The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-12-18

them the State of Illinois is named Sir, the State
of Illinois endorses no such sentiments as those
avowed by the Senator from Virginia You
could not get the friends of Mr. Buchanan IN
Illinois to discuss the question of the expansion
of Slavery. They said that Kansas would be
free State; that it was libel on them, when we
charge that the effect the purpose, the object, OF
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, was TO
open Kansas to Slavery. They said, Slavery
will not go there; Kansas will be free State !"
and they discussed other questions, and were
very far from discussing this question OF the ex-
pansion of Slavery. The great party which 1t
Is said has triumphed, was not willing TO put
itself on that issue but we find it at Cincinnati
overturning and casting aside all the veterans
who had done service in the kansas-Neoraska
night, and taking up another gentleman, SIMPLY
because he had not been mixed up with Ia
gentleman who had been abroad, who had noth-
ing to do with the repeal of the Missouri Compro-
mise and the opening of Kansas to Slavery. lie
was nominated for that reason; and is as appa-
rent as the MONDAY SUM- that if he had been iden-
titled with that measure, he could not have been
elected Take the State of Illinois, which Mr..
Buchanan has carried, butnot by majority vote ;
he is in q minority in that State of nearly thirty
thousand. Thirty-seven thousand votes were
cast in that State for Mr. Fillmore. The speakers
in his favor denounced the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise, denounced the extension of Slavery
boldly, as did any supporter of Colonel Fremont;
but they insisted that Mr.. Fillmore was the better
man for the Presidency. They cast their votes
for him under that impression.
But how was it when a man was brought up,
identified with the repeal OF the Missouri Com
promise, and the opening of Kansas to Slavery!
How was it when Colonel Richardson came
before the people of Illinois as the nominee OF
the Buchanan party for GOVERNOR man who
had taken an active part in the repeal OF the
Missouri COmpromise-and there came up In
opposition TO him gentleman who was opposed
TO the massachusetts BILL The respective
conventions which nominated these gentlemen
passed resolutions on this subject The one
nominating Colonel Richardson endorsed the
Nebraska bill the other nominating Colonel
Bissell denounced and condemned it, Who is
elected2 Colonel Bissell triumphantly, and the
whole Republican State ticket; and that, too,
Notwithstanding the fact that therewas aFillmore
ticket voted for
Do you claim Illinois as endorsing the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise, and sustaining the
administration of Franklin Pierce2 If he had
been the candidate, or any man identlhed with
him in his policy, he would have been beaten as
badly as was the manin the instance where there
were but two persons in Illinois running for a
State office, that of State Treasurer. 1t so hap
pened that we had but two candidates for that
office. One was Mr. Moore, honest John
Moore" as he has been called, the old treasurer,
q popular man, and deservedly so, but identified
with the party which approved the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise. Against him, the Repub-
lican candidate was Mr.. Miller, who was elected
by more than twenty-one thousand majority.
Here, where there were but two candidates run
ming, you see what was the public sentiment of
that State on this issue. Although its electoral
vote is cast for Mr. Buchanan it is cast by large
minority of the voters of the State. So it is on the
Congressional ticket; majority of thousands is
given for the Republican candidates. | protest
that the State of Illinois never has endorsed and
never will endorse the spread of Slavery over
free Territories. The only difficulty which we
had was in getting the people to decide upon that
issue. The trouble was, that we could not bring
up the opposite party to the advocacy of those
doctrines which are proclaimed here i'll the
Senate. If we had been able to do so, and could
we have had the benefit in the State of Illinois,
during the canvass, of the speech which the Sena-
tor from Virginia has delivered here to-day, |
think that even the electoral vote of Illinois
Though cast now by a minority of its yoters)
would not have been cast for Mr.. Buchanan.
sdall take another time, when | have had a
further opportunity to examine this message of
the President, to comment further upon it. On
the present occasion will not longer detain the
Senate. My object in rising was chiefly to pro-
test against g the baseless assumptions in this
message and the las | think unwarranted as
sumptions made by Senators here when they I'M
dertake to attribute to the great Republican party
which sustained Colonel Fremont, any hOstil-
ity to the rights of any Of the States of this
Union, or to the institution of Slavery in any
of