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Show 118 A POLITICAL rgx:T-llO K 1!\)R 1800. have adopted R.ttd ratified the snme twtce by a direct vo• ... , also lndtr •ctly through two elections for Sto.Lr oiUc<•rs a.tHi m.·m· bl'rs of the St tLt • Legts!R.lure; yt'llt has plt•~tsrd the Admtnls· u·aUon to t't•gant the whole proceeding ~~.::~re1·olutlonary." This Topeka Government, nrlhereci to with such treasonable pertinacity, is a gove ·ument in direct opposition to the existing government p,escrioeu .. ud recognized by Congret~s. It 1:~ usurpation of the same character as it would be for a portion of the people of any tate to undertake to establish a separate government within its limits for the purpose of redressing any grievance, r enl or imaginary, of which they might complain against the legitimate State Government. Such a prin ciple, if carried into execution, would destroy all lawful nut.hority nnd produce universal annrchy. .From this st:Ltemcnt of fa cts, tJ)e reason becomes palpable why the enemie~ of the government authorized by Congress have r e fused to Yote for the delegates to t.he Kansa~ Con~titutional Convention and also, afterward, on the question of ~Ia very submitted by it to the people. It is b ecau!!e they have ever refused to sanction or recognize any other Constitution than tha t framed at 'fopeka. Had the whole Lecompton Constitution been submitted to tho people, the adherents of this organiz:\tion would d oubtless Ita ve vote<l against it because, if succt:ssful, they would thus have r emoved' the obstacles out or the way of their own revolutionary Constitution ; they would have done this, not upon the consideration of the merits of the wllolc ot· part of the Lecompton Constitution, but simply becau!!e they have ever resist ed the authority of the govammcnt authorized by Congress from which it e rn a oate<l. Such b eing the unfortunate condition of !Lifo. irs in the Territo ry, what was the right as well as the dut,y or tl1e Jaw-abi<ling people ? Wer e they sil ently and patiently to submit to tho Topeka usurpati on, or to adopt the necessary meas ut·e to establish a Constitution under the authority of the o1·ganic J~w of Congress? That this law recognized the right of the people of the Territory, without an ('nab ling act of Congress, to form a tate Co nstitution is too cle at· for arrru - Joen t . 1•' or co ngress " to leave the' people of the Te.r.., ri-tory p erfectly free" in framing thdt· Constitution " to form and _regulate their domestic insti tutions in their own way , subJeCt only to the Co nstitution of the nit ed St!tte!l," and th en to say thnt they ~;hall not be permitted to prl!ceed a~<l fmme tl~o Coll'titut ion in th eir own way, without exp1 ess authortty from Cungre~s appears to b • almost a ~ontradiction in terms. lt 1;ould be muc~ more plnustble to contenu that Uongress had no lJOwerto pass .sucl~ an en~bling act, than to n.rgne that tltc people :tf a rcr~ttot·y mtght be kept out of the Uni on for an indefinite pcnod, an~ until it '!light please Congrc ':l to permit them to cxerctse the nght of self-government. 'l'his wou~d be to adopt, no~ their 01~n. way, but the wa.y which Congress might prescnhe. It lS unpossible t.hat any people co~ld ltave proceeded with more regularity in the format10n of a Constitution than the p eople of 1\:ansas ~av ? done. l_t was n ecessary, first, to ascertain whether ~~ W,~s t1_1e d estre Of the people to he reliev ed from thCil" [ ernt.or1al <lepeodence anti estab lish a !::\tate Oo1•ernmcn t For this purpose, the 'l'cn·itoda l Legi ·Jature in ] '-'55. ?,as~~d a law for taking .t!tc ~ensc of the peoi1te of th ~ I en lt.or~ upon the ~ xp~tLen cy of calling a Conven tion to form .a ~tate ConstitUtiOn at the gcneml election to be ~eld ~~ ~ctober, 18.