Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1858-03-11
THE KANSAS QUESTION.
Hon. Geo. BaiacroGt's Protest
against the EeCORnptOfi
Com stsfutiOn.

FeHoeo Cnizens:-The proper solution o
/ the question before the country, which, ii
that has been presented since the adoption
of the Federal constitution, is selfevitent
out that solution has been so thwarte thai
1t is made necessary to revert 10 first prin-
ciples, and to take counsel of the people
who are the source of wisdom and Of pow
er. We are assembled tonight. not in hos
tilitv to the administration. We venerate
the President for his age and past services
and desire to remove out of his path the
great obstacle to his present usefulness
Still less are we at variance with the South
We have never feared to sustain the South
on any quesI ion in which the South was
in the right, and we are justified in asking
its cooperation to prevent a great ma iona
wrong, which, If consummated, will iDiure
its friends. Far from opposing democracy,
we come here tonight to uphold it. by
freshening in our minds the love Of justice
and freedom. without which democracy is
delusion.
We are assembled to protest against fore
ing the Lecomp:on constitution upon the
people of Kansas against their will Bear
with me, wcitizens, If, before taking
the chair, in tie fewest possible words.
speak to the facts in the case, TO the right,
and to the means of redress.
As to the facts in the case, the Lecomp-
ton constitution was authorized in advance
by no one bianch of the general govern
ment. The Senate of the United States
passed bill for convention in Kansas,
having in view very different mode ol
ceedure. The House, by decided vote,
declared itself willing to accept the real and
true opinion of the majority of Kansas,
however it may have been expressed. The
President. through his agent. the Govern
or Of the Territory. vetoed the bill for the
convention. The Senate. the House, the
President of the United States, are all in
nocent of the Lecompton convention. The
people of the Territory never elected that
convention. and never had aay opportunity
TO do SO. The lists of voters were made
out by parlizsn officers. who acted under
no penalties for neglect Of duty. Fift, en-
counties. by no fault Of their own, had no
possible opportunity to vote at all. The
convention. therefore, never had even a
presext for binding The people. Before the
convenii>n did lis work. a new eleciion oi
Kansas legislature took place. and, thanks
to Walker and Stanton, false, fraudulent
and forged returns were rejected. and a
LegislaI ure was formed of unquestione
! 10 ,.l;tv The onov,nt;,,n kn,u;n,. h.
true will of the people. in defiance Of that
will refused 10 refer the constitute, n 10 the
people. sequestered heir inalienabIe rights
and made them elves masters. They ac-
knowled that such a reference should have
been made, at least of the slavery clause,
and then they framed schedule which
made no true reference even of that clause,
but disfranckised al. except those who
would acknowledge their usurpation, and
were willing to take test oaths to support
it. The convention further assumed most
extraordinary powers, and sought, in ad-
vance. to nulllfy and render void the acts
of the newly elected Legislature. They
did what they could to show appreciation of
the fraudulent vote which Walker and
Stanton, with the approval, it is hoped, of
the President. had rejected. Moreover.
they ordered an election of State officers,
under their ratified constitution. without
requiring an oath of the election officers,
or affixing penalty on fraudulent voting,
or forged returns; and they, moreover, d.
rected returns to be made, not to the Gov
ernor or legal Legislature. but to one man
alone, the President Of their convention; a
man holding most lucrative Office and
large patronage under the general govern
ment; clothed with power to Judge at his
discretion of all returns of Legislature
before which he might become candidate
for office; bound by no oath to fidelity. and
exposed to no penalty for the abuse of his
trust. We hold, then, that the convention
has no claim to the sovereignty in Kansas
but by usurpation, that it had in no wise
the sanction Of Congress. nor Of tie Pres
ideut. nor of the people of Kansas, and was
but cunning device to defraud the people
of its sovereignty.
The cardinal point upon which the great
question turns is this: Is the Tecom pton
constitution the choice and will of the peo-
pie of Kansas? say it is not, and shall
prove it. The first witness is the conven
iion itself; they were urged to reisr the
matter 10 the people; the President, in his