The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-03-13

ject to the condemnation OF this law, who should
/ be found with any such document as this in his
pocket7 The Senator from Tennessee said the
provision of the law was not severe enough but
that the offence ought to be punished by death.
! Well, sir, there was a tribunal which sat more
than eighteen hundred years ago, upon the Au-
thor of one of the sentiments which have read,
and that tribunal thought just so, and passed
sentence OF death upon him, and executed him.
! Now, come to the consideration of the mes
sages Of the President. In his annual message,
presented to US on the 3lst of December, 1855, he
says:
n the Territory of Kansas there have been acts prej
dicIai to good order but hare occurred under
eeutius"
| Mark the date; dates are something in thi.
matter Nothing had occurred up to the 3lst of
December last, to justify his interposition. In
his message on the 24th of January, ls56-twen-
ty-four days afterwards-he says:
Circumstances hare disturb the course of
governmental organization in the Territory of Kansas;
incumbent 10 call your attention the subsct and
urgently to recommend the adoption by you Of suck
measures OF legislation the grave exigencies of the
case appear to require"
l put it to the President of the United States,
and | put it to all his friends on this floor anG
everywhere else, to tell me what occurred bes
tween the 3lst of December 1885, and the oath of
January, 1856, to justify this change of policy
Did the Convention to form State Constitution
for Kansas, assemble in the mean time ? No, sir.
Did an election take place for State officers
No, sir All that was done before the 3lst OF
December, 1855 and have the authority of the
President for saying that nothing had been done
up to that time which would justify the inter-
ference of the Federal Executive. In his judg-
ment, then, the people of the Territory had tbs
right to meet; and in meeting, to institute Con-
stitution, they had committed no offence, and had
. l<,o sE1l l.
but, sir wish TO do the President of the United
States all justice-and will l think always
have done SO, and l always will. do not boz
lieye, as some of the enemies OF the President
have undertaken to say, that he ID a coward.
do not believe that he is wanting in physical in
moral courage. Sir, he has courage by Inherit
ance, and | never doubted it. The President OF
the United States is notawanting in talent He
is man of respectable talent; and it is no dis
arrangement to say of the distinguished gentle
men who were his competitors before the nomi-
mating Convention, that he is the equal to any Of
them and in my judgment, superior to the man
who means to supplant him. | 60 further: I
think the President is progressive; think he
improves. From the 3lst of December to the Gath
Of January, there was marked improvement in
his manners, if in nothing else Whether or not
it was the effect of little animadversion which
he might have read, I shall not undertake to say
Laughter But | will give you the proof Of
the statement which have just made. In his
message OF the 3lst of December, 1865, he speaks
of those who were opposed to him as enemies
of the Constitution" Then nobody who differed
from him could be friendly to the Constitution.
See what a wonderful change is produced in
twenty-four days. On the oath of January he
speaks in this way:
Th. interference in so far as it concerns its primary
causes and its immediate commencement, of the
incidents of that perncious agitation TIE subject of the
of the States which has long disturbed the repose
country and-excited individuals otherwise pariolc
and abiding 10 toll with misdirected zeal in the
tempt propagate their social theories bv the
and abuse OF the powers of Congress-
Is there not great Improvement? "Enemies
of the Constitution" in twenty -four days, are
converted into gentlemen laboring with misdi-
rected zeal, but otherwise patriotic and Law
abiding. On everything except the very point
on which they differ from the President, they are
patriotic and abiding.
The President of the United States, in his
Kansas message, denounces the proceedings of
those gentlemen in Kansas who have undertaken
to form State Constitution as revolutionary,
and says that if their measures are carried out it
will be treason. WE'LL sir, perhaps it is very
difficult to define and say exactly where people
may begin TO reform their Government without
the consent of the existing Government, and
shall not venture to express any crude opinions
of my own upon that subject; but shall favor
you with the opinions of the President of the
United States himself upon that very question
1t cannot have escaped the recollection Of gentle
men, that about fourteen years ago there was n
very noted individual in this country, by the
name of Thomas w. Dorr, who claimed to be
elected Governor of Rhode Island but tae result
of his election was that he found that he would
be safer in any other State than the one of which
he claimed to be Governor He left there and
went first to Connecticut, and remained there
little while, and then came to New Hampshire.
When he arrived in New Hampshire n large pub
lie meeting was holden in Concord on the 18th
day of December, 1872 and at that meeting
General Pierce delivered very congratulatcfy
speech to Governor Dorr, and closed with the
presentation of a series of resolutions, which, as
they are not long, will read:
al Resolved, That all government of right originates
from the people founded in consent and instituted for
the general good.
perverted and public liberty manfesy endangered
all other OF redress Intellectual the people may
and oil right ought to- reform the old and establish
form of government.
SO Rssored That if the friends Of liberty should ,ca,tJ for
teace from fyrnn 10 abolish tyranny the day of free Gov
eminent would never dawn the eyes of the Cypress
ed millions of our
sovereign capacity forming and adopting systess
government they NOT bound conform any r,ses
forms Of preceding moi instituted by ls'nssives
as Resolved That the adoption OF the peoples Constu-
non in Rhode Island by thirteen thousand nine hundred
majority of the whole male adult population of State
was such an act 9th people in their sovereign sapSey
as rendered II the paramount law of the State"
General Pierce went thus far but Mr.. Hibbard
then presented the two following additional res
olutions, which the New Hampshire Patriot says
were "cheerfully accepted by Mr.. PIERCE"
SO Resolved. That in welcoming TO the soil of New
Hampshire our present distinguished guest Thomas W.
Dor the rghtfu Governor of Rhode Island we embrace
the occasion OF rendering the tribute of respect and
esteem 10 the tried patriotism. and unwnvcring devotion
honoraby characterized his past and TINT,
long the people of Rhode Island true to themselves
trust remi, their sxertons until their sovereign
~ shall be acknowledged the Constitution of their adop
mount law OF the land and the officers Of their choice
restored to the places TO which they have been once
elected.
81 Rssolvod That John Tyler the acting President of
the United States in interfering with, and assuming
decide by the arm Of The military power OF The General
the People and the Charter party Of Rhode Ians tereby
for time prosraing the cause OF free suffrage ard par
alyZng the efforts of its friends that Sste has been
guilty of fragrant usurpaton of unconstitutional power
for which no censure can be too severe and has c,ed
INJURY the of constitutional freedpm, for
which no reparaton can adequately atone"
Now, to bring the point of these resolutions
distinctly before the Senate, propose to read this
last resolution, substituting the name of Frank
lin Pierce" for "John Tyler" kansas" for
" Rhode Island" and "Pro-Slavery party" for
"Charter party" and see how it will then read.
1t would read in this wise:
Resolved, That Franklin Pierce, the acting President of
the United States in interfering with, and assuming de-
eide, by the of the military power of the General Gov
eminent, the question of Slavery pending between toe
people and the ProSavery party of Kansas thereby for
time prostrang the of free suffrage and paraly
zing the efforts of its friends that Territory, has been
guilty of fragrant usurpaion of unconstitutional power
for which no censure be too severe and hasnniced
injury the of constitutional freedom for which
no reparatiOn can adequately alone"
He ought certainly to be willing to take such
medicine as he administers; and it seems to me