The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1857-12-31
Speech of Senator Douglas,
In Opposition to the Presidents
Kansas Policy

WI bON NIINns WI I lNSlutNl
when yesterday tho Presidents message
was read at the Clerks desk, I heard
it but imperfcctly, and 1 was of the i'm
prossion that the President Of the Uni
ted States has approved and indorsod
the action Of the Lcoompton convention
in Kansas. Under that impression, ]
felt it my duty to state that while l
concurrod in The general views Of the
message, yet, so far as it approved or
indorsed the action of that convention
I entirely disscntod from it, and would
avail myself Of an early opportunity to
statcmy for dissent. Upon q more
careful and critical examination of the
message, [ am rcioicod to find that the
President of the United States has not
recommended that Congress shall pass
law to receive Kansas into the Union
under the constitution formed at Lc-
compton. It is true that the tone of
the message indicates a willingness on
the part Of the President to sign any
bill that Congress may pass, if we see
proper to pass ono receiving Kansas
into the Union under that constitution
But sir, it is a fact of great significance
and worthy of consideration, that the
President has refrained from any en-
dorscment of the convention and from
any recommendation as to the course
Congress should pursue with regard to
the constitution there formed.
The message of the President has
made an argumont-an unanswcrable
argument in my opiniOn--against that
constitution, which shows clearly,
lchctbcr Intended to urrjUc at that result
or not, that consistently lcjH his Ujc,cS and
his principles, he cannot accept that con-
atitution. lie has expressed his deep
modification and disappointment that the
constitution itself has not been sub
mitted to the people of Kansas for their
acceptance or rejection. He informs us
that he has unqualifedly expressed his
opinions on that subject in his instruc-
tons to Gov Walker, assuming, as a
matter of course, that the constitution
was TO be submitted to the people be-
fore it could have anyvitality or validity.
lie goes further, and tolls us that the
example set by Congress in the Mime
sofa case, by inserting a clause in the
enabling act requiring the constitution
to be submitted to the people ought to
become a uniform rule, not to be dcpar.
ted from hereafter in any case. On
these various propositions Iagrcc entire
ly with the President Of the United
States, and l am prepared now to sustain
that uniform rule which he asks us to
pursue, IN all other cases, 10y taking the
Minnesota provision as our example.
/ rejoice. on careful pcrusal Of the
message, to find so much less to dissent
from than 1 was under tue impression
there was, from the hasty reading and
the imperfect hearing of the message in
the first instance. In effect, he refers
that document to the Congress Of the
United Statcs-as the Constitution Of the
United States refers it-far US to decide
upon it under our responsibility. Its
proper that he should have thus referred
it to MS as matter for congressional
action, and not as an Administration OF
Executive measure, for the reason that
the Constitution of the United States
says that Congress may admit new
States into the Union Hence we find
the Kansas question before us now, not
as an Administration measure, not as
an Executive measure, but as a measure
coming before us for our free action,
without any recommendation or inter
ference, directly or indirectly, by the
Administration now in possession Of the
Federal Government Sir, | propose to
examine this question calmly and fairly
tosee whether or not we can properly
receive Kansas into the Union with the
constitution formed at Locompton.
The President, after expressing his
regret and modification and disappoint-
meut, that the Constitution had not been
submitted to the people, in pursuance
Of his instructions to Gov. Walker, and
inpmsuance Of Gov. Walkers assurance,
to the people, says, however, that by the
Kansas-Nobraska act the slavery Qucs-
ton only was required to be referred to
the people, and the remainder Of the
Constitution was not thus required to be
submitted lie acknowledges that, as a
general rule, on general principles, the
whole Constitution should be submitted
but according to his understanding of
the organic act Of Kansas, there was al
imperative obligation to submit the sla
very question for their approval or dis
approval, but that there was no obliga
/ ton to submit the entire Constitution
In other words, he regards the organi
act, the Nebraska bill, as having mad,
an exception of the slavery clause, ant
provided for ho,disposition Of that ques
ton in mode different from that il
which other domestic or local, as con
radistinguished from federal questions
should bo decided. .r.." 4"
THE PRESIDENT HAD BEEN ABROAD AN
.. an WAS NOT POSTED.
Sir, permit mo to say, with profoun
respect for the President Of tho Unite
States, that I conceive that on this poin
he has committed fundamental error
which lies at the foundation ofhis Who'll
5 argument on this matter. / can we'll an
dcrstand how that distinguished states
man came to fall into an error He wa
not i'm tho country at the time the Ne
braska bin was passed; he was not a part
to tho oonroyersyand tho discussion thu
took place during it's passage. He wa
b. then representing the honor and I'll
dignity of the country with great vii
3 dom and distinction at q foreign cour