Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-12-31
Senator Douglas, Kansas Speech.

ator douglas late speech on Kansas
matters in reply to the Presidents mes
sage:
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLEDGED TO
SUBMISSION.
When we look at Governor Walkers
letter of acceptance of the office of Gov
ernor, we find that he stated expressly
that he accepted it with the understand
ing that the President and his whole Ca
binet concurred with him that the Con-
stitution, when formed, was to be SUBJ
mitted to the people for ratification
Then look into the instructions given
by the President of the United States,
through Gen. Cass, the Secretary of
State, to Governor Walker, and you
there find that the Governor is INSTRUCT
ed to use the military power to protect
the polls when the constitution shall be
Submitted to the people of Kansas for
their free acceptance or rejection. Trace
the history little further and you will
find that Governor W alker went to Kan
sas, and proclaimed, in his inaugural
and in his speeches at Topeka and else
where, that il was the distinct under.
standing,not only ofhimself, but of those
higher in power than himself-meaning
the President and his Cabinet-that the
Iconstitution was to be submitted to the
lpeople for their free acceptance or re-
Lection, and that he would use all the
Ipower at his command to defeat Its ac-
ceptance by Congress if it werenot thus
submitted to the vote of the people
! know that the delegtes
fromlDouglas county, eight in number,a
Mr.. Calhoun, President of the Conven-
ton being among them, were not only
instructed thus to submit the question,
but they signed and published, while
candidates, a written pledge that they
would submit it to thespeople for ratii-
cation. | know that men high in au.
thority and in the confidence of the ter
ritorial and national government, can
yassed every part of Kansas dnring the
election of delegates, and each one Of
them pledged himself to the people that
, no snapiudgment was to be taken that
the constitution was to be submitted to
the people for acceptance or rejection;
that it would be void unless that was
done; that the administration would
spurn and scorn it as violation of the
principles on which it come into power,
and that Demo cratic Congress would
hurl it from their presence, as an insult
TO Democrats who stood pledged to see
the plople left free to form their own do
nestle institutions for themselves. Gov
ernor Ransom, the Democratic candi-
date for Congress, running against the
present delegate from that territory, was
canvassing every part of Kansas in favor
Of the doctrine of submitting the Con-
stitution to the people, declaring that
the Democratic party were in favor of
such submission, and that it was SLAM
der of the Black Republicans to intimate
the charge that the Democtatic party
did not intend to carry out that pledge
in good faith. Thus up to the time of
the meeting of the Convention, in Oc-
tober last, the pretence was kept up, the
profession was openly made and believ-
ed by me, and | thought believed by
them, that the Convention intended to
submit Constitution to the people, and
not to attempt to put a Government in
operation without such submission. The
election being over, the Democratic par
ty being defeated by an overwhelming
vote, the Opposition having triumphed,
and cot possession of both branches of
the legislature, and having elected their
Territorial Delegate, the Convention as
sembled and proceeded to complete
their work.
HOW HAS THE PLEDGE BEEN REDEEMED?
Now let us stop and inquire how they
redeemed the pledge to submit the Con-
stitution TO the people. They first 90
on and make a Constitution. Then they
make schedule, in which they provide
that the Constitution on the 2lst of De
cember---the present month--shall
be submitted to all bona tide in
habitants of the Territory on that day,
for their free acceptance or rejection, in
the following manner, to wit thus &C
khowledging that they were bound to
submit to the will of the people, conce-
ding that they had no right to put it in
to operation without submitting it to the
people, providing i'll the instrument that
it should take effect from and after the
date Of its ratification, and not before;
showing that the Constitution derives
its vitality in their estimation, not from
the authority of the Convention, but from
that vote of the people to which it was
to be submitted for their free acceptance
or rejection. How is it to be submitted
1t shall be submitted in this form: econ
stitution with slavery or Constitution
without slavery" All men must vote
for the constitution whether they like it
or not, in order to be permitted to vote
for or against slavery. That n Constitu.
ton made by a Convention that had au-
thority to assemble and petition for
redress of grievances, but not to estab-
hsh a governments Constitution made
under a pledge of honor that it should
be submitted to..the people before it took
effect; a Constitution which provides on
its face that it shall have no validity ex-
cept what it derives from such submis-
sion-is submitted to the people at an
election where all men are at liberty to
come forward and vote for it. but no
lInanis permitted to record vote against
lit. All men in favor Of the constitution
may vote for it--all men againstit shall
not vote at all.
WHY is THE CONSTITUTION NOT SUBMIT
| TED?
Why not let them vote against it?
presume you have asked many a man
this question. / have asked very large
number of the gentlemen who framed
the constitution, quite number of del
egates, and a still larger number of per-
} sons who are their friends, and have
, received the same answer from every