The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1858-06-10
NUMBER g.

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fairs have been almost entirely neglect
ed, to the great prejudice Of the people,
whilst the stump, and the press, have, In
/ n great measure, res0unded with but lit
tie else than matters pertaining TO this
distant Territory, and In which the peo-
| pie have, in fact, but little interest
| Fellow-citizens, it was full time that
some disposition was made Of this agit-
ating question, and Congress having
passed an act on the subject, for which /
voted, and as j am willing TO be adiudg-
cd before the Democracy for that vote,
under the circumstances Of the case,
desire to discuss briefly the question.
In 1855, when but a few thousand in-
habitants resided in the Territory Of
Kansas the Topeka constitution, with
out authority of law, and against al
law, was sent TO Congress, and the uni
ted Republican party endeavored to
bring the Territory into the Union un-
der this constitution but it was defeat
ed in the Senate. The Democratic Sem
ate, in 1856, prior to the Presidential
election, passed a bill called the Toombs'
paci6cation bill for the purpose of ena-
bling the people Of Kansas to elect
convention, and form a constitution and
State government, but this bill was de-
feated by the Republican House of Rep
Iresentatives refusing TO take action up
on it. Thus things stood in the autumn
Of 1856, when Mr. Buchanan was tri-
umphantly elected President by tho
Democratic party, the election turning
in the Northern States alone upon the
political views Of Democrats and Re-
pubicans upon the territorial question.
The Legislature Of the Territory Of
b Kansas passed, in February 1857, an
act authorizing an election for delegates
10 form n constitution and State Govern
ment, and to ask admission into the
Union; the people Of Kansas having
previously, in October, 1856, by a voto
? at the ballOt-box, decided in favor Of
calling convention to form constitu-
tion
The election of the delegates was held
in June last; and Governor Walker, Sec
{ retary Stanton, and the Democratic
If speakers, and press Of the country, ap-
pealod to the people to exercise the right
Of suffrage by participating in the cleo
tion Of delegates to said convention; but
r the Republican stumpers and the Re-
? publican press, with perhaps one ex-
ceptiou, the National Era,) appealed to
their friends to decline the exercise of
10 the right Of suffrage, to suffer the cleo
y tion on their part to 90 by default and
{ to add fuel to the already fierce fires of
scctionalsm, and, most unfortunately
for the peace of the country, Republic
an tactics prevailed, and but a small
D vete was poled, and a determination
!, was manifested to continue the agitation
. of this Kansas question.
A convention thus called and thus
elected, formed on the 7th day Of No
- vember last the Lecompton Constitu-
t ton; but did not submit the whole con-
stitution to the ratification or rejection
4 of the people. Two elections have been
held in reference to this instruments
with different results; the first giving
y some thousands majority in its favor, and
e the last giving nearly twice as many
-. majority against it,
This constitution was sent to Congress
with the request for admission as a State
Il into the Union, and bin passed tho
I Senate for the unconditional admission
Of the State, without submitting any
Il question in reference to it to the peo-
e pie To this bill I was opposed, as I
n did not desire to compel a people to
come into the Union as a State under %
constitution to which they we're opposed,
l. and under an act of admission which
y they did not approve. voted for what
1t is called the Crittenden- Montgomery
IT. amendment to the Senate bill; to admit
the State under the Lecompton constitu-
.o ton, if the people approved of that in
IS strument, if not, another convention
N was to be called, and another constitu-
tion to be framed This bill acknowl-
edged the validity Of the Lecompton
'' constitution, and made the admission
re Of the State under it dependent upon a
.g vote of the people of Kansas, and this
e. bill received the vote Of every Repubi-
, can member of the House of Represen-
tatives in Congress, and was generally
sustained by the Republican press Of
the country
. voted to adhere to it, but the Sen
ate having asked, as is usual, when leg,
islative bodies disagree, a committee of
conference and that committee having
reported the bill, (Which has since pass
u, ed I deemed it to be my duty as
,s- legislator aud as a Democrat, TO give th,
n bin my hearty support; and that vote
r. shall at all times bo ready to defend.
What is this bill, to which the atten.
C. ton Of the country is now so intensely
H. directed? Let us look at it.
IN rive omit the bill, as it has been all
10, ready published in the News
.st The constitution made a5 Lecompton
he has an ordinance attached to it, claim
I'M ing the following land grants from The
he United States:
mt oSec. i. That sections numbered
ne eight. sixteen, twonty-four and thirty
,s- six, in every township in the State, Oh
he IN case either Of said numbered sootionl
PTS are or shallbe otherwise disposed of theI
u- other lands, equal thereto 10 value, anC
he as contiguous as may be, shall be grant
g- cd to the State 20 be applied exclusively
PM to the support of common schools.
"Seo 2. That an sale springs, anC
,o- gold, silver, copper lead or other val
Nv vok1e v,fnoa fOrofhor with the lands