%. The '· t>er tse of tlte p eople" wa~ a cco.rchngly taken, and tltcy decid t!d in f<.L \'Or of a Convent. Jon. l .t is t rue that at this election the enemies of tl e 'l' . ~Ol'lal Q o.ve~·~unent d: (~ not VOl •, because tltcy w~re ~~~~ engaged ,t~ I opck<t, w~tlwut the slight est pretext of law-ful autl~ ortty, 10 frammg a Uous t itution of tJ '. f subve t'itn" tl c '1' · · 1 lc ll own or of u · d , · · 1 erntorta Goverumen•" · I n pur~uan ce ltS ecLSton of the p eople in h vot· of 'L Co t th e '.1..' ern" t on· a ll .egt· slature, on the \!'T th or .F•c bruna rV e, n1 1 0"nr ' ff's~d an act for t~1e election of d elegates on 'tl~~ third Tl~n\ay ~f June,_ l ~T, to fmme n State Con:~titution ~ s d'lW ts .as ~atr m it~ provis ions a~ any that eve;· p( sse a Ieglslattve body for a si mil:u· j)lll'pose 'l'he . l t ~ sulfrage at this. ~Iection is c learly <Ln<l jusi.ly de({r:~~ very bona fide cttlzen of the Uuiv•d t~ • e . b cl · age of t t " '" :l, •I OVO t 1e mo tl wen ly-one., and who ha<l resider! therein for three dl\ IS prev ou:; to that date, was en t itled to IL vot I or e;, to .avoid a~l inte ·ference from uei •hi · , c. . 11 :.nd l errtto~·i~s wtLh the freedom anrl fai 1·~e:~~0~}~~:~~~~~ JOn, a provtSIOn was tnade for Ule re •i:!tr of . ~~!~rint~ngf~n pursuance thereof, nine tlwu;'nnd ~~~~\~~~~t~ .l"tll. y-one voters wet·e registered Uov W· II· .~ t~sv~~~o~~ ~~:: ~~e~~~i~1g ~II (~mlifted .citizens. of ·:(~~~ .he ~Tth of May, he infot·~ed ~~;l~ ~~:~ural Address on " Unr!Pr our prl\ctl~e th 11 1 JonsUtulion 1!1 nnlfor;nl)~ p r~ ·frn· na.t·y a ct of framing 1\ State lllent.ality or a Convtlnt.ion of~~l~gl•tnlHi thhrough the inslru. a es e osen by the peoplo themqo•!l·•·s. 'rhnt Convonllon l.s uow about l<) hl' rl, yo~n, uud··r thl' \'1111 of Llw Tt:r·r·horl:~l L•·gl.~l u 11r,. <T•":l~.~~tl b) !illll t"t•t•og nlz,·rl, by Lhn 1\lllhorlly of Cr>ll"n••u t•rt l 1' 1 1 •.1 111d it t th ' · . ·I . · I· . <> • ~ • ' <· Ol it'-. hlJ , II c cOill p l < It ll !IIVC .lngullgu Ol Lh•• Ul'){flllic hlW •i I · pvwer lO ru·tko• surh 1\11 ouactmt:nl. 1'h!l 'J'1~rrltod 1 1 ; 11 Itt l turo•, then, In U-ll-lt'mbllng this Conventiou W I' I". t"ttJI1~ .~gl~l~lJ y tl H' 1I <: t Of ,' ,' ongn•sH, >lllu' t1lt ' authority' of 't h' ' l'o)n S,l .iS lullt D• d dist inct ly r·<·cognl7.t'CI l11 my instructions from the i•r ~ 0 1 1 1 1 . un li tho t: ulted SU.\ll'll. '' C:! ' t:Ol or The Governor a lso clearly a nd uis tinctly warns th what would be tho consequences if they d;<l not pa ~~~ pate In the election. The peo}>le of 1\:ansas the; he says, • , e "Art' lnvltNI hy thr hlgh<'st authority known to th c tutlon to partltlp:ttt' fro ·l'!y nnu f>Lirly In the Ph•ctlon°or~n1tl· g~ttn; to _franH' ~~ Uon1:11 iliill11nnnd ~tate Oov,•rnm1•nt. Tho~ eltt~ s p<·r lon rw.l 1ts <•ntln• n.p proprlatc funcllon, when It ext •nt to th,· 1)('ople tlw righ t of 1m trrngc; but It cJLnnot compcr th 8 I><·J·for·nu\llt uf Lh;Lt duly. Throughout tho whole u 1 e \OW\'I'Orl and wh(•J"t'V<·t· ft·ce govemment prc1·alls tho . 0 0~· uh13tnln r1·om the (' Xt•rei~:~e of the• rlgbt of sufl"mgc au~g wl 0 those who tlo vote lo 1Wt fM tht•m l.u that cuntlngenc orze ahRt•nt '"s u rca;~ mnch hound, undt'l" tho law nnu Consul:iu~nd wlwrc tht•rp Is no fnwd 01: vlult>IH:<', hy tho a<~t of tho ma 'orl~' of thosP who do 1·ote, as If :ll\ lta,l Jl.Lt"ticlpatctlln the ele~tio y u.llwnvl~<l, 1111 vot~ng must be voluntary . ., Jf.govcrnmc~i " ouhl I.Jo lmprnc·ueahle, nnd nwnarcby or dcspotl.sm wo ld remain as U1e ouly nllcrun tivc." u . It may also be observed that n.t this period nny hope 1f such had exl~tcrl, that the Topeka Constitution would ever be recogn,zed by Congre~s must h aye been aban· done.d. Coug_ress hall a_<lj o urned on the third or lllarcb ~re~_10u.