The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-04-17
THE SENATE DEBATE UPON THE KANSAS
MEMORIAL,

j. asst Thursday was memorable day in the
discussions of the Senate. On the motion to
print the memorial of the Senators and Repre-
sentatives of the General Assembly of Kansas,
applying for admission to the Union, a long
and in several respects important debate
sprung up. Senator Mason, of Virginia, had,
on previous day, moved that it be laid on the
table, and he now proceeded to state his rea-
sons. 1t was of no Importance, in his opinion,
what the character of the petition was, other
wise than that it came from men who were act
ing in rebellion against the Government of the
country, and who had no right to be recognised
in the official capacity which in that document
they assumed.
MIR. Seward, of New York, defended the
memorial 1t came from the Provisional Legis-
lature of Kansas, and was handed to the Sem
ate by gentleman (Col. Lane) elected by that
body to the United States Senate. There could
be no serious objection to allowing the courtesy
of printing the memorial.
Mr.. Butler, of South Carolina, made an on
slaught upon the chirography of the memorial
and quoted Jefferson's Manual to prove that a
petition not signed by the petitioners could not
be received. He had never seen a petition so
unacceptable" in other respects, as this. 1t
arraigns the conduct of the President, and
claims for the people of Kansas the privileges
Of selfinvested sovereignty. The Senator
from New York Mr.. Seward had insisted
upon the courtesy of printing it. He (Butler)
"had no doubt the gentleman was willing to do
anything which he can reconcile to his con.
science, regardless of law and the obligations
OF Constitutions"
Mr.. Hamlin, of Maine, advocated the recep-
ton of the memorial, and instituted parallel
between this attempt to stihe the voice of the
Kansas petitioners, and the conduct of Lord
North, in opposing the reception of petitions of
our revolutionary fathers.
Mr.. Butler did not like to be arraigned be-
side Lord North but if he had been Lord
North, and any attempt in the English Parlia-
ment had been made to violate the laws of
England, he would have maintained the digni.
ty of Parliamentary proceedings.
Mr.. Hale, of New Hampshire, contended for
the right of petition. Whether it were spur-
ous-as some Senators had avowed-or not,
could be determined upon the reception. This
memorial having been received on the 7th
without objection, it was too late now to raise
that question. The objection, that the people
of Kansas had no right to style themselves a
State, was not sound. Their conduct was jus
tilted by the case of Missouri. When that
Territory applied for admission as State
Government, one of the strongest reasons
urged for her admission was, that if she were
not admitted as State of the Union, she would
be State out of the Union. The people of
Kansas, in thus styling themselves State, are
not guilty of assuming that they are State of
the Confederacy. 1t is not necessary to be
the latter, in order to claim the name of the
former. The informality of the admission of
California was also in point. That State was
organized without permission of Congress, and,
without being first recognised as member of
the Confederacy, elected her Senators and
Representatives, whose admission to Congress
was the first act by which that body recognised
her place in the Union. There is, therefore,
nothing arrogant, false, or improper, in Colonel
Lanes or Governor Reeder's representing them
selves as Senators from Kansas, before she has
become q member of the Confederacy. Mr..
Hale closed with a very eloquent defence of
the conduct of the Free State men of Kansas.
A motion, by Stuart, of Michigan, to proceed
to the consideration of the River and Harbor
bill, gave rise to discussion, in the course of
which, Rusk, Of Texas, opposing the motion,
urged that it was not fair to allow the taunts of
the Senator from Maine to be unanswered.
The debate on the memorial should not be
stopped. He regarded that paper as "part
and parcel Of the trash which had been dis
seminated about Kansas" 1t was stump |
speech, abusive and slanderous," Those who ]