Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-12-10
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

day with what at the meeting OF Congress
Sen Which has failed nterpose for relief at the
54 G bsad s e North nd hs sou
ect OF slavery naa of the conderacy The application for
the admission into the Union tosered this
S SorP Pongress 1t was the
excitement from the States ana GGnhn n n d Inc Iepoy
where egtimatey belonged mas Peen aohe am nap
snnreme Cont of the United States had previously
decided that all American citizens have equal right to
take the Territories whatever held as property under
under the guardianship of the federal constitution long
as the territorial condition shall remain.
~ If the last session were alone wanting to give it prac
teal effect The principle has been recognized in some
form or other by almost unanimous vote both houses
Of Congress that Territory has right to come the
Union either free slave State, according to the
the States has thus been indicated and fruitful source of
dangerous dissension among them has been removed
Whilst such has been the beneficial tendency of your eg
atve proceedings outside of Kansas their influence has
MANAGE and control its own affairs in its own wav without
the pressure of external influence the revolutionary Topeka
organization and all resistance to the territorial govern
ment established by Congress- have been finally abandoned
As natural consequence that fine territory appears to
be tranquil and prosperous and IS attracting increasing
thousands immigrants to make it their happy home.
past unfortunate experience of Kansas has enforced
the often already taught that resistance to lawful
authority under our form of cannot fail in the
end prove disastrous to its authors Had the people of
the Territory yielded obedience to the laws enacted by their
legislature would at the present moment have contained
a
ing citizens who have been deferred from entering its bor-
ders by the existence OF civil strife and organzed rebellion
ing atemspt to establish revolutionary government under
the Topeka constitution which caused the people of Kansas
to commit the refusing to vote for delegates to
the convention to frame constitution under law not de-
MED be fair andust its provisions This refusal to
has the prolific of all the evils which have follow
ed In their hostility the territorial government they dsre
garded the principal absolutely essential to the working of
form Of government that majority of those who vote
not the majority who may remain at home from whatever
causcust decide the result of an election For this rea
rfCfa pf
MED the authority of the convention thus elected to frame
constitution.
constitution uneXceponabc in its general features and
vidng for the submission of tho slavery question to vote
of the people, which in my opinion they were bound to do
under the Kansas and Nebraska act. This the lim
portant question which had alone convuIsed the Territory
in their first error, reained from exercising their right to
vote and preferred that slavery should continue rather than
surrender their revolutionary Topeka organization.
wiser and better spirit seemed to prevail before the
the first Monday Of January last, when an election
held under the constitution majority OF the people
then voted for governor and other State officers Tor
member of Congress- and members OF the State LCgsa
ture. This election warmly contested by the two
political parties in Kansas and greater vote was pollcd
than at any previous election. large majority of the
members of the Legislature elect belonged to that party
which had previously refused to vote The anSavery
party thus placed i'll the ascendant and the pOlt
cal power of the State was in their own hands Had Con
gres admitted Kansas into the Union under the Lccomp
ton constitution the Legislature might at its very first
session. have submitted the question to vote OF the poo
to amend their constitution either on the slavery OF any
other question: and have adopted all necessary means
for giving speedy effect to the will Of the majority Thus
the Kansas question would have been immediately and
finally settled.
Under these circumstances submitted to Congress the
constitution thus framed with all the officers already elect
ed necessary put the State government into operation
accompanied by strong recommendation i'll favor of the
admission of Kansas State. In the OF my long
public life have performed aCy official act which,
in the retrospect has afforded more heartfelt atstac-
ton. Its admission could have inflicted possible injury
lninrr
have restored peace to Kansas an harmony to the Union
In that event the slavery question would this have been
finally settled according to the legally expressed will Of
majority Of the voters and popular sovereignty would thus
have been indicated ina constitutional manner.
With my deep convictions of duty could have pursued
other 1t is true, that, individual had
pressed opinion both hpfnrn and during the sess
of the constitution, well as that concerning slavery tc
the people. But acting in official character, neither
self any authority had the power reudge the
proceedings of the convention and declare the constitution
which it had framed TO be nuity To have done Thu
would have been violation of the Kansas and Nebraska act
which left the people of the Territory "pertectly tree t.
form regulate their domestic institutions in their
way subject only the constitution of the United States.
would equally have violated the great principle of pOpu
lar sovereignty, the foundation Of Institutions to de
ercsc it, of c6ndng delegates elected by themselves tn
trust of framing constitution without requiring them
subject their constituents to the trouble expense and della
of second election 1t would have been in opposition
many precedents in our history commencing in the very
age the republic of the admission OF Territories State
into the Unon without previous vote OF the people appre
wing their constitution.
lamented that question insignificant Thc
viewed in its practical effects the people of Kansas
whether decided way the other should have knde
such flame Of excitement throughout the country III
reflection may prove 10 DC lesson OF wisdom ana oil Warn
for future guidance Practically considered the questo
simply whether the people Of that territory should r
into the Union and then change any provision in the
constitution not agreeable to themselves accomplish tt
very object by remaining out of the Union and fran
another constitution in accordance with their will
either case the result would be precisely the same tt
only difference in point of fact that the object would hay
been much sooner attained and the paCcatOn of Kansf
speedily effected, had it been admitted State du
ing the last session of Congress.
My recommendation, however, for the immediate admi
sion Kansas failed to the appreciation Congress
They deemed wiser to adopt different for IL
settlement of the question For nv own part should hay
been willing yield my assent to almost any constitution
to accomplish this object. therefore, cordial
acquesced in what has been called the English COmproms
and approved the Act for the admission of the State
Kansas into the Union upon the terms therein prescribed
Under the ordinance which accompanied the Lccoml
ton constitution, the people of Kansas had claimed doub
the quantity OF public lands for the support of cOmmC
schools, which had ever been previously granted
State upon entering the Union and also the acrna
sections of land for twelve miles each side Of two raj
roads proposed to be constructed from the northern
the southern boundary and from the eastern to the Yves
ern boundary Of the State. Congress dcCming the
claims unreasonable provided by the act of May l. 1855
to which have lust referred for the admission of the Sta
equal footing with the original States but upc
the fundamental condition precedent that majority
the people thereof at election to be held for that pu
pose should i'll place of the very large grants of pub
lands which they had demanded under the ordinance a
cept such grants as had been made to Minnesota and OF
CT new States. Under this act should majority ree
the proposition offered Them sit shall be deemed al
held that the people of Kansas do not desire admissic
into the Union with said constitution under the cond
tions set forth in said proposition" In that event. Il
act authorizes the people of the Territory to elect del
gates to form a constitution and State government Fl
themselves whencver and not before, it is ascertain
by a census duly and legally taken that the popul
ton of said Territory equals exceeds the ratio of
presentation required for member OF the House of
personalities of the Congress Of the United States
The delegates thus assembled shall first determine by