Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1856-05-02

was wlthou, Tespect.lQ party. | am NOT in
ioriped on, thot point, and shall say nothing
anont Il but the meeting was conposed of
lhe tothela j. of -she. yeuitpfY. The rebort.
slqstead Of giyngThe ebjeotionabie VS., ar
s,".ng "heN lheylsres ruieifSs any account
W t'ie!'l, says what that, meeting s,atedythem
~ ne ne fnPort says that IN thar meeting
No,o 1ileers wliq srTerf 90 oxecute The hws
,anpi tneIeipre,.i ls spiliclesL to give tiIeir
neNS pl lhems he mouent YOU examine
the resolutions and srammenis of that meot-
ing you gqd that in9stsiing lhe elec,icn law
10 "hiGh have allu0ed, theyd9 NOT give t,s
tue character They say that compliant
mas been made about a poll tax. but that
there Is no such requirement. have shown
you that there is. The act of the Leg,sla-
ture provided for the paying of taxes on
election day by persons Who were then in
the Territory. The addres. Of this meciior
denies That The people are bound 10 swear
10 enlorce the fugitive slave Jaw. but admits
mat ihey are compelled to do IL, n their votes
are challenged and they nre called upon 10
90 IT, Is not this escaping from the plain
provision
lraiead Of attempting to deny the exist.
ence OF thcso laws, or TO tell what they are,
or 10 assert what they are, this Il merely an
attempt 10 escape by undertaking 10 saw
what somebody else said about them. That
call an insinuatou
The next point in the majority report TO
which allude is the statement in relation TO
the course which the people OF Kansas took
10 endeovcr tu obtain some redress. What
Is The story about that? lnstea Of taking
The proceedings OF the Lawrence meeting,
winch have stated 10 my minority report,
aud then the meeting at Topeka which the
Lawrence meeting called, aud then the state
ments made by that meeting itself as 10 its
purposes, which have read, what does the
report do Ii first states the Lawrence meet
ing and what next2 Does 1t 90 through
the line OF meetings a. they were called p
Not at all. IL Immediately takes a diversion
from that path, ard goes off to a certain
meeting holden at Big Springs. There was
party meeting at Big Springs. | know
there was, because it, proceedings are bound
up Ia the same pamphlet with the Topeka
meeting, which the gentleman says he knew
had. Certainly had, and | gave him a
copy. The copies are all alike | suppose
The report goes off from the Lawrence meet.
ing Instead Of going to the meeting called
by the one held at Lawrence, in which they
state their purposes, it diverges from that,
and goes off 10 the Big Springs meeting.
do not know that a single man who was in
the party meeting at Big Springs was in the
meetings at Lawrence and Topeka.
Now, Is It fair, is II right to attempt to give
character to this straight direct line of pro-
ceedlngs by the people. by going off to po-
litical party meeting, and giving version Of
what It did? 1t is true that the Big Springs
meeting, among other proceedings, approved
the call OF the Topeka convention; but who
asked them for any approval of it? Their
approval made no difference. | think no
gentleman here would be wiling to say that,
when he calls a course of meetings of his
own political party to Sc, out their purposes
any character can be given to those meet
ings or their proceedings by slde>bar assem-
blages who say they approve Of them? Ger
talnly not. Now, what meeting was it which
called the constitutional convention? The
meeting at Topeka, of the 18th of Septeni-
ber They state their purposes which
have read. The proceedings of that meet
ing which called the convention are not CIV
en- at all in the majority report. 1t states that
there was such a meeting, but their proceed
lngs are not given. The very proceedings
which declared their purposes, and whichI
havo sot out m tho minority report, are mot
there do not use the word suppressed"
MI DoUGLAs. No; because it would not
be true It you did Twill show you timtiit
Is In the report .G
Mr COLLAMER | have not seen il. Ha
Mr. DouGLAs. II you read the report you
will see II. atfg
Mr. CoLLAMER. The proceedings the
meeting September 10? r7afam
Mr. DOUGLAS. The majority report sets
out IN full the preamble to the resolntions Of
the meeting. It then states that they pissed
FpsOlufIuua TnlttuU n -.
