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


and when no authority existed in lhs Ter
FitofiSl Legs lAiurs, which could polsiby
destroy ita e1istsocb OF chanee its eharae-
ter. The election, which was ps6csfully |
conducted under my Instructions. involved
4 GthShge Inconsistency. A large majority Of /
the persons who voted againtt the Lecomp- |
i ton coustitufion, were, At tho same time aud
place recognising ts valid existence in the
mos, solemn and authentic manner, by vot-
ing under its provisions. 4 have a. yet re-
csived no ofcisk informstien Of the result
4 Of ihis .aleslion. -g,
As question Of expedisncy, after the
right hes been ntislainsd, II may Be wise /
to reject upon the benefits to Kansas aud
TO the whole Union, which would result
from its immediat0 sdmissiOn into the 6nion, |
% well as the disaaisfs which may fol- |
low lie rejection. Domestic peace will be !
the hapPy Consequences Of its admission. |
snd that fhe Territory, hitherto torn by |
Edissrnsions, will rspidly increase in popu-
lstion and wealth. snd speedily resliEe the
blessing and com 'orts which follow agrcul
rural and mechspical industry. The peo-
lple then vii be sovereign, and eau regulate
their ownaiiai ID their own wsy. II the
Il 7jority o. them desire TO abolish domestic
slA<ry Within tbs State, there il no other
Posaible mode BY which il can be effected
40 speedily - By its prompt admission -
The will OF the msjority 10 supreme and ir-
resistible, when expressed orderly and in
lawlul manner, Il can unmske qConstitu-
lions at pleasure 1t would, be absurd TO
. say tiey can impose letters upon their own
power, whish they cannot afterwards re-
move. n they could do this, they might
tie thelr own hands for sn hundred as well
, a. for ten yssrs. These are &be fsnAamen-
tai principles 81 American freedom, and
recognized dn some form by every State
. CONSTRUCTION. ard il Congress in the act
+, admission should think proper 20 recogaize
4 them, | can perceive no objection. This
n hiss been done cmphaticslly In the Cousii-
tuition OF Kansas. II declares in the Bill Of
Rights, thNt "sll political power 10 inherent
in the people, and all free governments are
!. founded on their authority and Instituted for
, their benefit, and therefore they have al all
). time! the inslienable and indefeasible right
n to alter, RETURN or sbUi.h their form Of gov
.r srnment, in such ~ hner a. they sasy think
> proper" The great State vf New York is
n at thi. moment governed under Con ,tilu-
n. tion framed in direct opp tition TO the mode
,. prescribed by the previous Constitution. IL.
q, ihersfors, the provisions changing the Kan
h. sas Constitution after the yeav 1864, could
n. BY any possi.iiiiy b construed into the rro-
a hibitiun to make such change previous to
i. the period e prohibition, il would be who'll
a. sAGvailiRI. The Legislature alrO,dy
a. elected, may, 1t its first session, submit the
to questisn to the vote OF the people, whether
n, they will or MT, havS q Convention &c
i. amend their Constitution, and adopt all nee
.ir ss'ary means ior giving e6ett to the popu
a lar will. ,
a, l, has been solemnly adjudged by tn,
n, highest Judicial Tribunal, that slavery ex
40 lists in Kansas, by virtue OF the Constitution
# Of the United States Kansas is, therefore
i, At ths moment, ~ much slave State q
Georgia or South Carolina. Without this
n. the equality Of the sovereign States com
a., posing the Union would be violated, and tn,
m, u.s and eij}ymsnt Of Territory, acquire,
-, by tho commun treasure OF ull the State
IN. would be closed against the people an,
eu ?, operty of nearly hall the members Of tn,
nj. Confedsracy. Slavery can. therefore, nev
. !, or be prohibited in Ksnsas, except b,
n. m ans Of Constitutional provision, and il
=, no other msnnsr car this be obtained Q,
,c. promptly, il tho ,msioriiy Of The people de
sire it, as BY sdmilting il into the Union, un
i. der the present Constitution.
a. On the other hlnd, should Congress re
-, ject Ahe Constitution. under the idea Of af
n. ,ordinc the disaifet,ed in Kansas third op
.r portunity to prohibit slavery ia q STATE
n. which they might have done twice before i
n. in TIE msjority, no man can ioretell th'
lid consequences, II Congress, for the sak'
"a 81 Those men who refused to vote ior dele
n. KAtss to the Consention, when they nigh
he have excluded slavery from the Conslitu
IN ton, and who aiterward refused to vote or
". the 3lst OF December, when they might al
il they claim, have stricken slavery trum the
~ Constitution, should now reject ST. tie, be
10 cause sluv .ry remains in its c institution, il
/. 10 manifest ,h Il the agitation upon this i'm
> p.rtsnt subject will b0 renewed IN more
2 alarming form thnn it hGs ever assumed.
.. Every patriot in the country had INDUCED
n. the hopc tn at the Kansas Nebraska act would
.ir put a hnr! end to the tlavery agitation, III
,e least in Congress, which had for more than
q. twenty years convulsed the country and en-
dangered the Union. This act involved
l., great and fundame ntal principles, and If fair
he ly carried into effect, will settle the ques.
he ton. Sh ,uId the agitation be again revived;
a should the people of the sister States be
9. again eSiranged from each other with more
~ than former bitterness, this will arise trOm d
- cause, so far No the interests of Kansas are
q. concerned, more trAing and Insignificant
.t than has ever stirred the elements vi gre Il
'. people into commotion. To the people oil
10 KsDsa, the only practical difference between
, their sdu ission or rejection depends simply
er upon The fact whether they eau themselves
OF more speedily change the present ConS,i'u
a. zion. il it does not accord with the will oI
no the msj9rty, or frame q second Constitution
nd 10 be submitted to Congress hereafter. -
Il. Even If this were . question Of mere expe
lie dieney and not OF right, the small ditftrrn nee
70. OF timr, one way or the other, is not . the
nv least importance when contrasted with the
Te evils which must necessarily result to the
d. whole country ron the renewal Of ths
jj. slavery agit,ton. In CONSIDERING this ques
30 Iion.it should ncver beforgottsn that in pro-
= portion 10 its inbigni6canee, let the decision
d. u what it may, 90; far may affect the lev
by Thousand inhabitants Of Kansas, WIN have
he from the beginning. resisted the Cons itu
N. ton end the laws, Tor this very reason th,
sh rejection OF the Constitution will be sa muci
e, more keenly lei. by the p Ople 81 foutleeI
StsteS Of the Union where slayrry IL rec
in ognized under the Con, ,titution u the Uni:et
zee States. Again, the speedy admission .
on Kunsas into the Union, would yet restor,
he pence, and quiet to, the whpie cs8ntry.--
o. Already The affairs u The Territory have en-