Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-12-17

the President and the Governor of the
Territory. 1t was their right to submit
the constitution to the people or send it
to Congress without submission. II it
was right in itself, republican in form.
and the people had fairly decided the
slavery question, it would not be wise to
keep them out of the Union simply be-
cause the whole Constitution had not been
submitted to them. To do so would be
inconsistent with the doctrine of non.in-
tervention-there was nothing in the past
history of the country to justify such a
course. 1t would be the duty of Con-
gress to look at the question as it came
before them, and to do the best they could,
looking at the happiness of tho entire.
country. He had long been under the
impression that it would be the best for
the Union and Kansas that the State
should be admitted at the frss favorable
opportunity, in order to localize the
strife.
He would have preferred that the
whole Constitution had been submitted
to the people; but persons outside of the
territory have no right to interfere with
the slavery question. That he believed
the people of Kansas now have an oppor-
tunity to decide whether TO have free
or slave State.
He could not, however, determine his,
entire course until they shall make such
decision. He said the position of Douglas
to-day was utterly in derogation Of that
which he occupied when he voted for
Toomb's bill, which proposed to make
State Constitution and put it into opera
ton without submitting it to q vote of the
people-and this a short time ago-he
could not understand how Douglas had
so readily become sensitive regarding
the rights of that people, after having
attempted subj an infringement upon
them.
Douglas-I am certain Bigler did not
speak for the President l know that the
President has just spoken for himself. in
his Message, in which he condemns the
Convention for not submitting the Con-
stitution to the people, and refused to re-
commend me to receive it. The Presi-
dent is bold, frank man, and if he in
tended to give us an administration mea-
sure, he would say so. tits not respect
full to assume that we will do what he
will not recommend us to do. Of course
l know the Senator from Pennsylvania
did not speak by authority.
Bigler-I think I am safe in saying
and | think the Senator from Illinois will
agree with me-that the President up
holds in his Message the doctrine that the
Convention had right to form Consti-
tuition and submit it to the people for ap-
proval, or send it up to Congress for ap-
proval.
think it is deducible from the Mes
sage that the President does not hold
that because the entire Constitution is
not submitted to the people Kansas
should be kept out of the Union.
Douglas infer from the Message,
that the President does hold that the
Convention had right to form the Con-
stitution and send it here, but that was
only the right to petition for redress Of
grievances under the federal Constitution,
and not because the Legislature had the
power to constitute that legal con-
vention.
Bigler-Where did you get that?
Douglas A gentleman (meaning
Trumbull), yesterday read from speech
made by Buchanan, that they had no
right to create a convention to supercede
territorial government. and to attempt it
would be gross usurpation. The Demo
cratic party has held that doctrine ever
since, and asserted a year ago by endors-
ing his douglas report from commit
tee on Territories three hundred thous-
and were circulated as party documents.
He himself pain for one hundred thous-
and of them. Laughter.
Bigler entered his protest and claimed
statute of limitation. He could not con-
sent that Douglass should hold the Presi-
dent responsible for principles laid down
twenty years ago, under entirely differ
ent circumstances. 1t was not half so
long since Douglass declared the Mis-
souri, line was the best compromise. In
'48 he proposed to extend it to the Paci-
fic Ocean, yet he repeated the whole of
it.
Douglas denied the right of Bigler to
offer the statute of limitation none but
the authorized attorney of the party can
thus interfere.
The Senator has denied the authority
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