The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-12-24
.sYe3s i SPEECH +
or D.
ST.
"a Senator s. A. Douglas.

: y
Message and accompanying documents
~ with fifteen thousand extra copies. -
Mr.. xDouGLIs:-Mr.e President, wher
yesterday the Presidents Message was rent
sal the clerks desk, heard it but imperfect.
isiy, tndT w6s OF the impression that the
President of the United States had approv.
ed and endorsed the action Of the Lecomp.
ton Convention in Kansas. Under that i'm.
preston, felt it my duty TO state that,
while concurred in the general views Of
the Message. yet so far as it approved or
endorsedthe action of that Convention,
entirely dissented from it, and would avail
a myself Of an early opportunity to state my
seasons for my dissent. Upon more care,
al and critical examination Of the Message,
{ I am rejoicea to find that the President Of
the United States has not recommended that
Congress shall pass. q. law to receive Kan
sas into the Union under the Constitution
formed at Lecompton. 1t ia true that the
tone of the Message indicates willingness
on the part of the President to sign bill if
we shall see proper to pass one receiving
Kansas into the Union under that Constitu-
ton. But, sir, it is fact of great signif-
cance, and worthy Of consideration, that the
President has refrained from the endorse.
ment of the Convention, and from any re-
commendaton as to the course Congress
should pursue with regard to the Constitu-
stion there formed.
The Message Of the President has made
an argument-sn unanswerable argument
in my opinion-agninst that Constitution,
A., which shows clearly whether intended to
" arrive at that result or not, he cannot ac.
cept that Constitution. He has expressed
his deep modification and disappointment.
that the Constitution itself has not been
submitted to the people of Kansas for their
acceptance or rejection. He informs US
that he his unqualifedly expressed his
opinions on that subject ir his instructions
.. to Gov ernor Walker, assuming, as amattcr
!. OF course, that the Constitution was to be
y lbmitted to the people before it could have
- any vitality or validity. He goes further,
and tells that the example set by Congress
: in the Minnesota case, by inserting clause
in the enabling act requiring the Constitu-
~ tion to be submitted TO the'peop]e, ought to
become Uniform rule, not to be departed
from hereafter in any case. On these Vari-
.ous propositions agree entirely with the
President Of the United States, and am
!prepared now to sustain that uniform rule
which he asks US to pursue, in all other ca
-e ses, by taking the Minnesota provision as
oar example. I
.-s rtioice, on careful perusal Of the Mes.
sage, to find so much less to dissent from
=, than was under the impression there was
from the hasty reading and imperfect hears
ing of the message in the first instance
sIn effect, he refers that document to the
Congress Of the United States-us the Con-
isti,u,ion of the United States refers it-lor
'us to decide upon it under our responsibiIi'
Nv. 1t is proper that he should have thus
referred it to US as matter for Congress
sional action, and not as an administration
or Executive measure for the reason that
the Constitution of the United States says
that " "Coaqress may admit new States into
the Unioa." Hence we find the Kansas
question before US now, not as an Admins
tration measure, not as an Executive meas.
ure, but as measure coming before US for
our.free action, without any recommends
ton or interference, directly or indirectly,
.sby the administration now in possession of
the Federal Government. Sir, propose
to examine this question calmly and fairly,
TO see whether or not we can properly re-
ceive Kansas into the Union with the Con
stitution formed at Lecompton.
The President, after expressing his regret
::and modification and disappointment, that
the Constitution had not been submitted 70
the people, in pursuance of his instructions
,to'Goyernor Walker, and in pursuance of
Governor w alker's assurances to the peo,
sple, says, however, that by the Kansas.Ne.
,braska act the slavery question only was
required to be referred to the people, and
The remainder of the Constitution was not
thus required to be submitted. He ac-
knowledges that,as general rule, on gen
eral principles. the whole Constitution
-should be submitted; but ace cording to his
understanding Of the organic act of Kansas,
there was an imperative obligation to sub,
NIT the slavery question to their approval OF
{disalpp,rroval, ,rro but no obligation to submit the
entire Constitution. In other words, he
regards the organic, the Nebraska bill. as
huyihg made an exception of the slavery
clause. and provided for the disposition Of
that question in mode different from thai
ia which other domestic or local, as contra
distinguished from Federal questions, SHOULD
be decided. Sir, permit me to say, with
profound respect for the President Of the
sIJnited States, that I conceive that on this
,point he has committed fundamental error
an error which lies at the foundation of his
whole argument on this matter. 60
can we'll understand how that distin
anisbed statesman cameto fall into this er
ror. He was not in the country at the TIM
The Nebraska bill was passed; he wa "a