Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1858-04-08

ion of the popular will is nothing less
than s'PRACD."
/ appeal. therefore. from the Lecompton
message TO the Presidential instructions
10 his Executive in kansss-from the
James Buchanan of March, 1858, to the
James Buchanan of March. 1851; and |
have no fears of the popular verdict on that
appeal.
L pass rapidly over the subsequent his
tory. Tho delegates elected by an aSgrc-
gate vote. not equal to common county
IN all. assemble at Lecompton and adjourn
over till after the election OF October.
1857. For the first time inkansas a fair
election was held. The free-State men
swept the field: and though the old game
offraud was playei to the last, by forged
returns, which. if admitted. would have
Continued tn, Legislative power Of the Ter
ritorv in the hansis OF the reckless nea
whom the people. by an overwhelming
vote, Ia! regulated, the convention reas-
ssuble1 with full and unmistakable
knowledge of the actual Will of the people
whom they pretended TO represent. in
tend TO speak hereafter Of some of the de-
rails OF that instrument they framed; but
| wish to devote thi. part Of my remarks
to the history of the elections, by virtue Of
which this constitution IS now here, and
which the President eulogizes as so fairly
conducted that it would be impossible for
the people to have proceeded more regular
ly in their work Instead of either framing
their constitution in accordance with the
known viii OF the people who were to live
under it, or submitting it when framed to
their adoption or rejection. they outraged
their own pie lges-the pledges of the exec
utive officers in Kansas, which they heard
made to the people without disscnt-and the
pledges of the President. by submitting it
for demonstration with slavery or for
the constitution with no slavery" and fet-
tering even this restricted choice by the ex-
traordinary provision that no one should
be allowed to vote at all unless he was
willing to take an oath TO support the yet
unadopted constitution under the pains and
penalties of perjury. / must quote here
again from the President:
The question of slavery was submitted
to an election of the people Of Kansas, on
the 2lst December last, in obedience to the
mandate of the constitution. Here again
fair opportunity wa; presented to the
adherents of the Topeka constitution,
ii they were the majority, to decide
this exciting question in their own way
and thus restore peace to tho distract
ed Territory; but they again refused to
exercise their right Unpopular sovereignty,
AMI again suffered the election to pass by
default" They did not
think poper to submit the whole of this
constitution to popular vote. but they did
submit the question whether Kansas should
be free or a slave State to the people"
The President must have read the Le-
compton constitution; and have seen there
that even If constitution with no slavery"
was adopted, it wa. still expressly enacted
In the schedule that, notwithstanding that
vote. "the right of property in slaves now
In this Territory shall in no manner be in
terfered with Section seven of sched
ule) anu again, In section fourteen of sched-
uls, that whatever amendments may be
hereafter adopted to the constitution, mo
alteration shall ever be made to affect the
rights of property in the ownership of
slaves And yet, though he argues. with
apparent qualification, that kansas is, at
this moment; as much slave State as
Georgia or South Carolina" he declares
(even in full view of those provisions in
the Kansas constitution, which every voter
who approached the ballot box was COM
PEELED to ratyy If he voted at ell, and swear
to support besides) that the convention
fairly submitted to the people the question
whether Kansas should be free or slave
Statel
CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.