The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-12-17

/ show incidentally that an overwhelming MAORI
! ty of the people of Kansas are unalterably op-
| posed to that Constitution? Will you force 1t
on them against their will, simply because they
would have voted it down if you had consulted
them? If you will, are you going to force 1t
upon them under the plea of leaving them per-
fectly free to form and regulate their domestic in
siitutions in their own way? Is that the mode
in which / am called upon to carry out the
principle of self government and popular SOW
ereignty in the Territories-to force Constitu-
ton on the people against their will, in opposi-
ton to their protest, with knowledge of the
fact, and then to assign, as a reason for my
tyranny, that they would be so obstinate and
so perverse as to vote down the Constitution if
had given them an opportunity to be con-
suited about it?
Sir, deny your right or mine to inquire of
these people what their objections to that Con-
stitution are. They have right TO judge for
themselves whether they like or dislike it. 1t
is no answer to tell me that the Constitution is
good one and unobjsctionable 1t is not
satisfactory to me to have the President gay In
his message that that Constitution is an admi-
rable one, like all the Constitutions of the new
States that have been recently formed. Whether
good or bad whether obnoxious or not, is none
of my business and none of yours. 1t is their
business, and not ours. | care not what they
have in their Constitution, that it suits them,
and does not violate the Constitution of the
United States and the fundamental principles
of liberty upon which our institutions rest. |
am not going to argue the question whether
the banking system established in that Con
stitution is wise or unwise. 1t says there shall
be no monopolies, but there shall be one bank
of discount in the State, with two branches.
All have to say on that point is, if they want
banking system, let them have it if they do
not want it, let them prohibit it. If they want
bank with two branches, be it so; if they
want twenty, it is none of my business, and it
matters not to me whether ore of them shall
be on the north side AMI the other on the south
side ofthe Kaw river, or where they shall be.
While have no right to expect to be con-
suited on that point, do hold that the people
of Kansas have the right to be consulted and
TO decide it, and you have no rightful authority
to deprive them of that privilege. 1t is no
Justification, in my mind, to say that the pro.
visions for the eligibility for the Offices of Gov.
ernor and Lieutenant Governor require twenty
years. citizenship in the United States. If men
think that no person should vote or hold office
until he has been here twenty years, they have
o right to think So and if majority of the
people of Kansas think that no man of foreign
birth should vote or hold Office unless he has
lived there twenty years, it is their right to say
80, and have no right to interfere with them ;
IL is their business, not mine but if | lived
there, 1 should not be willing to have that pro-
vision in the Constitution without heing heard
upon the subject, and allowed to record my
protest against 1t.
have nothing to say about their system of
taxation, in which they have gone back, and re.
sorted to the old exploded system that we tried
in Illinois, but abandoned because we did not
like it. If they wish to try it, and get tired of
it, and abandon it, be it so but if l were cit
izen of Kansas, l would profit by the expert
once Of Illinois on that subject, and defeat it if
| could. Yet, l have no objection to their
having it if they want it it is their business,
not mine.
So it is in regard TO the free negroes. They
provide that no free negro shall be permitted to
live in Kansas l suppose they have right to
say so if they choose bu. if lived there,
should want to vote on that question. We, in
Illinois, provide that no more shall come there.
We say to the other States, 4" Take care of your
own free negroes, and we will take care of
ours" But we do not say that the negroes
now there shall not be permitted TO live in Hi
MOS and think the people of Kansas onght
to have the right to say whether they will allow
III a
do so, how they are to dispose Of them.
So you may 90 on with all the different
| clauses of the Constitution. They may be all
right; they may be ell wrong. That is a cues.
ton on which my opinion is worth NOTHING.
The opinion of the wise and patriotic Chief
Magistrate of the United States is not worth
anything as against that of the people of Kan.
sas, for they have a right to Judge for them.
selyes; and neither Presidents, nor Senators
nor House OF REPRESENTATIVES,, nor any other
power outside OF Kansas, he's right to Judge
for them. Hence il is no justification, in ms
mind, for the. violation Of great principle Of
self government, to say that TIE Constitution
you are forcing on them is not particularly OBJ
noxious, or is excellent in its provisions.
Perhaps, sir, the same thing might be said
Of the celebrated Topeka Constitution | do
not recollect its peculiar provisions. I know
one thing: We Democrats, we Nebraska men.
would not even look into i, to see what its pro.
visions were. Why? Because we said it was
made by political party, ard not BY the PEG.
pie; that it was made in defiance Of the author.
ity of Congress that if it was as pure as the
Bible, as holy as the ten commandments, vet
we would not touch it, until it was submitted
to and ratified by the people of Kansas, in pur.
suance of the forms of law. Perhaps that To-
peka Constitution, but for the mode of making
II, would have been unexceptionable. do not
know; do not care. You have no right to
force an unexceptionable Constitution on a
people. 1t does not mitigate the evil, it does
Lot diminish the insult, it does not ameliorate
the wrong. that you are forcing a good thing
on them. / am not willing to be forced 10 do
that which | would do if were left free to
judge and act for myself. Hence assert that
there is no justification to be made for this
hagrart violation of popular rights in Kansas.
on the plea, that the Constitution which thew
have made is not particularly obnoxious.
But, sir, the President of the United States is
really and sincerely Of the opinion that the Sla.
very clause has been fairly and impartially sub
mi'ted TO the free acceptance OF rejection of
the people OF kansas; and that, inasmuch az
teat was the exciting aud paramount question.
II they get the right to vote as thew pleasa on
that subject, they ought to be satisfied. and
possibly it might be better if we wou!d accent
1t, and put an end to the question.
Let me ask, sir, is the Slavery cla.se fa;rIr
submitted, so that the people can vote for ~
against 1t? Suppose were citizen of Kan.
sas, and should go up to the polls and saw. AZ
desire to vote to IIake Kansas a slave State
here is my ballot They reply TO me. "Mr
Douglas, just vote for that Constitution frat. If
you please" "Oh, mol" | answer. al cannot
vote for that Constitution consc;entiouslv-
am opposed to the clause By which you locate
certain railroads in such way as to sacrifice
my county and my part of the State. am op
posed to that banking system. am opposed to
this Know Nothing or American clause in the
Constitution about the qualification for Office.
cannot vote for it," Then they answer, "You
shall not vote on making it a slave State" /
then say, =" want to make it free State"
They reply, Vote for that Constitution first,
and then you can vote to make it free State