Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1858-04-28

1 people. Such mode had been pursued In II
: adoption Of the first cons tuition Of more ths
% one half Of the States Of the Union. II vi
. the republican mode, and that which is mo
K, compatible, perhaps, with the common usag
IN a representative government Whether It
IN he better mode OF not, unquestionably it
81 one OF the most s.ereotyped PROCESSES know
70 the Institutions % eur country.
Ne Inised, in the organic act of Kansas, Ger
n grsss had pledged itself TO leave toe psopl
= perfectly free to form and regulate their d,
g. mestic institutions IN their ota pag, snhisi
or only 20 the Constitution Of the United States.
" II they have chosen a way Of their own, sa
n is,actoTg to themselves-ths instrument bein
D. republican and not violative OF the Constitr
,e tioa Of the Uaited Ststes-what right hav
ID persons, outside Of the Territory, to object {
N Il? What right has Congress to interpos'
At and prescribe to Tie people of state a mod
n different from that thew themselves selset 70
,e forming for themselves STATE constitution
IL What right to say to the people Of Kansas
g I" True, yOu have adopted a constitution unds
the full sanctions OF the organic law. withOU
violating either the principles Of that act o
r be Constitution Of The United S.atesj but yo
e have not proceeded In tie node we think pre-
D. ferGbs, and Therefore we say 20 you, your worl
SHAH Be done over again 2o Il is concede,
q that this representative mode, adopted In KaR
4 sss, has been pursued 10 a majority OF th
states irifh0ut c0mDlataf-and who can noub
Z that bat for slavery In this case, his objection
z would not now be heard?
! L is argued that a large number Of peopll
+ did not vote, either upon The question Of call
[ ing convention, upon the election OF dele
= gates. OF IN the decision Of the question as &
Z whether Ii should Be freesoil or a slave Safe
q and that. therefore, this constitution does mol
J embOdy the viii Of the people. The fact can
not well be doubted, that those who did mol
Z vote were mainly mass Of German and IA
tive anti-sisvery extremists-many OF then
; ahsns-follOwers Of Lane sndadherents 10 the
I revolutionary Topeka Constitution, who, from
; the beginning. have cOunseled resistance to the
government established by authority Of the
J United States, even, TO use their own language
. to the bloody issue" II there were those
. who were entitled 10 vote, and did not vote, II
is certainly because they p fassd to vote, deny
ing, as they did, the validity Of the Territorial
laws, and openly resisting The authority Of the
established government | propose, in this
connection, to give some ginpses OF history
throwing light upon the uniform conduct Of
such men ss refused to vote, and / appeal to
gentlemen II, after contemplating such facts,
they can coascientiously feel that they are In
the line Of their duty in standing BY this body
Of iaw-bEesksTs against the whole mass of
law abiding citizens Of Kansas.
I Senator D1ugias, who now opposes the L.
compton constitution en- the ground that it
"
himself traced, in able reports 10 the Senate,
Ia 1856, sep BY step, The disoTdsTly movements
Of these laW-violating men down 10 the adop-
I tion Of the revolutionary constitution at rope-
I ka, and their trsitorous resolves that they
owe no allegiance to the Territorial Lsgis-
lsture-tbat The Territorial " laws have no
. binding foTceD upon thsm-that every free
man among Us is at full liberty, consistently
1 with bis obligations as citizen and a nan, 10
defy and resist them The Territorial laws) it
/ he choose 50 60 do "-that 8 We will endure aud
submit to these laws no longer than the best
I interests Of the Territory require, as The least
Of two evils, and will resist them 70 the bloody
! issue as soon as We ascertsin thai peacesble
remedies shall fail. and fcTcibie resistance
shall furnish any reasonable prospect OF sue
cess-snd thai, in the meantime, we recon-
mend TO eur frieuds throughout the Territory
the organization and discipline OF volunteer
companies, AMI TIE procurement ana Prepars-
tion # arms.v
Mr.. Douglas thea informs us thai . those
who were opposed 10 allowing the people OF
the Territory, preparatory to their admission
into the Union as State, to decide the slavery
question for themssiEes,' . fading Opposition
to the principles OF the (KsRsas- Nebraska
act unavaiiiag in the hslls Of Congress" re-
sorted 20 " the machinery Of enigrant aid So
cisties" 8 The plan adopted, - be adds, @wsa
20 make Il the interest Of Z large body Of men
who sympsthized With them in the objects Of
the corporation, to proceed to Kansas, sni ac-
quire whatever residence, and do whatever acts
might be found necessary to enable them 70
vote al the elections, and through The ballot
box, If possible, 70 gain control over the legis-
lstl0n 0f the Territory" . Whea the en-
grants" said he, - who had been sent out BY
the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Co Bpauv
and their affiliated societies, passed through
the state Of Missouri in large numbers, on their
TsT TO Kansas, the violence of their language.
