True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-12-23

on that subject, and defeat it if could
Yet | have no objection 10 their having it
if they want it; it is their business, not
mine.
So it is in regard 10 the free negroes.
They provide that no. freq negro shall be
permitted TO live in Kansas. suppose
they have a rightto say so If they choose;
but if | lived there l should want to vote
on that question. We, in Illinois, pro.
vide that no more shall come there. We
say TO The other States stake 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 permit
ted to live in Illinois, and l think the
people of Kansas ought to have the right
20 say whether they will allow them to
live there, and if they are not going to
do so, how hey are to dispose Of them.
So you may 60 on with-all the different
clauses Of the Constitution. They may
be all right they may be all wrong
That is question on which my opinion
is worth nothing. The opinion of the
wise and patriotic Chief Magistrate of
the Uuited States is not worth anything
as against that Of the people Of Kansas,
for they have right to judge for them
selves, ane neither Presidents, nor Sen
ators, nor House Of Representatives, nor
any other power outside Of Kansas has
right to Judge for them. Hence, it is no
justification, in my mind, for the violation
Of great principle Of self government to
say tha, the Constitution you are forcing
on them is not particularly obnoxious or
as excellent in its provisions.
Perhaps, Sir, the same thing might be
said of the celebrated Topeka Constilu.
ton. l do not recollect its peculiar pro-
visions. know one thing. We Demo-
Gratis, we Nebraska men, would moi even
look into it to see what its provisions
we're. Why! Because we said it was
made by political party, and not by the
people; that it was made in defiance of
the authority of Congress; that if it was
pure as the Bible, as holy as the ten com.
nandments, yet we would not touch it
until it was submitted and ratified by the
people of Kansas, in pursuance of the
forms of law. Perhaps that Topeka
Constitution, but for the mode Of making
it, would have been unexceptionable.
do not care. You have no right to en-.
force an unexceptionable Constitution on
people. 1t does not mitigate the evil,
Il does not diminish the insult, it does
not ameliorate the wrong that you are
forcing good thing on them. | am mo-
willing to be forced 10 do that which
would do if | were left fIee to Judge and
act for myself. Hence assert that there
is no justification to be made for thi:
hagrant violation of popular rights ir
Kansas, on the plea that The Constitution
which they have made is not particular !
obnoxious. .........
But, Sir, the President of the Unitet
States is really and sincerely of the opin
ion that the Slavery clause has been fair
ly and imparliaIly submitted 10 the free
acceptance or rejection Of the people o
Kansas, and that, inasmuch as that wal
the exciting and paramount question, i
they ge, the right to vote as they please
on that subject lhev ought 10 be satisfied
and possibly it might be better if WI
would accept it, and put an end TO th'
question. lie: me ask, Sir, is the Slavery
clause fairly submitted, so that The peo
pie Can vote for or against it Suppose
| were citizen of Kansas, and should
go up TO the polls and say, 81 desire ,c
vote to make Kansas Slave State; here
is my ballot They reply to me, "Mr
Douglass, just vote for that Cons tilutjor
first, ifyou please" ooh, no!' Ian
swer, /" | cannot vote for that Constitution
conscientiously. | am opposed to til,
clause by which you locate certain rail
roads in such a way as TO sacrafce my
County, and my part Of the State. ! an
opposed to that banking system. l an
opposed to this Know Nothing or Ameri
can clause in the Constitution sbout'th
qualification for Office. ! cannot vote 70
it," Then they answer, You shal
not vote on making it Slave State.
then say, ~ want 10 make it a Ere
State" They reply, "Vote for tha
Constitution first, and then you can yot
to make it a Free State; otherwise yo
cannot" .t.
Thus they disqpalify every Free Stat
man who will moi first vote for the Con
stitulion they. dsqualify every Slav
Stale Man who will not first vote for tn
Constitution. No matter whether or nc
the voters state that they cannot consci
entousIy vote for those provisions, the
reply, "You cannot vote for or agains
Slavery here. Take the Constitution a
we have made it, take the elective fran
chise as we have established il, ia lie tn
railroad lines as we have located them
take the judiciary system as we have form
ed it, take it all as we have fixed it 10 sui
ourselves, and ask no questions, but vot
for it, or you shall not vote either for
Slave or Free State" In other words
the legal effect of this schedule is this
All those who are in favor Of this Consti
tuition may vote for or against Slavery
t as they please; but all those who al
against this Constitution are dislranchise:
and shall not vote at all. That is tn
r mote in which the Slavery proposition !
submitted. Every man opposed To-. th
, Constitution is dsfranchised on the Sll
t very clause. How many are they! The
, tell you there is majority, for they sa
the Constitution will be voted down in
, sIantly, by an overwhelming majority,
you allow negative vote. This show
that a majority are against u. They dis
{ qualify and dislranchise every man VIII
is against IL, thus rpferin0y the SLAYER