The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1856-07-18
SENATOR BIGLER's SPEECH.


length and with telling effect, presenting and
discussing all the political topics Of the day,
and holding the vast crowd for full two hours.
His speech will be published at length as soon
as prepared. twill make good campaign
document. We insert the following extract
from ii for the purpose Of correcting an error
which the reporter for the Bulletin and De-
spatch seems TO have ommitted, as TO what Mr..
BIcLER said touching the Kansas difficulties.
The graphic and terrible description Of The
state Of society in that Territory, attributed TO
him, by the reporter, is that which be gave as
coming from Republican members Of Con-
gress =
Bat now for the Kansas question, and the
course of the Republican or Fremont party,
Ever since the commencement Of the present
session Of Congress the whole country has been
asltated, deeply and violently agilatrd, concer-
ming The state Of society in Kansas. The most
accomplished artists of the Republican party
have painted the startling picture from tine TO
time. That the simple reflection OF the truth
would have made a picture dark enough, no
can doubt; but that these gehilemen, for
purposes Of their own, have given It the deep
est shade practicable, is just as evident We
had been told by the Republican orators in
Congress, on the rosrum and in the p8lpIt, that
the people of Missouri had invaded that Terri
tory, and controlled the elections loE members
Of the Legislature held in March 1880; that
the trre-Slatr men had been driven from the
polls that the government had been asurped
By mere brute force that the laws OF Kansas
were not valid laws that anarchy Frigned in
Kansas that arsons and murders wpFe invoked
to serve the ends of slavery; that finally Kan
sas and liberty lay bleeding at the feet of the
border ruliians, and that the whole country was
Oh the verge Of civil war. Here is picture:
now what remedy did the Republican Repre-
sentatires IN Congress propose. Did they ask
legal and just mrasurr of reiorml By no
means. fellow-ciiizens: but with the denuncia-
tions against The lawless authorities of Kansas
still fresh on their lips, they became the advo-
Gates Of the Topeka Convention and the State
Constitution framed hy that body, movement
admittedly without law, and 10 controventon Of
law and in menace Of the Government. With
all this seeming reverence for the law, they
could advocate a revolutionary step taken in de-
fance Of the Government. We were told that
tue dtSSlDU or AdIlSdS as a otdtt- NdS tti' p!l-
~ remedy for her evils the oGIy mode OF our
ling the public mind and avertng civil war in
the Territory.
Well, gentlemen, it had became apparent TO
all, that some effective aud fna measure OF
pacifcation was demanded by the b,sl interest.
not only of Kansas, but of the whole nation
tha. whilst the laws Of the local Legislature
were technically legal, the right Of suffrage
had beea abused in S~lectiDg the members, and
that many of the Statutes we're oppressive and
unjust, and in conflict with the Constitution,
and the original Kansas Nebraska act
With view 10 meet these difficulties, Mr..
Toombs, Southern Senator, about ten days
since, introduced bill providing for the prompt
admission of Kansas as a State. His PROPOSE
ton was referred to the Territorial Committee,
aud reported TO the Senate on Monday last, by
Mr.: Douglas, and "Wednesday fixed for final
voa
That bill provides that the present inhabi-
tanis may elect delegates to a Convention to
meet in November next, 10 form constitution,
preparatory 10 admission as a State; that a
board OF five commissioners SHogd bp appoint
ed by the PreSident to repair to the Territory,
TO superintend the election Of delegates: to
make an enumeration of the legal voters; and
put up list of voters at every District; and
that only those who are now in the Territory,
and those who may have left on business or be-
cause of the sad state Of the society, shall vote.
The law throws ample guards about the ballot
box, by heavy penalties against ill~gal voting or
violent efforts TO interfere with the right Of
suffrage; it also annuS the Territorial stat
utes subveisive of the liberties OF speech and
the freedom Of the press, and those requiring
an oath Of fidelity TO the Fugitive Slave Law
as qualification for voter and other absurd
provisions. These statutes being inconsistent
with the Constitution and the organic law, are
clearly within the scope of the Congressional
correction, without interfering with the doc
trne Of non-intervention, for the Kansas law
provides that the action of the territorial legiS-
lature shall be confined ''to rightful subjects of
legislation" Here, then, was a measure of
peace and law, the prompt admission OF Kansas
as a State, irrespective Of her decision on the
Slavery question. lis vital object being to
terminate at once all motive on the part Of out
siders 10 force temporary population into the
territory, with the view 10 control It's policy on
the Slavery question.
What folIowede Did the Republican Sena-
tors support this measure? Did they accept
this proposition TO bring Kansas in as State
BY no means; to my amazement it met their
violent resistance. The first demonstration
came from the Senator from Massachusetts,, Mr..
Wilson, who proposed to strike out the entire
bill and insert section, simply repcaling all
the laws of Kansas substituting anarchy for
the admission of the Territory as a State. The
Senator from New York, Mr. Seward, the lea
der and the intellect of that party, still insisted