The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-07-29
hall be exercised, the southern slavehold
ing States will go out of this Unionl

/
from Massachusetts. and / win answer
him in this way. think that no candid
and impartial man can have witnessed this
discussion and the turn it has taken without
being convinced that that Senator bases
his action here solely upon the ground that
Kansas shall never be admitted As slave
holding State of this Union. under any cir
cumstances. Now, desire TO know if the
Senator will under any circumstances. vote
for the admission of K ansas into this Union
with constitution tolerating slavery!
! MIR. WILSON. will not.
Mr.. REID. Then, sir, what does the
Senator do! Docs he not violate every
principle of the Constitution of the United
States Does he not violate every princi-
pie of free government! And will he ask
US TO be bound by the constitution when he
repudiates and spurns it from him! l. sir,
in my public position as a representative,
in the whole course of my life, have never
made a distinction between a free and
slave State, when the people fairly formed
| their constitution and asked for admission
into the Union, because, in doing so. | should
have regarded that had violated the Con-
stitution of the United States, and was I'M
worthy of being member of this Govern
| ment. / do not desire to remuin in this
| Union and take advantage of all can get
| under the Constitution, and yet disavOw
that Constitution, disregard it, and set it at
naught whenever it is against-me. That is
rot the spirit in which the Constitution was
| formed. Here you have two Territories,
! Kansas and Nebraska. Into one of those
Territories the people have gone and set
| tied. There southern men have made no
contests whatever. They have not shown
| a factious disposition to create discord, and
| to bring about anarchy. revolution, blood
| shed, and everything else which is incon-
sistent with order and good government;
but in Territory adjoining one of the slave
States of this Union, where it was natural
| to suppose that slave-Owners would settle,
there is every disposition shown to throw
obstacles in the way, to cause revolution
and anarchy, to divide the people of that
Territory, and to prevent them from form
ing government to suit themselves. Cen
temen may talk as they choose, but it is
evident that it is not on the Kansas and
Nebraska bill, it is not on tho Missourian's
vote, but it is on the result and conclusion
at which the people of that Territory have
arrived, that these gentlemen base their
action.
If Massachusetts and Missouri had car
ried their millions of men and imported them
there with Sharpe's rifles, and had shot
down a hundred thousand persons, vet if
that government had been formed prohibit
ing slavery, the Senator from Massachusetts,
and the Senator from New York would have
been found in favor of it. Their objection
likely to become slave State and not upon
the manner in which the government there
has been conducted. This must be evident
to every one who has impartially noticed
the course of this debate. The gentlemen
have long claimed that they had the major
ity there until you propose to permit them
to have another trial. and now they admit
that they have not a majority, but yet they
insist that they ought to have a constitution
in opposition 10 the majority. The Sena-
tor from New York talks a great deal about
freedom; and from what l can learn from
that Senator the definition of freedom with
him is, to obey his will. Sir, that is free
dom! Now, according to his definition of
ho1 -.
Kansas until you have a constitution there
which inhabits slavery. no matter whether
the people are in favor of it or not; and that
he will term freedom!
Mr.. President, l ask the Senator from
Massachusetts, whether, after his avowal
that, if Kansas adopts constitution toler-
ating slavery, he and his people will not
admit Kansas into the Union because she
is Slave State, he can ask southern man
to come up here and vote for the admission
of free States, as he will not vote for the
admission of slave States? Will he, in re-
gard to Nebraska, require me to vote for
such government as the people of that
Territory may adopt, when he will not vote
for the admission Of Kansas with such
government as a majority of the people
there may adopt! If he desires to carry
out this government in that spirit, does he
expect that the southern people will sub
NIT to it! put it to him as q can did man,
could he ask them to do it, Will he with
impunity violate and tremple under foot the
Constitution of this country, and then como
up and ask me to abide by it afterwards!
THE REFORMERS.
AS social reformers, we have the disci-
pies of FourieriSm, Owenisn. Mormonism,