Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1857-12-25

vi H. DlULLN- - AIrtft rihiHtr " ~ =
hat was exceedingly anxious TO under K
tand the precise position Of That question. J.
Il was difficult 10 tell, from rhe language o
,f the schedule. Yesterday asked Col. c
Henderson, OF Kansas, who was an active a
member Of the Convention, what il meant 5
. Why" said he cit means this That
there are two entire Constitutions, and the 4
people vote separ ,tely for the Constitution
without slavery--the Constitution the \
has formed, or the Constitution
with slavery" | understood him to say
that there we're two Constitutions precise
ly similar. l'
Mn. DouGLAs---lf there are two Consti-
buttons, a. we have but one, should like
TO see the other; and want to know
which one of the two the Senator fron
Penusy wanna Is for, when no says he
agrees with the President IN going for
this.
Ma BIaLER-l said they were precisely
similar.
Mn. DoUeLAs--if there are two copies
of the same Constitution, can understand
Il. but that the Convention made two
Constitutions precisely similar, | do not
understand. But IL they did, what differ
ence does Il make? You may vote for
this Constitution or the other one but
they are just alike, and you must take
one or the other.
Mn. BlGLER- One will make Kansas
free State, and the other will make IL
Save State. That b the difference.
Nix. DoudLAs-You may vote for this
or the other Constitution; and II you vote
for either, you may vote on the slavery |
question; but unless you do vote for one
or the other Of these Constitutions, you
cannot vote on that subject. IL makes no
difference how mauy copies they made;
the simple question ID, do they allow the
people to vote on the slavery question
without casting u vote on any other sub
Iect. BY that Constitution you cannot
vote on the slavery question by ITSELF
You are competed TO write on the ballot
{" For the Constitution" Us preliminary 10
voting Your right TO vote Is then condi-
tional, not free.
Has the President OF the United States
ever Withdrawn the opinion oil which
ave spoken, expressed twenty years ago,
in regard to the power OF the Territorial
Legislature show that the Democrat
ic party stood by it last year. Is not that
rather short period for the application oil
the statute OF limitations / hope you
are not going 10 cut of the Cincinnati
| Convention by that statute. deny your
right 70 plead tue statute against the Cin-
cinnati Convention, until alter the meet
ing OF the Charleston Convention. The
Cincinnati platform is the fundamental,
unalterable law of the Democratic party
until the meeting OF the Charleston Con-
vention. Congressman have 40 night. TO
change it. Senators have no right to
change IL. Cabinets cannot alter II and
| the President know. will not attempt 70
do so. deny the Senator's right to come
} IN with this plea for the President, imply
} my thereby that he has changed his opln-
ION, when that same opinion was last year
the doctrine OF the Democratic party, and
T cannot DO changed Tor four years 10 come
5 by the party organization. am perfect
r ~ at home when you come To The discus
. sion OF the question whether u man Is
1 inside the party or not. 1 have been in
Q the habit OF discussing these platforms
e and helping 10 make them. stand now
: where | stood last year not because
am unwilling w change, but because be-
Y heved | WAS right then, aud believe | am
i right now. The Senator from Pennsylv
y uia has told me that | actually voted io
|. the loombs bill last year. That is true
d aud rs | said to-day, am ready ~ vot,
o Tor II again. lie voted Tor II last year
Il aud 80 did Tue gentlemen around me. LIE
> US vote Tor II again and have no quarrel
II among ourselves. IL will not do " taun
II me Tor having voted Tor measure las
u year which am Tor now, but which yo,
J. arc not Tor.
d Mn. BIGLER-l certainly did not pre-
II sent the case IA that spirit at all, nor iii,
n look at IN that polnt OF view. | gave
y no SUCH aspect whatever. presented
= IA TINS polut OF view (: The Senator in hi
, tSpeecn 10 uay nad held that II WAS grea
| wrong upon the people OF Kansas TO pu
Is government IA operation, through ia
,e agency vi their territorial convention, tn
10 whole OF winch had not been submitte
ID Tor their appreciation aud yet only shol
IL year ago he voted Tor an enabling a,
" winch put State government into op,
,e ration, without submitting any part OF
. 10 the people. That Is what said.
.. Mr.. DouGLAs-My explanation Of thu
nj is " be gwen IN the precise language
,ir tue Presideut oil che United States in IA
Ia message, IA winch no says that, IN MS il
n. struct'ous " Governor Walker, he took
to Tor granted that the constitution was To
All submitted ~ the people under a law tn,
NJ was silent on the subject. The Tooml
nv bill boiling silent took II for granted to
aud suppose every other man did, that
n. @as " DO submitted. merely adoplc
D. the same process of reasoning that Il
he President himself says he adopted, an
which he was amazed 10 hud was n
rs carried out. Ii the President was rigl
,st Ia taking that Tor granted, do not kno
no why was not right IN taking the san
a. thing for granted.
Again, will ask the Senator TO sho
mo an intmation from any one memb
y IN the Senate. in tho whole debate on Il
=. Toombs bill, and in the Union from an
quarter, that the constitution was not TO
\. submitted to the people. l will ventu
~ to say, that on all sides OF the Chamb
- il was so understood at the time. Ii q
~ opponents OF the bill had understood
~. was not, they would have made the poi
~ on It; aud il they had made it, we shou
- certainly have yielded 10 it and put in d
wv clause. That is a discovery made sim
the President found out il was not safe
I'm take it for granted that that would
Nv done which ought in fairness to have be,
done.
ABOUT THE SECRET CONFERENCES AT DoU
er LAS HOUSE.
- Mr.. BIGLEg-l do not pretend
in know anything on this subject which mn
ad not appear in the Journal Of Debates.
:. shall not hold the Senator TO anythiI
that does not appear there; but this W
say, that was present when that subie
IN, was discussed by Senators before the b
10 was introduced, and the question "
Is; raised aud discussed whether the Const
Vi. tuition, when formed, should he submit,
nd to vote of the people. IL was held |
pl- those most intelligent on the subject, tn