The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-04-26
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Ii is pretended that made those charges against him
Ia that debate The published debate shows that ION
Thursday Of that week" less than three four senators
did denounce that memorial "an mpndent forgery al
tempted 10 be palmed OF upon the Senate Of the United
States through the hands OF the venerable senator FROM
Michigan !" IA paper which has reached the Senate
through fraud, which has stamped upon II every mark OF
forgery as IA forgery which has been palmsd Of the
Senate and various other denuneiAons Of like charac
ter all tending to stamp the memorial with fraud and forge
ry did not endorse these grave charges, the one
hand repe them on the other for the reason thar
while all the facts then known the Senate seemed JUS
y strong suspicion and indeed, raise the presumption
that they were true yet the circumstances not such
as TO render duty TO do than TO reject the me-
mortal upon the disclosed In the debate In fact
followed the lead of the ilustrious from Michigan
who presented the memorial under the impression that il
was genuine paper by expressing willingness TO vote
for his motion TO print matter of courtesy TO him. so
long as II involved other consideration than the amount
of money which tho printing would cost But when its
reception and printing become the test Of principle which
TO recognise and sanction the revolutionary proceed
ngs in Kansas announced my purpose vote against Il
as TO create doubts in the mind OF Gen Cass in respect 10
the authenticity OF the paper and he after interview
with Col Lane fsom whom he had received IT, made the
following to the Senate and voted for the
resolution resembling the action of the Senate whereby the
memorial received and referred and therefore With
drew it, Gen. Cass said
Within few minutes have had an interview with the
gentleman who presented noe with the petition, and ON
bound say he Senate that satisfied Aat IA,
paper hieA ought be acted by tie Senate Th.
" ah aaf - necessary for ne 20 say shall he
resolution Of the senator from Virginia."
After the memorial had been denounced by several
senators as fraud and forgery and after General Casa
had thus announced his purpose for its rejection
for the stated Mr. Seward and said that he
had just conyersed with Col Lane upon the subject and
he added ~ "
He tells me- and authorizes me TO saw and requests me
to to the Senate do in his behalf before he Ell
the State of Kansas he this paper psperbe
S So he ssas y le ID hs 4
text signed by all the members of the
tD froo,
and suppose the original is within his svabe
This is in no substantial respect different
Mr. Seward also further said that aths statement iue
TO him. and this statement is all that need say justice
to myself as# #-. a.t
In reply to Mr.. Seward senator arose and said
81 think, DIR. President, this debate will withou.
securely H.. >. ......,. ,....,..,
paimed the senator from Michigan, purportng be
memorial from certain in kansas who claim
quesoaed its authenticity is doubted denounced as
forgery and fraud We learn that it reached the bon
here senator from Kansas. We learn from the senator
from New York that that paper thus denounced this
from Michigan by those men who is sent hers
as senator for the PSEUDO State Of Kansas and there
no man whom have heard who undertakes to vndicse
him. There is gentleman who this aoor and
says that the who brought the here
and honest paper. do undesstand tho senator from
New ork to do that Where the gentlemen who claim
W people Oh kansas
soeiis maxmthe man is know by the com
pany he keeps. II il be that the known BY the
helps them"
After further discussion of similar character the reo
luton OF Mr. Mason was adopted by vote of thryIwoin
the affirmative to three in the negative by which the
ders to refer the fraudulent paper the Committees on
Territories and Printing rescinded and the paper
was then withdrawn by General Cass and TO COL
onel Lane. .am ..a#.
have been thus minute in tracing the outline of the de-
bate which occurred the first presentation this fraud
uient memorial in order to show that took part the
discussion which questioned the authenticity of the paper
the conduct of Colonel Lane in connection with it, Yet
will be observed that in the letter which you bore from
Colonel Lane TO it is stated the first grey
that con Thursday of that week that memorial was
the subject of severe criticism and if connection with il
charges OF most grave character preferred against me-
[ Colonel Lane ##s : Z.
We have what those charges were They were no
less than that of FRAUD and FORGERY These charges
were made and repeated by several In the
OF that debate received the sanction OF the Senate by
vote of % to in the adoption of Mr. Mason resolution
our friend Colonel lane rested under these charges until
the next week when he attempted 10 exeulpate himself
not by calling the senator's who made the charges
explanation, but 10y presenting petition sgued by him
self with the original memorial made part Of it, praying
that the pretended copy which had been rejected the
previous Thursday might also be received and inviting
comparison between the two with view of enabling the
Senate to determine whether the which the Senate had
rejected was copy or forgery As the chairman Of the
committee having charge of territorial affairs il became
my appropriate duty to institute the comparison which
bad been invited by Colonel Lane in his petition and TO
give Tue Senate the result OF my Investigation found
That while the rejected copy purported to be authenticated
by the signatures (a in dwritng Of the members
OF both houses Of that spurious legislature the original
from which 1t pretended have been COPIED had
signatures all attached to IT. and no naturalization
whatever except evasve affidavit taken that day before
Judge Mclean also found that the first three pages Of
the original were entirely suppressed In the pretended
copy also found many other material omissions aud
suppresons many interpretations and alterations running
all through the paper and changing its whole character
not only 10 FORM but In substance and principle exposed
these things 20 the Senate in plain and unueasusd terms
hs II was my right aud duty TO do. did 40 Of my
way to crimnato or exculpate any dealt with the
fraudulent paper IL before Ia the line Of mr.
duty and left the authors Of the nquy free to pursue
their own course showed that The original memorial
which IL s alleged adopted by the spurious legislature
Kansas based the fundamental idea or principle
that Congress bad power to establish governments for
the Terrories that the act was uucou
suiona and void Cor that reason the people the
TERRITORIES owed allegiance TO the governments which
had been should be established by Congress In the
rtores and hence they had inherent right TO take
steps which they had taken to overthrow the territorial
government without the and in defiance OF The
authority OF Congress also showed that the pretend
cd copy all thus had been suppressed since the issue
made up between the two parties by the reports of the
Joriy and minority Of the Committee Territories and
In lieu Of 1t bad been inserted humble petition Con-
2ess recognising its authority and praying for its inePo
sitiou. In short showed aud proved by comparison Of
the two papers that the pretended copy copy In
any sense OF the wordthat Ii spurious fraudulent
paper IN other words that IL base and mpudent
forgery. No senator d, in out Of the Senate
cam vindcae the paper from this just condemnation. The
severest judgment which pronounced this transaction
is contained in the following extracts from my speech,
which repeat the only explanation have 10 make
Of the matters to which they refer:
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