The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-05-01
CONGRESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF HON. CLEMENT q. CLAY, u

OF ALABAMA,
On the contest in Kansas and the plan and purpose OF
black repubcanism delivered in the Senate of the Uni
ted States, April 2l 1896.
The Senate as in committee of the whole having under
consideration the bill TO authorize the people OF the Terri
tory of Kansas TO form constitution and State govern
ea preparatory their admission into the Union when
they have the required population
Mr. CLAY said:
Mr. PRESIDENT This debate the part of the advocates
ornsurrecon in Kansas has been worthy of their
From its Inauguration by the senator from New Hamp-
shire Mr. HALE in his furious onslaught upon the fresi-
dents annual message down 10 the attempt to fost upon
the Senate the spurious memorial of the amateur egsa-
ture Topeka they have displayed more personal part-
SAN and sectional asperiy than bave ever witnessed on
this floor They not to desire TO restore peace to
preserve order and sustain the laws but TO increase DIS
senson disorder and subver the laws OF that Ter
o They appear not as impartial arbiters OF THIS great
controversy but Jealous advocates with contingent fees
resting its decson Determined to know and TO pre-.
sent but side they concede no violation OF law, order
morality, proprety by their clients Instead OF ex-
hibiting the imparality dignity, and sobrety OF an
Areopagus in whose justice and Judgment contending
States may confde they have betrayed the rancorous
prejudice of sectional bigotry and the blind pas-
sion Of selfish partsanshp They have assaied the rep
utaons only of those who have appeared prom
nen advocates Of slavery in Kansas but of those
who have espoused neither sde but have srven TO stay
the hand of violence aud to do justice TO both parties The
newspaper contributions of hreling and anonymous
writers have been gravely paraded as testimony which
decide this great ISSUE aud with which 10 detame
reproach and above suspicion When challenged give
their author they neither him endorse his
meGt but admit their high for the whom they
aid traducing. They seek nure and to shirk
sponsbiy-"wling TO wound and yet afraid to strike"
The President has been assaed with bitterness oharac
tersc rather OF personal enmity than political antago
nlSm.
The MSsouran have been spoken of foreign and bar
barous enemies rather than elowcitizeu descended
from ancestry and devoted to the civil and
political destiny.
bau h,au
ing acquiring territory or giving it away to aggrandize
ber and appropratng federal property and offices TO her
own and to the exclusion of the North.
ThNorh has escaped detracton by her for
they aege that she has always had vena in market
ready sell themselves the ambitious purposes of
the South Those who proclaim the nfamy of their own
household must share the shame and endure suspicion and
when they wantonly and maciousy charge members of
their family with selling themselves people will
Ic that they have escaped that debasement only for want
Of purchaser.
Defence Of the President
The President needs not the shield of another to protect
him against the missiles of their malice and is hon.
od by their than their praise Covered in the
complete panoply of truth, he has vulnerable point
pOsedno tender heel-whieh tho that bay at
him wound II love of country which embraces the
whole Union and knows North, South, East and
no West in the administration of the government; If a
strict adherence to his professions of political faith and
observance OF all the pledges with which he into
office If vigant guardianship of the constitution, and
uncnl'uatng vindcaon of its great principles if these
marks of the true patriot enlightened statesman and
honest man, then has the Presidents official illus
atd that character. The people Of hs section de-
ceyed and msed by artifce may unusy condemn him in
the present. but will in the future their error and
unite with the South in awarding him the honor due to
noble ends attained by noble means.
If the Presidents friends dsrusted his fidelity to the
constitution and laws in dischargng his official duty to-
wards Kansas the conflicting and contradictory charges
bis enemies would furnish vindcaton.
The a6olitonfsts charge that the President approved
ae Nebraska Kansas bill TO open new fields for slavery
The South Americans that he did to enlarge the
Of tree soil The abolitioniss say his administration has
been e1ered to make Kansas slave State; the South
Americans TO make it free State. The abolitionst Is
stuse the President for removing Reeder; the South
Americans for appointing him. The aboIitionsts say he
vas removed too soon the South Americans too late.
lhe aboluonsts say he removed for no official de
nquency the South Americans, that he retained Of
II T repeated deinquencies. The abotonists complain
mat qnaer sovereignty is frowned upon and threatened
with suppression the South Americans that it is
n'ad and encouraged. The abolitoniss complain that
he Proclamation is leyeled at ree-soilers the South
Americans, al pro slavery Thus 90 the Presidents
asers contradict and confue each other and prove that
has dspleased extremists both sides by occupying
nat middle ground which is consistent with the rights
auher
Nor sir the Presidents northern accusers conssen,
Ih each other. The senator from Massachusetts, Mr.
complains Of the President for Issuing his procla.
1Aon upon information communicated by Governor
Rnoh while the senator from Illinois takes IL TO have
an issued upon the information Of Lane aud Robinson
advocates Of The nsurreconists denounce him because
he Proclamation, while OF their clients thank him
FG The senator from New York [Mr SrwARD denounces
resident as prant looks in history for his pro-
And hnds It In the person OF George III The senstor
I new Hampshire Mr. HAtE seeks his similitude In a
more congonial to his taste finds in the vulgar
@ ana denounces him n dcmagogue
enet are the Presidents consistent with them
,@ The senator from New York, AFTER his formal ar
Snment and elaborate accusation Of him accom-
" me Missouri invaders virtually confessed the in
u Of the charge by failing 10 show the law the Presi-
nao violated or bad not enforced and by asking the
5""n cannot Congress Clothe him with power to act,
" not his duty 10 ask power To remove usurpation
uoyert tyranny in Territory Of the United States"
u, senator from Massachusetts, IMr WusoNl sat out
Va 700 bold assertion that the document sent us by the
NeuI would carry gigantic alsehood to the Ampri-
l"ple made up Of "rumors Of the hour Yet in
Woaays speech Of minute aud elaborate details OF
80 ""afs, ne did not controvert, or attempt to con
Wv single material fact alleged by Governor
"uoh That Leading men had placed themselves In
a'.1oe ~ rebellion towards the government; that
H SW attempting TO subvert existing authority
sn a government Of their own, and with
we" mad formed a secret military organization ;
L ,AoSuuon OF the laws had been openly resisted
'sS had been burned and other property DESTROYED
t'OsS'ery families had been driven from their homes
% wl,I 70 seek shelter in Missouri these porteutous
n5 Ing ScH were not disproveu, seriously ques-
d 'nuet1r IN bis spOchryphal history Of Kansas be
al documents WV" '"O'e 'e' 'o'''' =" '"' VI
or senator from New Hampshire TMr HAUL set out
nm G me u'Garaion that challenge had been thrown
,e Ireslden-to be gathered from the remarks OF
"f from Connecticut--to which he would reply and
snow hat Tie President had omitted b,s ooss;ttopai
u" ha1 not tnerfsrsd "pheR there state Of facts
h. y"'yy and call for his tnterJersncsu The show
,rb W. 1S % was an extract from iuhammatory stump
E,merno Governor Reeder, published last May declaring
~ ~os 'had been tRpaded, conquered and sugjgqaedR
s not allege that Governor Reeaer made any official
Pon The President for protection Of the people Of