~ : havn~~ reco~nt zed t.hc J "~al existence of the :rernto1tal Legli:;latnre m a vnnety or form· which I need not enumernte. lnrlecd, the 1Jdegate eiected to the House of .Represen tatives un(kt· a 'l'crTitorial law had been a~rmtted to a seat ~nu had j u>~ t contpleteu his te1·m or servtce th_e, thy prcv tous to my inaugumtion. 'l'his was the prop1tt ~us momen t for iH:ttling all the difficulties of _Kansas., , 'l'ht~ was th ~ t iu~e for ;Lbandoning the revoluttonar. r Lopck1L organtzat ton, anrl for the enemies or ~~~e e~btt~ g gov~rntnen_t to conform to the laws nnd unitB 11 1th tiS fn ends m fmrntng a State Constitution. But this they r e f~scd to tlo, and the conse(juenceH of their r efusal to subn11t to the lawful authot·ity, an<! vote at the election of d elegates, may yet p rove to be of the tllOst deplorable cha racte ~·· Would that the r espect for the laws or the lan<l, wh1ch so e111i nc ntly d istiugui.;hed the men or the P:"~ L g.e nemtion, cot~ld he r evi veu ! It is a disre~tard nod Vlola tt on of la.w wh1ch has for years kept the Territory of Kansas in a_ state o f alwo!!t o pen rebellion against Its Oovcrnment-;-Jt I~ the :mme spirit which has produced actuf~l rebellion Ill Utah. Our only safety consl8t5 In ob.e~henc~ nnc_i conformity to the law. l:ihould a general spmt agatnst tt:o~ cnforcement p revail tbi~ will prove fatal to u~; as a nation. ' We acknowledge no mast er but law nnrl should wecu& loose _fror:l its r est!'aints nnd every ode do what seemelh ~.ood m lu~ own eye3, om· case would iudee<l be hopeless. 1 ~e ene ui.ICS of the Territorial Governlllent determined st tll to r est!lt the authority of Congress. They refused to vote ~or del egate:~ to the Convention not because fror.n ~1rcumstan~es which I n eed not dctt;ii, there WI\!!~~~ otu JssJ_on to. r egtst et· tho comparatively few voters who were mh:\bttl\nts of certain count ies in Kansas In the early spnng of J 57, but b ecause they l1atl determined, <~t all hazards, to adhe re to th eir revolu tionary organizatwr_ t, and tlefeat the cstablb;hment of a uy other constl· t.utt O~ I than that which they had fromcd at 'J'opeka. The c l ~ctw u was the refore sulfured to pa:-~s IJy default, but of thts •·c~ ult the qualifl ed electors who refused to vo&e can never JUSt ly complain. l<'rom ~his r e view, it is manifc;;t that the Lecompton ~on veut.wn, according to every principle or con~titu· tt onal law, wa~ legally constitute<! nnd invested with ~o wer to ~rattl e !L Cons titution. 'L'he s a c red prin ciple or L o pu~at· :--overe1,;nty has been invoked in fll vor of the en e t~ lles of Law and Order in Kansa3 · but in what ma.n· n cr.1s Popular 'ovcrcignty to be exer~l!;cd in thlij coun· t.,·y 1f n ot_ through the in.'ltrumentality of edtablishcu law ? 11_1 certam small t· epnblics of :wclent ti me:' the p~ople <_It<~ ~~semb!: in pritnary meetiug, passed I~wd at_HI di- 1 ectcd publtc aiT<.Ltrs. In our country, thid i:~ mnmfestly imposl:! thle. l'opular Sove re ignty can be exercised here onlv tltr~)ltg_lt the bt\llotbox; a n d if the p eople will refuse t.o exerctl:!e It in this manne1· as they h ~:we done in Knn· sas at the election of De tc'rrates it i~ not for thetn t.o co,t?plain that t heir rights h n°ve b~en violated. I he Kansas Convention, thus lawfully constituted, procec. ded to f1·ame a Constitution, ant..l, hnviug completed th e1r work, tinnily adjourneu on the Tth of November h~t. 'l'he_y d~ d not think pt·opet· to submit the whole or thts ConstttuttOn to a popular vote but they did submU the question whether Kansas shouid be a Jo'rce or illVI Stll.te to the people. 