Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-04-23

-AdRNA lVlH, 14luO bOultnls pu6
thousand eight hundred aud fifty eight.
WsI. Il. PACKER.
NEr Reilly's DeGence or the Lecomp-
tom Constitution examined.
We have received and read the fur rcport
Of Mr.. Reilly's speech on the Admission Of
Kansas under the I4ecompion Constitution
1t was revised By himself, and is doubtless the
defence upon which be relies Tor Justification
IN supporting the bill alluded TO- The speech
is nothing but u technical argument in favor Of
The legality Of the proceedings attending tho
formation of the Constitution. He looks at
the subject through lawyers spectacle-not
through statesmal's. lie wastes words
about precedents and presumptions aud
| authority. lie rises not above this low level.
lie takes no expanded view 1t all the facts aud
circumstances. On the coutrary he excludes
from all reference every-thing not harmonizing
with his hard, ilfeiess, professional and con-
traeted conception Of the case.
Mr. Kelly opens by declaring that he had
hoped some honorable COMPROMISE would have
ocea agreed upon, TO satisfy all parties; aud
that therefore he has hitherto retrained from
public expression of his views on this question.
Ills hope OF compromise iHyolves confession
that there something wrong about the Le-
compton Constitution. For if il were all right.
Why compromise! Yct be nov pretends that
he considers every thing about ii regular and
legal and fair. Further dcliberation we
suppose, has cleared away the obscurites which
intercepted his vision
lie had repeatedly denounced the Laconip-
ten Constitution on tie streets in GAau.bersburp,
and s4tl slt.tk ks-t. i.,.f,.
support IT." He now gives it his hearty
support, both b vote and spcech9
He proceeds, after suudry preliminary ob,
seIvations eonfessing his difficulties aud
apologizIng for his slowness ia determining TO
support this Great lniquity, to inquire first
whether the Legislature which called the Con-
stltutional Convention was a legally elected
body; second, whether the Convention was a
legally-elected body third wh5,her the Con-
vention was bound, by law, precedent or
otherwise, to sab,nlt the Constitution 10 a vote
! of the people for ratification or rejection; and
fourth: whether if Kansas be admitted under
/ the Constitution, the people can better amend
or abolish the instrument in any other manner.
or at any other time, than that prescribed in
tie Constitution
lie believes ihSt the Legislative were legally
eleeted s. sS Lie ee-ton fallz
tiie lhFasloa of NIssourIanS on election-day
and ali the other Irregularities prorsd TO nave
been practiSed-the pr )of having been furnish
Cd to Committee of Investigation appointed
BY the last Congress. NJ account is taken Of
these Facts, as though fraud aid not taiut tie
whole transaction. Mr.. Reilly would not
argue IN this way if he had been defeated for
+, Congress by like practices Then he would
haze held That the election was illegal, and
that his opponent should be ousted from Office.
When frauds count TOR Mr. Reilly's side, they
are very Innocent to-p!ay y-when agqiRSf, they
become very indignant.
lie maintains that the Convention was a
iegally-elect0d body, although summoned into
existence by fcaudulently-choscn legislature,
who had 10 power to cal! the convention and
to whom the last Congress expressly refused to
delegate such power, aud although the people
OF many Counties had no opportunity, owing
to the peeuiIaritles o. The law made to suit the
case, TO be represented in the body.
lie holds that the Conventions was l.ot bound
TO submit the Constitution to vote of the
people He says he would have preferred
they should have done So Bat be had no con-
troll over 1T; tue Convention had absolute coa-
trol, aud he is obliged to BE- content with their
action. lie says that the people of Kansas,
1t Is talr to argue, were opposed to tie sub
mission because the Legislature made 10 such
provision IN the law calling the Convention,
aud representatives, are presumed to carry oat
the views OF their constituents This IS a
specimen of the pettifoggipg of the entire
speech. BY meaus of fraudulent votes in the
border counties, Ia q pew Territory where
elections are not surrounded with ths safe
guards erected IN the older States minority
party gain aSeendoncy in the Legislature.
They knew their numerical weakness they
seek to nertrallze II by shreWd legal provisions
intended to protect themselves and keep power
! from the majorlty. One of these provisions is,
to prevent direct vote OF the people being
taken on thelr consttation. Mr. Reilly infers
from these facts that the people did not Wish to
vote on tue Constitution aud he therefore sus
talnS tie minority party Iii then conduct -
Was ever such lmbecihty uttered in Lssis-
latiye body Did ever such transparently
dishonest special pleading proceed from
scoundrei lawyer feed to make the worse ap-
pear the better reascB
lie says further that many Constitutions
| have been framed without submission. therefore
this IS valid without La ordinary eases there
/ Is no contest about the fashions of Cuustitu-
lions, tor all are moulded after ole fashiou,-
! Where the people are unanimous u favor, aud
this is known, a Submission Of the Cons,i.n
tion may be dispensed WITH But where there
/ Is doubt on this point, and particularly where,
as ia kln5ls, large portion of the peoole
Were known 70 be opposed to the Slave ana
other features OF tie Leco,npton Constitution,
there WAS the greatest reason for submitting
the instrument 10 the people that they might
pass upon II. Suppose our State Constitution
was to be attested so as to incorporate party
dogma iato it. Suppose ii were changed by
Convention SO as to restrict from ihe right of
suffrage all Roman Catholics and all Foreigners,
or TO confer the right 10 vote lfnnr, al Fr,i,..r