Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-04-06


 fence and bloodshed niyht have been exnected as the natural and inevitable conseauences of such extraordlnary systems of emigration. which divided and arrayed the settlers into two great hostile parties, each having an inducement to clam more than his right, in order to hold if Tor some new comer of his own party, and at the sine tune prevent persons belonging to the opposite party from settling in the neighborhood As result ot this state of things, the qreat mass ot emlgFants from the northwest and from other States, who went on their own account with no other object, and influenced by no ootber motives than to improve their condition and secure good homes fo- their families, were com pelled to array themselves under the banner of one or these hostile parties, in order to insure protectlon 10 themselves and their claims against the agsresslons and violence of the other"
 And thus was introduced into Kansas that relentless strife, which, with varied incidents and details and but short periods of repose has continued to the present time. Through all it's phases 1t has faithfully and consistently preserv- ed Its original and distinct features of aggressive policy on the one side, and a defensive policy on the other. It matters not in such a contest that scenes transpred, and that atrocities were committed by rival parties which it is not fit should be detailed here Such conseouences were inevitable; and those who first provoked and excited the terrible energies of such a strife are responsible for the blows given, a.d for those received. The abolition or free State party there have never abandoned their original pnr pose of making Kansas free State bv every means, except an obedience to that great pr;n- clple to which they now profess such devotion. They have declined to resort to the mild mode of determining the great issue by the ballot They have refused to vote under the laws of the regular government, openly defed its au- thorlty, and denounced 1t as a usurpation. They formed their partisans into secret military or. ganlzation, under the captivating title of the " Kansas Legion," which extended it's ramifica tons throughout the Territory. The avowed object of this organization was to make Kansas free State; and to this end its members wore sworn with imposing form and solemnitv. This organization, introduced before the first election of a Legislature, was superseded only by the later organization of the militia, under color of law of d new Stanton Legislature. Not only Is their military organization distinct. but their political association is that of separate organized factions, outside of the forms of law. and in de- tiance Of its authority. As soon as the election of 3O1h March, 1855, by an oyerwheimina ma Jorlty, installed legislature largely pro-slayerv III Its views, they renounced the balIot-boy de- nounce1 the government as Missouri conanoSt and detied its enactments They assembled 2 convention at Topeka, without the sanction of law, without the authority of either territorial or federal government, and ordained $ ate con- tltutlon and government, which was to be inde pendent of both. And thjs open treason. the work of mercenares and invaders. orranizcd into a grand secret military encampment. was set mp In hostile rivalry to the lawful govern. ment established by Congress Around this the Idol ot their worship they have rallied al! their strength, and all their devotion, to main- tam It. From that time they have been A se- parate people, acting under their own Orrauiza. ton, hostile to the regular government. aud ne- Yer welding m obedience, or participating in it's administration Gan people who have thns o5traclsed themselves complain of grievance which they have taken no pains to avert? Can they complain that the constitution wa, never submitted for approval to those who had repu- dlated 1t in advance and owed allegiance to ifs nVaI! Such compiaisance to the rights of po- pular sovereignty is an instance of extreme de- votion to that principle that was not expected by the Topekatos, even at the hands of Co., vernon Walker.
 The very first Legislature of the Territory. elected on the 30sh March, 1855, passed law for taking the sense of the people upon the aues- ton of forming State government which. by a large majority, was determined to he in favor of the proposed measure Thus all parties coincided ill the propriety of the change in go- vernment On the 19,h February, 1857. the Legislature passed law for the calling of a convention, taking census, and providing for a registry of all the 62no file voters of the Terri tory. It provided with the most anxious care and with studied impartiality in all it's features, for attaining the true and final expression of the popular will, and attempted to secure the bal lot against all invasion of its integrity. This law was vetoed by the Governor, because it did not provide for submission of the whole consti- tuition to the people for ratification, but was pas sed by the requisite majority, notwithstanding. This act pursued substantially the provisions of the Senate bill, introduced by the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Toombs,) and which the Senator from New Hamphshire, (Mr. Hale.) had ad- mltted to be fair in its provisions. Tn neither was there any provisions submitting the cousti- luton to be thus formed for popular ratification. This was at least a significant fact of the inien- tions of those who desiIcd to make a cons itu- tion, and no one could be surprised by the result. In taking the registry of voters, every obstacle was lnterpNsed to defeat the execution of the law. h some counties the officers were openly resisted, or intimilatcd from the performance of their dHtv, while in others the registration of fictitious names frustrated the objects of the law. The result, after all, showed a legal re- gistraton of nine thousatl cwn hundred and tifty-One voters in eighteen counties while in fifteen others, believed To contain less than fif- teen hundred voters, no returns were made at an Many of these last were but geographical divisions oi territory on the map, without set dement's and attached, for all civil purposes, to other more populous counties. They were, of course, omitted in the appowio1melt of 4e- gates. Elections were held in all but these counties, dis'ranchised by their own wiliful act. and their legitimate right to participate in the election was thus transferred to others The republicans, as party, took no part either in the registration of voters or in the election of delegates The convention assembled and form ed the constitution, rejublican in form, which she has presented for our consideration: and this has opened again, in another form, in all its length and breadth, that great periodical agitation which seems doomed to continue until
 its legitimate and inevitable consequences shall follow and terminate it forever That conven- ton made their work complete. and referred but the one.all engrossiug subject to the people, that of domestic slavery. On the 21st of De- cember last this vexed question was decided at an election in which all had the right to vote, and the result proclaimed to the world It is one which puts at rest all the fabulous boasts of the countless maiorties of State men with which credulous public has been entertained for the last two years. The figures are brief but decisive. For slavery, 6 226; against it, 569
 And now let me briefly review the prominent objections urged against the admission of Kan sas with the Lecompton constitution. They are all comprehended in the idea that tits not "the act and deed" of Kansas. Indeed the pretension IS now openly avowed, which would subordinate this entire proceeding of people from the just rank of an act of sovereignty to a mere petition for the redress of grievances. Her past history is all explored, an inquistorial scrutiny is nst- tuted into her domestic affairs, and her institu- tions subjected to unlriendly criticism, that pre- texts for her exclusion may be multiplied This is all intervention of the most odous and offen- sive character in Kansas affairs. We have re- served to ourselves no such powers; Congress has expressly resigned that pretension, and con-