'l'hia was the question which had coil' J MR. BUCHANAN'S LECO)IPTO~{ .llE;:,SA.G E. 119 V1T1 8od the Union nnd. Rhaken l~ to lhe very ceutcr. 'l:h\11 was the question wluch lt1td ltg hted tlte Hatu~ of . ctvil 'l'tur in J\amms :~nd llltcl producc<l llangerous secttoual pa rt ies th rOit~hout the con ft:dcracy. lt ~~· ~li of a ~ltarac· ~,er HO pa.nwvlltllL in rt:spcct to the coud ilwn of h.ans a s, be banished from the h:LIIs of Congrc~s, where H has alway1:1 excrt eri a baneful lnfluNlCe throughout the whole countrr. l t i1:1 proper lhat I should 1Jridly refer to the election held under the at:t of the 'l'erritot ial Legislature on the firl:lt Monday of J •~n uary l a:~t on the I. •compton Con5titutlon. 'l'his elect ion wus held ttftor the 'l'enitory hut! been p repared for a tlmil:,aion into the L'uion a:~ a !-;ov~ r eign 't ate, anrl when no authority exiHtecl in the 'J'erritorial Ll·gi -Jatut e which could po~:.ihly deRtroy it!! e xistence or change its d•aracter. The t:lcction, which was peaceably conducted under my in:-.truct ion:;, involved !!tmngc inconHil:!tencie!!. A htq;e majority of the persons who vo ed ~tga lnst. the Lecompton Uoustitulion were t\\ Ute same lillle ancl p lace recognizing its valid existence in the mo~t solid und a uthentic utautl er I.I.Y 1 otin!; under it:; p ro vi~ions. I lttLVe yet r eceived 110 oJ\iciai iuformo.tlon of the result of this election. ~ to nl'l't the ;.n xious attention of the pe1>ple o f the ~hole country uptlll it and it a lone-no person thought of 1wy other qnc:ition. For my own part, when 1 iustn tckd Uuv •ruor \\'alket' in gene ral tenus ln f:Lvor of ~uu 111ittiug the constitu tion to the p ~o ple, 1 '.'ad no ohj1·ct in view except t.he a ll-abeorbtug questiOn of :-:lavery. It! 11illlt manner t lte people of Kansa!! mi{;ht rc~uhLte the ruth '~·.co u cerns, wa:l uot the suhj ect ~~· ~1ich utL :wted 111.1' attunltOil. 111 fact, the general provt!!IOns or our reecnt :-t.ate confltit utions, aft.er an e xperience of l'igltt.y ye.tl', :Lrc so situilar n.tul excellent tltat it wo uld bt.: .ti!li~nlt. tr; ~o f:lr wrong ttt t.he prese nt day in fmmlng 11. new cou~litutinu. I then I.J e lieved, and !!till believe, that under the org-t~r~ic act, tho Ka11sas Convc ntio11 wcr~ 11ound to sub111iL thi:~ all·importa11t que::~tion o f Slal·cry to the people. It was u cvc r, ltuwcvcr, my opin.ou that, intleper~dcntly o f thi:; net, they would have b11cn bound to ~~~thmit a ny portion of the c o11stitu tion to a popular vote iu cm l ~r to give it validity. llatll cutertttined tiUCh an op tlion, thi:; would have been in oppo::!ition to many p ·· ·cedent:~ in our history, commencing in the very hcst a;.;e of our I: epublic. It would ha1·c been In oppo:.it.ion to the pri nciple which pcr vadeH our in:.li· t u tiou~, an<l 11 li"t:h i~:~ every <l ;ty c:Lrlt ·d iu to prat:t icc, that the pPople h:we n. righ t. to delegate to the represcntat il·t:s cho~cu by t h cnJselvcs t h eir sovcr ·i~-:n power to fmme corJ.,tit.utio ns, r nact laws, and perfur 111 tliUIIY other iruportant aets, without requ i ri11 ~ that the~e bhoulcl oe subjectetl to their H ttb~equ e nt ll.ppr<)bation. lt would \.ie tL most inconvenieuL lilllitation o f tltdr own powe r, 1mposetl by lite people upon themselve:.:, to cxdudc ~hem from e xercising their sovereignty In a ny la11 ful manner whil'l1 tltcy tllittk p roper. It is true that. Lite p eople o f Kans as mlght., if they had ?leased, have required the Convention to sullmit the constitution to a popular vot,c, hut this thl'y han • not done 'fhe only rctnedy, ther e for e, in this case is tltat which exists in all other sirni la r c a!!eS. If the rlclq.j:Ltcs who framed the K ansas Com;titution have in a ny manner riolaLed the will of tl1cir const.it ue ntH, t.l1e people always possess the power to chflli!