The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-03-19
Senatorial Reports on Kansas.

The following is an abstract of the ma
jority report of Mr.. Douglas in the SEN
ate on Kansas matters, with an abstract
also of Mr.. Collomer's minority report
The report embraces the history of
African Slavery in this ountry-enter-
ing into its Constitutional relations.
The institution existed in all the Colon
les of the original States. Six have re.
taiucd it, while in the others it has been
abolished. Since hen eighteen new
States have been admitted into the I'm
ion-nine of which chose to come in as
free and nine as slave States. Every
new State desiring admission has the
right to be received on terms of equality
with old States regulating her domes.
tic institutions and internal concerns in
her own way, subject only to tho provi.
sions of the Federal Constitution. The
Report refers to this principle as en-
bodied in Tie Kansas bill, condemns the
combinations entered into in the Eastern
section of the country to control the des-
tiny Of the future State Of Kansas, and
quotes from a pamphlet entitled The
Organization, Objects and Plan of Oper.
alton of the Emigtaut Aid Society, and
a Description of Kansas. for tho Inform
alton Of Emigrants."
The Report then argues hat no State
has a right to pass a law relative to any
Territory which it could not pass with
reference to any State or any foreign
Government and gives n detailed his
tory Of the elections held in Kansas. at
..l.aI Al T.a..Y-.l --s1.. $50.
chosen denies that the Illegal votes said
to have been cast %nullify the election, or
that the removal of the seat of Govern
meut renders the action Of the Leg;sla-
turo void. The report discusses the
Topeka Convention. and declares that
the power to govern the Territory being
vested in Congress, the people Lave no
right to aDnul tie territorial laws by ac-
ton in a primary capacity IL proposes
to carry out the recommendations Of the
President in his special message, by the
passage Of an act providing for the cleo
tion of delegates By the people, to as
semblo in Convention and form "a State
Constitution, preparatory to admission
into the Union on an equal footing with
the original States, as soon as the popu-
lation shall amount to 03.420 iuhabi-
tants. The Committee will also move
an amendment to the General Approrri-
alton bill. voting such amount as may be
found necessary for the purpose Of main
tanning good order. and enforcing tho
Executive laws in Kansas.
Mr.. Coilamcr read 4 minority report,
which discusses the Slavery question in
the Northern view, declaring that the
system gives political supremacy to a
practical minority Of the people Of the
United States. The friends of peace
and quiet had hoped the Compromise
measures had settled tho agitation Of the
question; but the passage of the Kansas
Nebraska bill reopened it, in consequence
of the repeal of the Missouri restriction,
from which all the present trouble has
cmanatcd. The repeal of that r%estric-
ton gave a prospect Of the unlimited cx-
tension of the institution of Slavery; and
the North very naturally tried to devise
means to avoid that result. 1t is the
right and duty Of all who oppose slavery
to use all legal means to prevent It's ex-
tension into free territory
The report states that tie People Of
the Territory were oyerawcd, and pre-
vented from casting their vote. by arm
cd invaders from Missouri Ihu, the
Legislature was constituted in Il fraud
ulent manner, and Gov. Recder gave
members certificates without q fnll
knowledge Of these facts. The Legisla-
ture passed acts by Which Slavery was
recognized and protected as an existing
institution. The free State people were
thus either driven out or reduced to sub
mission. Finding the Government had
become the engine of tyranny AMI OPP
preston: the people assembled peaceably
at Topeka, to take measures preliminary
to the admission Of Kansas into the Uu-
ion as a State. The proper course now
would be, either to repeal tho Act OF
1884 and organize Kansas anew as a
free Territory Or, if Congress will not
do that, let them declare all the acts OF
this spurious Legislature utterly inopcra-
tive aud void, and provide a new Govern
ment for that Territory.