
ernor and other State officers, for a member of
Congress, and members Of the State Legisla-
ture. The election was warmly contested by
the two political parties III Kansas, and
greater vote was polled than at any previous
election. \ large majority of the members of
the Legislature elect belonged to that party
ub had lv rafu sod yafa ba
anti-slavery party were thus placed in the
cendant, and the polit cal power of the State
was in their own hands.
Had Congress admitted Kansas into the
Union under the LccOmpton constitution the
Legislature might, at its very first session, have
submitted the question to z vote of the people
whether they would ar would not have a con-
venrion to amend their constitution either on
the slavery or any other question, 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, | submitted TO
Congress the constitution thus framed, with all
the officers already elected necessary to put the
State government into operation, accompanied
by a strong recommendation in favor of the ad-
mission of Kansas as State. In the course of
my long public life have never performed any
official act which, in the retrospect has afford
ed me more heartfelt satisfaction. Its admis-
sion could have inflicted no possible injury on
any human being, whilst il would, within
brief period, have restored peace TO Kansas and
harmony TO the Union. In that event. the sla-
very question would ere this have been finally K,
settled, according to the legally expressed will .
of a majority of the voters and popular sover- !
eighty would thus have been vindcated in n /
constitutional manner
With my deep convictions of duty, Ircould /
have parsued no other course. 1t is true that,
as an individual, had expressed an opinion,
both before and during the session of the con-
venion. in favor of submitting the remaining
clauses of the constitution. as well rs that
concerning 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 the convention, and de- .
clare the constitution which il had framed to
be nullity. To have done this would have
been violation of the Kansas and Nebraska ,
act, which left the people of the territory
perfectly free to form and regulate their do .
mestic institutions in their own way subject
only to the constitution of the United States"
1t would equally have violated the great
principle of popular sovereignty, st the foun
dation of our institutions to deprive the peo-
pie of the power, if they thought proper to ex-
ercse it, of coniding to delegates elected bv