-(C their constitution or l <~ws according to their own pleasure. The quc!!tion of ~lavery wa.8 submitted to 1.1.11 e lection of the people on the 21st o f December la. .'l t., in obed ien ce to .the man<late o f the Con· vention. ll cre, again, a fair opportunit,y was presente·l to tlte adherents of tlte 'l'opeka. Co n~ titutl o n, if they were the majority, to decide this e xcitiug question " in their own way," and thus restore peace to the distracted 'J'e r· ritory ; but they ngain refu ·cd t o ex ercise t he right of PopuhLr l'overeignt .. Y, :tn<l again sulfered the election to pass by tlef:wlt. I hear ti ly r ej oice that u. wiser and better spirit prcv;tile<l among a large majot ity of these pcop1e on the ftrst :'ll onday In J anuary, and that they dW on that day vote under the Lecompton Constilu t.ion for a Oovemor and other· Stnte o fliccrs, n member of Congress, and fot· members o f the Legislatu re. '!'!tis election was w:lt'lllly contested by the par t ies, and a larger vote polled than at llliY p r evious election in the Territory. We may uow r <·asonahly hope that the r e 1·olutionary Topek<L orgauization will IJe speedily aud finally ah:Lndouccl, and this will go f1 u· toward :d in:tl settlement of the unhappy ditl\:rences in Ka nsas. If fmucls have been committed at t.hl:; clcct.ion by oue or both partie~:~ , the I •gl~lature nn<l people of Kansas, under th e lt· con!ltiLution, will know how to rc<lt·css themselves and punh:!h tlte~e detebtable but too common c rimes without outside interference. A ~:~ a que:ltion of expediency, aftet· right ltas been maintained, it may be wbe to renect upon the benefi t-a to J(ansas tuHI the whole count.-y tha t will result from its immediate aJtniH~iou Into the Union, us well as ~he disaster that may follow Its rejection. l>ome~t i c peaco will be the happy consequence of the atlmi.:;slon, anti that fine T erritory, which ha~ hitherto been torn by dis:Scn sions, will rapidly increase in population and 11 ealth, and speedily r ealize the blessings ami coutrorti:l which follow in the train of agricultural and nJcchanical industry. The people, t.hen, will oe sovereign, and can resulate their alfairs in th eir own way. lf the mnjority of them cl<..'tiirc to al>Olish dome~:~tic Sla very wi thin the Stale, there is no ot.her possible mode by which it can be ell'ecterl so ~pecd ily as by prompt admissi on. The will of the majority is supreme and irresistible, wltcn expressed in an orderly and lawful manner. It can make an<! unmake ·on~titntions at pleasure. lt would he absurd to !lay th;Lt they can Impose fetters upon their own p owe.wltich they caunot afterward remove. lf they could clo this thcv might tic their own hand:; j ust as well for a hund red as for ten years. 'l'ltese are the fundamental priuci.p lcs of American frce<lom, anti ar • reco~nizcd, 1 believe, in some form or other by every Stale cowJlitution; and if Congres5, in the act o f admission, should think proper to recognize them, 1 can p erceive no obj ection. 