The Washington union., 1858-02-21

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weapons and encouraged to set up independent gov
eminent. This was only not put into actual operation
probably but for the imness OF the government officers
backed by the troops of the United States For
three years these turbulent spirits thus encouraged by the
restless and anatic elsewhere have kept the Territory
in state of anarchy and disorder They have uniformly
dsregarded the laws far it has been possible for
them to do So When elections We're held, instead Of
peacefully participating in them, they disturbed and
moved the voters in every conceivable way and ended in
holding elections upon days and IN manner, unauthor
lied by law and expressly to oontravene the law,
When at last to end if possible these disorders and
ses the legislature made provision for vote OF the
people upon the question whether State government
should be formed by the making and adopting OF CON
suton these organized disturbers combined TO preuet
faN and fur So likewise, when the convention had
been ordered by regular vote of the people TO De called
the armed sehi threw every obstacle In the way
of full registration of the settlers legally entitled to vote
for members of the convention; and then, when Their
violent Illegal, and bloody efforts had been partially sue
cessful they filled the country with their complaints that
the registration ,o ey had resisd ietA arms had not
been full and fair And the registration was not dbso-
lueiy full and complete, they wished the people OF the
United States infer that the election of the members OF
the convention neither legal nor fair The people
having by direct vote ordered the calling OF convention
constitution, the abolition agators and disturb
refused to vote at the election OF members of said
convention and then after obstinate refusal raised an
outcy that the convention unusty constituted mas
much they not represented therein, After the
formation Of constitution they cried out against the
allowed to for its ratification though they knew, be-
fore the election of the convention that the convention
had clothed with full authority to make constitu
ton they well knew that the bill providing for tho cleo
ton members of the convention had been vetoed by
the governor upon the express ground that 1t enabled the
convention to make constitution and that it had been
made law after full consideration OF such veto lhey
knew that the governor and the officers OF the Territory
in various ways had made great exetons induce them
to go to the polls like honest law abiding tizens and
for who would respect THEN Wishes and that
they had refused to heed these solicitations.
They also knew that the convention had not only ai
fored opportunity for the good citizens who had regis
tered themselves voters according to law to decide
whether slavery should should not be established in
Kansas legal institution but had also allowed even
those bad men who had disobeyed the laws and who had
combined to prevent full regsraton to vote with the
registered upon this vital question and they also
knew that they refused to vote under such crcum-
stances upon this proposition
The convention called by direct vote OF the peo-
pie in direct pursuance of law the people in pursuance
of law subsequently, elected convention to make con-
sttuton and, in strict pursuance OF all the forms OBJ
served by such conventions that convention, thus legal
ly called and thus legally elected, did make constitu-
ton That constitution thus legally created is, if rec
ognised by Congress- the supreme law OF Kansas and can
only be changed by the people of Kansas who through
their legal representatives have thus formally created it,
No legislature of Kansas after the people had in pursu
OF all the forms of law called and elected constitn-
tional convention to make constitution could legally
interfere with it either to increase to lessen its powers
The convention being the direct official representatives
of the sovereignty of the people could more be restrict
ed in its legitimate action by Legislature than could the
people themselves be restricted had they been assembled
in person. great mass meeting, to make constitu
ton for their government Hence the work of that
convention final and complete, and must remain,
in all its parts until changed by the people that called
and elected the convention that made it, The vote
the single clause submitted the 2lst December 1857,
a final vote the convention ITSELF il reassembled,
could neither change the constitution nor order sec
ond vote. The power with which it was intrusted by
only
private citizens, and like other private citizens,
must obey each and every requirement Of the con-
stitution which they severalIy helped to create Far
less thereto unauthorized executive judiciary,
legislature change alter modify nulify the constit
ton made by the people through their selected representa-
tives representatives elected by the people themselves
and clothed with special direct and positive authority
for that, and for no other purpose
Good citizens, and representatives of good citizens,
cannot consistently do anything expressly to uphold vo
lators of law and known subers of the public peace 1t
is alike mpoitc and unjust tc grant the turbulent de-
mancs Of the dsordery, be they few OF many it Is
wrong to aid them to overtnrn constitution made by
the awabdng supporters of the government and laws of
Kansas the more especially when the habitual dis
turbcrs would not have any of complaint of any
kind, THEMSELVES LOUDLY ASSERT, if they had lis
tened to the earnest oounses of the President of their
country and the governor of their Territory and
csed their right and honestly performed their duty by
voting upon either of three occasons-lst, when the
vote taken upon calling convention I'd,
when the convention elected 3d. when the
question submitted whether the slavery clause
should should not be retained in the constitution
If the abolitionists were in majority, as they
loudly boast and aeoud not Uoe against the establish
ment of slavery in Kansas, but allowed those who
would vote to establish it, they have no just cause
of complaint. IL they in minority, as there
is reason to believe, they have cause of COM
plain for the majority of the people voting, in accord
ance with the theories of ALL ought to rule. Notwth-
standing the noisy and ncessant claims of the abolioniss
be considered majority of the people of Kansas the
truth of those claims remains to be shown Having been
abundntly supplied with superior arms such Sharpes
rifles Colts revolvers and and been trained
for three years TO their use and move in concert
and in masses the idle and the Iawess sent into
Kansas by the fanatics of New England have become
dangerous and formidable But He numbers have been
il is believed greatly exaggerated their power consists
in their superior organization and arms and in their be-
ing supported in dleness. When called upon to vote for
against the calling OF convention to form consttu
on these mercenares of political priests did not venture
to strength at the polls with the democratic
party of Kansas but allowed the election to go by de-
fault.
SO, again, when the members of the convention were
elected he abolionlas Srnk from the contest so, also
when the question up whether there should OF
should not be clause retained in the constitution allow
ing slavery to he established in Kansas they again shrnk
from the contest conscious of their weakness from snis
ter political design 1t is possible there may be major
ity Of the citizens of Kansas from the nonsavehoding
States, but all of them not abolitonss fanatics
the slave question Why this continued absence of the
aboltionists from the polls If they had the real strength
with which to take possession of the legislature and thus
peacefully end all difficulties by having everything their
own 'tway P'
At the late election of State officers they exered their
In