Topeka. Were you speaking of the Law
renee or Topeka meeting? rfr -idl
Mr. CoLLAMER- | was speaking OF the
Topeka meeting of the l9h OF september
Mr. DOUGLAS. have stated what they
did on the 10Th OF September; Ihave not
put IN the report the whole pamphlet. rgoa
Mr.. CoLLAMER. There is the point DHf
Mr. DOUGLAS. On that point wish to be
distinctly understood. ] have not set out
the whole proceedings, or the speeches la
those meetings IN full; but they are precise
~ IN this order; first, the meeting at Law
renee; second, at Big Springs, which in
dOrses the Lawrence movement third, the
meeting at Topeka on the 18Th OF Septeui-
ber called by those two meetings; fourth,
the convention at Topeka, which lOrrned tho
constitution. | will give the reason why'd
stated them in that order met the Sena-
tor from Vermont at his room by agreement,
and we there came to an understanding that
that was the order OF proceedings in which
the constitutional convention was Lrot,en up
II there IS a misstatemeur in theCreport in
regard to them, II Is the Senator's fault, be-
cause ho agreed to that arrangement at'the
time. | have the memoanduin ON which 1T
Is written. taken in his room. II is his agree-
ment aud never has been departed from
since. The facts are distinctly and truly
stated IN the report as lwiil show wheUthe
gentlemen gets through "1n2
Mr., CoLLAMER. Win tho Senator show
the at what page Of this reportth proceed
ings of the Topeka meeting Of the 18th Of
September are giyent l'aii'- G -i.' sa
Mr., DouGLAs. 1t Is In tho regular order.
Mr.. CoLLAMER. Atwhat page nDi'1
Mr DouGLAs. Abnpages 81 and 80,
where this statementis to ba foundi 'ods
"Iu rur.uaueo Of he Recommendations Of The mass
meeting held at Lawfci-te bahs Iih ~ Au gssti and
indo.od by tho conventPu hoLl ptt4 Bis aetipss %
Topess ,a oa ,s G'S 81 Il s s s Issh
was determined to hoJaasihsi aonvuiition ths
pace ou the iuuuh ueeal o. Ortqbet, for khe pupozs
OF finhg consutntiod AID stais eoyef fimsnt and 10
this end such Proceedings ~sis bad as wets deemed
necessary fo giving asogas~. plseiisn
co. Sgggs' s ait' s sg 99a i,,s9ss " ss
p,oeeediass, your Siss 80 pssossiy fsr fiith
er criticism than IL sty4eiyqud ~ uR 1ei that i ygs
the movement Of political hafly inst AZ 81 tho whho
body # ihn people nl k.Hss, toaiJctsd hiihint thu
sanction ofaw uis ~ cpfk ice if .iq fpnsi,h idaa
thoos, tho asoeeI rgfsg 9f oyef'hr2 slng Tho tet-
filoal sYufnmctt sttfa'ishedby Cohsse-s'fo" lFH"a
ui 20 gII 1Qn ub / ,=ucll.nfTt
Mr CoLLAMHRlnath lsseXefuy az l pn-
ueTslanu It, u pod zoe lanuna / ud o
Mr.. DouGLAF no H0u are Very 'Hnlprlgnals
in stating hoYqyoH 10 understand It. Is, rat
Mr.. CoLLnfER. Isall that the proceed
iugs Of the meeting ut 'nopeka, Of the i9ui
Of Sep,embgj (which, called tho convention
TO form the eonst,tutIHn, mcrn not given. u
say now, lhoysars op e2vemn' That was the
meeting which calai the constitutional nof,
yontion plnft was tiaunnetug which statat
the purposps' Of ifhslnfaVimanuaal have read
To Won thar satcmaht a ithetr pntpoaes,