AID the uumistaks bic indications Of their de-
termined hostility to the domestic institutions
Of that State, created appreh tensions that the
object Of the company was to a5olitionizs
Kansas, as means nf prosecuting relentless
warfare upon the Institutions Of slavery within !
tse limits 0f Missouri" Tless men entered !
Kansas In large numbers, followed By pro-
slavery men, who came in 70 settle or counter I
act tits abolition influence; aud. says Mr I
Douglas, a'dsputes, qusrTels, violence aud 4
b.Oodshed night have been expected as the /
natural and Inevitable conseqasncesD At the /
fret election held in the Territory, in Novem /
Der, 1891, for a delegate Ia Congress, tbe pTO-
slavery men were triumphant. Whsrsupoa the /
emigrsHt aid men loudly complained that the I
MissOuTisns bad invaded the Territory aud /
controlled the elections. But, saws Mr.. Doug /
las, this charge was made N the absence of all !
proof and probable frath.n In March, 1855 /
the elections were held for members Of the |
Legislature, when the pro-slaVery men again I
succeeded in eiecJing large sjoFity. Frauds 4
were again loudly alleged BY the emigTant a. id, I
or abolition party; but Mr.. Douglas tells US 1
that Governor Rseder having adiudged them 1
20 have been duly elected, accordingly granted |
them certificates OF election,n e.
So n after this Governor ReedeT was re-
moved, and Mr. Douglas notes the fact that, /
s. few days after Governor Rsedsr dissolved /
bis Official relations Sith the legislature the
recipient step was taken in the Topeka move /
msnt to form revolutionary State government |
he shows that their first open declaration was, /
that % he people Of Kansas Territory have |
been since its settlement, aud now are, without j
any iaw-makng power.S lie traces them /
through their varioas steps Of attempted Tsvo- I
l1tioH-shOws that they had organized a secret l
military lsgion-5s pledged themselves 10 |
. make Kansas free State were backed by I
a powerful corporation, with capital Of FIVE /
millions Of dollars, invested In houses and
lands, in merchandise and mills, in cannon and I
rifles, Ia powder and lesdo-and thst they De
cided oa rspudiating the laws, and overthrow 1
ing the Territorial government in defiance Of /
The authority Of Congress F" Il will be we'll /
remembered what noisy boasts they made Of
The efficacy os their ShaTp's rifles Such are 4
the men who have failed 70 vote 10 the elec ions I
determining the Constitution with which kan /
sas applies for admission into tie Union-sni I
I have chosen to draw these facts from the 4
statements Of one whom the opposition to ad- 4
mission will hardly question. Many Of those |
men, / learn, are foreigners, Germans and I
oshers, who have not been nsturalizsd who I
are not entitled to vote, and who know IS little I
Of the principles Of our constitutions as th@y /
% of the virtues Of law ana order. Bu. they /
we're DOT the less nOisy followers Of Lane and 1
Topeka. This revolutionary Topeka move /
ment has been kept up till within The last few l
weeks. o. the eve Of The lawful election Of 4
delegates 20 the Lecompton convention, il came |
near producing civil wsr; aud Gov. Walker 4
FASTENED a dispatch 20 the State Department, I
announcing that g the most alarming movement 4
proceeds from the assembling, on the 9th OF 4
June, Of the sO-calied Topeka Legislature with 4
a view 10 the enactment of sn entire cole Of I
laws, /" aIid predicting that such a result +" would 4
lead to inevitable and disastrous collisions p I
Soon after the election Of delegates 70 the con-
vsntion, we ind. Governor Walker writing to |
General Harvey to send bi@ regiment Of dra- I
goOns to pus down q rebellion at Lawrence,
- involving an open defiance OF the laws, and 4
the establishment Of an iEsurgent government 1
in that eity.o The next day the Governor in /
forms the Secretary Of STATE, that this was |
q the beginning Of plan to organize insuTrec- 4
tioa throughout the Territory
A few days after. 10 was found, saws Cover 4
nor Walker, that Gen. Lane was organizing, /
under she sanction Of the Topeka convention,
% the whole so-csiled Free-Stais party into vol
nntsers - and taking the names Of all who i
refused enrolment With a view 10 terrify l
the Free state conservatives into submission" 4
as is proved hy recent atrocities committed 4
on such men by ropskaites" Again, just on |
the eve Of the assembling Of the convention at 1
I.scompson to frame STATE constitution, Gov /
srnor Walker informed the STATE Department 1
that .. General Lane and his slsf everywhere /
DENY IN authority Of the Territorial laws, and I
counsel ? total disregard OF thsse enactmehts." 4
And again, Immediately before the vote was to 1
be taken 70 determine whether the constitution I
should recognize or ignore slavery, acting Gov /
ernor Stanton wrote TO the Secretary OF State /
that be " hai become satisfied that me election /
ordsre BY the convention could not be cOHduet-
ed It iout collision and bloodshed''
It's it is apparent that regular system Of |
ii disorder. rebellion, and terror was attempted |