The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-03-27

tory of Kansas, and, having stated its most ina
portant features, entered into the general sub
iect of the political condition and complications
of Kansas affairs. He admitted that it was in
evidence before the Committee on Territories,
that there had been fraudulent voting in seven
out of the eighteen election districts into which
Kansas Territory was divided; but maintained
that, since no charge had been substantiated
against the validity of the elections held in the
remaining eleven districts, a majority of the
whole, it followed that the legal character of
the Kansas Legislature could not be impeached
because of fraudulent practices alleged, at the
time, to have obtained only in a minority of the
districts.
Mr.. Douglas then passed in review the action
of the Free State men in Kansas Territory,
and combated with much warmth the assertion
of the minority report, that they had been
merely concerning measures of redress, and
providing for an appeal to Congress. He
quoted from their proceedings in successive
Conventions, to show that they had determined
to array themselves in direct hostility to the
Territorial Government organized under the
act of Congress, and, if needs be, against the
Federal Government of the Union itself. This
unfortunate state of affairs he contended, was
not the legitimate result of the Kansas N ebras
ka bill, with its accompanying repeal of the
Missouri Compromise, but had its origin in
the officious intermeddling of the Massachu-
sets Emigrant Aid Societies, who, by their inter
vention in the internal concerns of Kansas Ter
ritory, had stimulated the citizens of the South,
and particularly of Missouri, as most immedi-
ately interested in the question, to adopt retail
atory measures, to prevent the Territory of
Kansas from being thus unfairly seized upon
for sectional ends. Had it been left to be set
tied by the natural influx of emigrants from
all portions, there would have been no antago-
| nism, he thought among the inhabitants of
the Territory, and the Kansas Nebraska act
would have borne the benefcent fruits contem-
plated by its friends.
Mr.. Douglas stigmatzed the present conduct
of the Free State party" in Kansas as tend
ing towards treason against the United States,
and if persisted in would enforce upon the
Government the dire necessity of visiting upon
the enemies of law and order in that Territory
the extreme penalty denounced against that
crime. He hoped and believed, however, that
the Government, which in repeated wars had
shown itself powerful enough to cope with
foreign enemies, would have no occasion to in
dictate its power to punish it's internal foes by
inficting upon them the doom awarded to
traitors. The Senator, after speaking for nearly
three hours to a very attentive auditory both in
the Senate and the galleries, resumed his seat.
Mr.. Trumbull then rose for the purpose of re-
spending to few observations made by the
speaker, and which he regarded as personal to
himself. He exculpated himself from the i'm
putation of having committed any parliamentary
improperly or discourtesy on the occasion
which he lately took for delivering his views on
the majority report of the Committee on Terri
tories. That report had been published to the
world before it came up in the Senate for re-
view, and the opportunity which he took for
! animadverting upon it arose in the legitimate
order of business in the Senate. Mr.. Trumbull
then proceeded to reassert and defend certain
arguments he had before advanced, and which
he declared his colleague had failed to meet.