The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-02-11

NoveFhment, ai11Fgd,te VITA such HonaonA.
Me pertlnsci,y. b q gossfnment in direct
upposltlon 70 NE sxbling government as
prsscribsd and vsroEnl1sd BY Cenersss II
IL an usurpsti0a Of the same ehsFSetSs as h I
would be- for portion Of the people Of any
State 10 undertake 70. estsblish q separate
government within lie limits for the pur.
pOse Of rsdressing any grievances, real or
Imaginary, OF which ihey might complain,
against the legitimate State Cosernment.-
Such principle, IL carried into execution,
would destroy all lawful authority. sad pro-
duce universal anarchy. Ffsm THE state
-ment Of facts, the reason bsccmts pslpablel
why the enemies Of the government authof.1
lied by Congress kavs refused to vote for
Delegates TO the Kansss Constitutional
Convention. end also, Afterwards, on the
question OF slavery, Submitted By il 10 the
people. u is beesuss they hsve ever re-
fused 10 aGnetion CT recognize any other
Constitution lhaa that framed st Topeka
Had the whole LecemPton Constitution
been submitted 10 the people, the sdhereEts \
OF thh organization weIld deubtlesS have
voted sgAinsl il, because u successful they |
wculd thus have removed an obstacle out Of
the way Of their own revolutionary CoSs,i-
tuition. They Gouid have dene this no,
upon coEsids ration OF the msri'S OF the
| whole or part OF ths L~sonpton CCAS!itu
tion, but simply heeN1 . thry have ever 70.
sisted the authority Of the government au-
,hor'xed BY Congress. fron which 1t smsn
atea. g,sf
Such bsing the unfortunate condition OF
/ the Nfsirs oi the Territesy, what was 'Ae
risht, 60 we'll ~ duty, OF w.dbdng pee
pie! Were they silently end patiently to
submit to the Topeka usu' patton. or adept
some necessary measure to estahlish Con.
stituticn under the creanir Law Of Congressi
That this laW recognized tho right Of the
people Of ihs Territory, without the ena
biiRg act Of Congreas, 10 form Z Ntsts
Constitutioa, is too clear for argunent.-
For Congress ito leave the people Of the
Territory perfectly free" in irsming their
Constitution, "to fern and regulate their
domsstie institutions in their own way, sub
jset only 10 the Cnnstitut on Of the United
State'," ard then TO say they shall not BE-
permitted TO proceed nd frame Consti'u
tion in their own Wsy, without the express
authority from Congress, appears to Be al.
mcst 4 eontrr die,ion Of terms. II would be
much more pleusible thtt the people OF q
Territory might be kept out Of Hls URion
a for sn indefinite period, and until il might
r please Cs ngresa 10 permit thsm to exercise
: the right OF self government. This would
4 be TO adopt, not "their Cwn way" but the
/. w'y which Congress nigh. prescribe.
# II 10 impossible q at sny people could
have proceeded with mUrs regularity in ihs
formation of 4 Constitution than tho people
% Of Kansss have done. 1t was necessary
e 6rst, to ascertain whether it wss the desire
Of the people TO be relieved from Terrific
70 riSl dependence. and establi q State GlV
ernmsns. In this purpose, the Tsritoria
r, Legislature in 1855 passed law "for taking
.. the ssnSs Of The people Of this Tsrritory
10 upon the sxpsdienty Of calling a Conven
- ton to form State Copstituti D." At thu
E general election to bs held in October
i 1856. The sense Of The psspis" was ss
. corGinEly taken, and they decided in favO
OF q Convention. Ii 10 true that N thi
'e election, the enemies Of the TerritoEia
n Government did not vote, because thvy wer
q then engaged at Topek-, without the slight
y est prste1t Of lawful authority, in framing
IT a Constitution of their own, Tor the purpos
l. Of subver,inR the Territorial Governmen,
In lur,usncs Of this deci ion Of tie pso
'. Pile in I v.r Or q Convention, ths Tcrritori
>. al Lrgisl.turs, on the 27Ih d February
in 1857, Pssssd antct for the clecii n Of dele
Of gates on the third Monday VI June, 1857, I,
of trGms a State Ccnsttuii0n. This law 10 Il
10 fair in its provisions a. any that ever passst
II . IeGislsture for similar purpoae. III.
It right Of suffrage At this election 10 clearly
,, and ju tly defned-"Every bone ,ade inhs b.
n tant Of Ksnsas," on the third Monday .
. June, the dsy of the election, who was q
n citizen Of the United States, above the sSe
d of twenty. one, and had resided ihersiR iol
d three month previous TO that date, was en-.
i titled .s vsts. In order to avsid oil inter.
=. ference from neighborirg States and Terri
= tories with the freedom and fairness OF the
n election, . provision was niSde for the reg
! istry OF quali6ed voters, ard pursuant there.
q OF, niEs thousand aGd 6fty-two vo,ers were
registered. Governor Walker did his hole
duty in urging ell the qualified citizens sI
. Kansas 10 vote at this election.
In his insurural .ldtsss on the 9Th Of
Nay, he Informed them "undtr our practice
the p,sliS mary act Of passing a State Con.
stitu,isn IL uniformly performed through the
fundamentally OF q Convention OF Dele
gates chosen BY the people themselves; ths,
the Convention 10 now about 10 be elected
; by ycu under q cali Of the Territorial Leg
islsiJTe, created, snd still recognized, by
the authority Of Congress, and clothed BY
it, in the comprehensive language Of the
organic Law. with full power to mako such
an snartmsst. The Territorial Legisla.
,Ers. theH, in assembling this Convention.
:, were fslly 1us,sined by tie Act Of Con
gre,s sRd the authority Of ths Convention
}, is aisiinttiy recognized in my Instruct. .ons
. frsm The President Of the United Btates."--
y The Governor alse clearly ond distinctly
d yarns them Wh would be tie conse qusn
= ess il they did not participate in the slsc.
=. tioa. "Ths people Of Kansas. them" he
: says, "sre invited BY the highest su'hOrity
j. knsWn TO the Constitution to participate
!. freely and fairly in the sect OF delegates
. to frsms COnstitution and State Govern.
J Ensnt. The Law has p rfOrmed ts eEtir4
u and appropriate fuAciion when il extends tc
l. the PEOPLE the right Of suffrage, but it can
r net conps! the performance of that duty
" Threughont the " hole Union, however, ant
~hsrevss irse government preVeihs, those
b, who abstain from the exercise of the rieh
,. ek suffrage, authorize thuss who do vote, Il
i. act for them in that contingency, and ab
Of ssn.ess are 90 much bsund BY the law ant
r the Cons.itution, where there is ne fraud OF
m violence, by the act of the m jDrity OF thos,
it who do vote, as il all had participated il
or the election. Otherwise, C waiting nus
%, be voluntary, self. government would be i'm
n, practicable, and monarchy and despotisn