1.'ilis h;~,.; b• ·en dune etuph:ILh:alt,v tn tl.lc constitution of K ILIISaM. I t declart!S In its bi ll of ri~-:hts that " All polit iCid power i~ inhereu t in the people," and 1111 free govcrnmenlH are fuundc<l on tl1eir autltorl ty ILlld instttul c<l for t11eir hcndlt , n.ntl therefore have at a ll times an ina lien able aocl indcfcasiblt! r lglrt to alter, r eform and nbolihh 'l'h_e people of Knnsa.s have, then, "in their own way," and tn strict acconlance with the organic act, framed a Co~s~itution and .'tate Govcmme nt., have submitted the aii·Jmporta.nt que:;t ion of 'lavery to the people, and ha.ve elected a Ouverno1·, a member to represent them In Congress, membe r~:~ of the State L cgislatUt e and other State officer~:~; and they n ow nsk admission into the Union under Uti ~ constltut.ion, which is r e publican In it.s form. It lli for Congress to dcciue whethe1· they will admit or reject the ::llatc which has thus been created. . l<'ot· my own p art, I am tleciuedly In favor of its admisSIOn, and titus terminating the K a nsas question. This will ca.rry out the g reat principle or Non· Intervention recogmzed and suuctioncd by the organic act, which d ec i~res in express language in favor of tho no n-inter· ~cnt~o n of <Jongress with ::)lavery in the State:~ and r~rt·t toricfl, leaving tho p eople "perfectly free to form and_ regulate their domestic institutions in their own way, SUbjeCt only to the Constitution or the United States." Iu U1\tl m~nu ~r, by localizing the question of ...Javery and confinml( 1t to the p eople who it immedlntely concerned1 every patriot anxiously expected that this question would t.ll ·i r form of government, in such Jnamoer as they may tldttk proper. Tile gre1Lt ' Lute of Nt:w-York is at tl.i t~ mon1ent governed uudcr lt constitution framed and est a.blisllcd in di rect opposition to a 1110de p rcscribt!d I.Jy tho previous constitution. lf, therefore, n provbion chungiug the constitution of 1\:an as after tile ~~a.r 1 6-i, could hy po sibility be construed luto a p rohthlllun to make such chutwc previous to that pt· t·iocl, this prohibition 1vould be ~vho l ly unavnlliug. 'l'he legislature already elec ted may, at its very first session, submit tile q uestion to:~ vole of the people, wloether th ty wtll or not have a con vcnti on, to :urtCtHI their con~t itut.ion, a ntl adopt a ll necc~sary mean~ for giving clf·· Ct to the popular will. H ha~ hecn ~o letu nly acljudgcd, by the highetlt judicial t ri bunal known to our laws, that Slavery exists in Kansas hy virtue eof the Co n:-~tit uti o n of the United dates. 1\ausit.S is the re fore ut this moment as much It :::lla.Ye State 1ts Gt!Ol');ia or S•1Uth CMolinn. Without tltis, the eq uality of the Sovereign States cont poHing the Union would be viol uted ancl the usc and enjoy rncnt of a Terrilory a c qui rt!d by the ccJtnmon treasure of all the States, would be clo;:~cd 11gniost. the people ami property of m:arly lud f tht! lllt:lllhcr~ or the Confederacy. >-~Ia l'ery Cllll, therefore, ne vl"r be prohilJitl"U In K:Lnsa.:~, cxn·pt tht·,,uglt tile means of a cons: ttmional provision; aucl in no ot lt t r mauner can tJ1is be obt1Li lletlso promptly, if the m;ljo r!ty of the people desire it, as by u<lmt tting her into tile Union under l1cr prtscut con~tit ut ion. On the other h~ud, should C?n- 1-(rc 'H rt'j··cL the constitution, ':lndcr the Hlc~t of alford ~ug the tliSII Il"t!ctcd in 1\.awms a thu·J opportuntty to prolllbl\ ::\lavery in the tate, which they might hfwe rlonc twice befo re if iu the major ity, 110 umn ctLtl foretell the consequence~. If Congres~ , for tlte snk t~ of tho~c men who r~>ru~ eol to vot.e fo r ddegatcs to the convcntHm! wl.oenth~::y might. hJLV\l excluded Slavery from the consttttttwu, aud who 1~fterwanl refused to vote on the 2l~t of D~::cembcr, wl1en they might, as th ey claim , l illY~ ~trickeu Slavery frotn the con~titut ion, should now.r c; cct t!te. State. because Slavt:ry remains In the constttutlon,_ 1t JS .mantfes& tlHlt the ugi tatlon upon this dun g<: rou~ su.hject Wtll be renewed in a. more alarming form tlmn It has ever ye\ assumed. E very p:ttriot in the cou utry had ind ulged ~he hope that the Kansas-Nebraska Act woultl hnvu put a |