Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-02-13
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The Presidents Message in Regard, to
TsS Kansas.
The Kansas convention, thus lawfully cor>
stituted, proceeded to fame constitution,
. and, having comp thcirworA, finally adj
j0urncd on the Tihs day Of November last--
Tbey did not, think proper to submit the
whole Of the constitution 10 81 popular vote
but they did submit the question whether
Kansas should be FREQ or u slave State, to
. the epcoplc. Tbis was the question which
had convulsed the Union oiid,shaken it to its
very centre This Was the question which
had lightcncd up the flames of civil war in
Kansas, and Ind produced dangerous sec
tional PARTIES throughout the contcderaey---
= was Of q character so paramount in respect
TO the condition of Kansas, as to rivet the anx-
ious attention Of the people of the whole coun
try upon II, and it alone. No person thought
of any other question, For my own part
when instructed Coy. Walker, inf general
terms, in ,f;lyoruf submitting the cOnstitu-
ton to the people, | had no object in, view
except ihe 'allabsorbng question OF slavery
In what manner the people of Kansas might
regulate tlioir other concerns, was not n sub
.jcctwhieh attracted any attention.. In fact
the gonelfil provisions of U0r recent State
constitutions, after an eSperiencc of eighty.
years, are so similar and so, c&ccilent, that it
would be difficult to go far wrong at the pres
cnt day in framing u new constitution.
then beloved, and still believe, that un-
der tho organioact, the Kansas convention
were bound to submit this all-important ques
ton of slavery to the people. It was gncvor
however my opinion that, independently of
this act, they would have been boundto sub
nit any portionof the constitution to a popu-
lar vote, in order to giyeit validity. Had
entertained suchan opinion, this would have
been IN opposition 20 nllny pfeccdcnts incur
history, commencing MEthc very best age of
the republic. it would have been in oppose
ton to the principle which ,peryades our ms
stitutions, and which is every daycarred out
into practice, that the people have the right
to delegate to representatives, chosen By
themselves, their sovereign power to frame
constitutions, enact laws, and perform many
0ther important acts, without requiring that
these should be subjected to their sa bsequent
appropriations. 1twould be a most inconyen-
dent Limitation of their own power, imposed
9Y the people upon themselves, to exclude
them from exercising, their sovereignty in
any lawful manner they think proper, Iti
Srhe that thepeople If Kansas might, if they
dpleased, have required the convention to
submit the consttution to u popular vote;
but this they have not done. The only REM
edy, thercforc, IN thiscaseiis that which ex-
ist in,a all other similar cases. Ifthe delegates
who framed the Kansas constitution have in
any manner violated the will.of their con-
stitucnts, the cpeoplc always possess the pow
erto change their constitution of their laws,
according to'thoir pleasure. ea .,
question of slavery WAS submitted to
an election Of the people Of Kansas on the
2lst December Inst, in obedience to tho mans
date of the constitution. Here, again, fair
opportunity was prescnted 70 tl.e aaleres.s
Of the Topeka. constitution, if they were the
majority, to deeide this exciting question sin
their own way ~ and thus rcstcra peace to
tho distracted Territory; bat they again res
fused to exercise their right of popular SOW
ereignty, and again suffered the election to
pass by default <5
I hedrtilyrsjoieo that a visor mud bcttor
spirit prevailed among Il large majority of
tbese peoplo on the first Monday OF January;
and that they did, on that day, vote un16r
che, l.acompton constitution for governor and
ether State ofscers q member, of Gongress,
end for mcplDerS of the legislature The.
eseSsss;eH was warmly contested BY the parties,
aud % larger Sote was polled than af hnyspre-
dous toleeGon in the Territory. SYe may
aslS reasonable hope that the revolutionary
Topesa organization will be speedily and
8naliy abandoned, and this wiiEge farttos
Nt9a Nc tllc ittll fStbtiollleilb vi ttie uuuappJ
q difieronccs ipt Kansas, If Frauds have been
CON kslitted atSsis elections either is one or
both parties, the lcgfslatufe and the people
&c skans,fs. under their Constitution, rl@itI
know, how 70 redress themselves and punish
these aetestabley but too common crimes with.
out any outside ihterfcrcnee 4,
The people of Kansas have, then, asin
their own wsy, and in strict accordance
with the rgallic act, framed consultation
? and State government, have submitted the
allimnontant esltessioA of slavery to tlle
peoples and have elected governor, q
) member to represent them IN. Gengfess;
sIlsnibers Of the, SStass ejslstilre, and Other
State officers. They now ask adm issi9p into
%hc Unio1 under this lcops, tuition, which
asreplsblleap III is soynp, S d for Con- Con-
gfeas TO decide whetheg tlieS ~ III admit or
reject tho State ssliich has Thus been cfea.
! ted Foemy own part, i am sIeeidbd IN
savet 1f IT, Asssass ass4I eyYiinalic
the Kansas question This wili carry at
hc great principle df pen.intcr9,ltiofErcc
Il