The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-03-30

1 mas arlHeB HuttueI buS pflhC'Pic NOS Dcc
carried out by the administration. Wit
reference to the same unfortunate Ter
ritory which has been made the theatr
of our political warfare for the last thre
years. The question no longer rests be
tween US and our political adversions
dut between ourselves as members of tn
great conservative party of the Union
In the recommendation of the aduais
sion of Kansas under the Lecomptoi
constitution the President fluids himsel
OPP osed by some Of his former friends
| who feel or claim to feel that be is vic
Iating the great principle of the Demo
cratic Platform that 1.-THE people of
Territory when they come to form theil
constitution, preparatory to admission
into the Union, shall be left free to d,
so in their own way subject only to the
constitution of the United States"
That such opposition from such Z
source must seriously embarrass the ad
ministration, is painfully apparent; ant
if persisted in by even numerous mi
nority, that it must disrupture the dem
ocratic party of the Union, is as newt
able as destiny itself HeRoe it is i'm
portaut that we treat our friends who
honestly differ with us in opinion, with
that courtesy and respect which shall
demaud from them respectful consid
Grafton of the argum nts we present.
Dealing neither in ridicule nor in
vective, and hoping may say moth
ing which shall be regarded as offsn-
sive to any one, now propose to 90.
supy your attention for brief time ia
the discussion of the questions abou,
which We differ, and iu justification OF
the rec, mmendation of the President.
The main ground of opposition to the
admission of Kansas is, that her con-
stitution was uot submitted to the peo
pie for ratification, and hence the infrac
tion of the principle of popular sover-
~ignty.
If we turn to the uniform history Of
the past We shall fiud that the constitu,
tions of all the original States were pui
into opera ion without previous vote
by the people. with but one solitary ex.
ception, and that the State of Massaehu
setts.
H. I-;.;o, .e -, Co.. H.
custom has been to see that the sover-
eighty of the people has spoken through
it's legally constituted orgafs. The frs
constitution of our own State was never
submitted for ratification by popular
vote. So also with that of Alabama
Louisiana, Illinois, Michigan aad others,
which do not now readily occur to me
But gentlemen, notwithstanding they
were admitted without such submission,
they cid not thel efore contravele tae doc
trine of popular sovereignty. Aud here
| imagine lies the, mistake into which
many of our friends have fallen. They
conceive the true interpretation of the
phrase to mean, the direct action of the
people themselves on any and every sub
ject,with which they may be either imme
dlately or remotely interested Bu,
such is rot understood neither by the
author por advocates of the doctrine.-
Ours is Representative Government
aud while it is true that the people have
the uudoubted right to be heard on eve
ry subject, aud to proclaim their will the
law, still that voice must proceed through
the organized forms of law. The ides
of purely Democratic government
when tie people and the whole peopl,
should assemble to make and uumakt
laws, was never contemplated in the es
tablishment of the American Republic
L. is not now advocated, neither is the
idea of popular sovereignt, SO under
stood. Neither is it acknowledged tha,
all of the inhabitants Of S ate or Terri
tory are. in the contemplation of thai
phrase, the people Those, aud those or
ly, in legal cont emplaiion, are the peepls
who are entitled to speak through the or
| gauized forms oflsw. Foreigners, howev
er, and miners under the age of twenty
one years, have no voice in the govern
ment, nor is the doctrine of popular soy
ereignty intended to include them =
Hence, while they are enumerated as in
habitapts, they are not in law included
in the term people.
1t is of importance, then. to inqur
whether such sovereignty was legally
delegated by the people of Kansss te
those who framed the constitution under
which it is prol osed to admit her into
the Union. As to the legality of the
Legislature which arranged the prelimi
naries for calling the convention, do no,
understand our:.opponents to raise ques
tion. It has always been regarded b,
the President aud his Cabinet, by Mr.
Walker and Mr.. Stanton, and even By
Judge Douglas himself, as the only body
in Kansas authorized by law 80 legislat.
for the Territory.
That Legislature provided taking
the sense Of the people, at the October
election of 1856, upon the expediency o
calling q convention to form State CON
stitution. The vote upon that proposi
tion you will recollect was almost unsu