The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-12-17

ny an JOu IL ti4dt IL q itiT LQUt . OI SUI
NJ fsg the Slavery clause? Does thas mode o
81 a1ittipg that particular clause leav, the PEG
pl \ erfectly free to vote for or sgains, Slavery
al hey choose2 Am free to vote al choose
ofrte Slavery question, if you tell m I shall
NJ vote on it until vote for the MAJ 20 LIQUOR
ls Am l free to vote on the SlaNary cues
tx If you tell me that shall not v, Re either
W -antil / vote for bank? Is it {, ,edom Of
Ell Lon to make your right to vote ,pon one
q Zion depend upon the mode in Aaich you
al seoing to vote on some other question which
he -ro connection with it. Is that freedom oil
el Tpn? Is that the great fundamental prin
ca pf selfgovernment, for which we eombined
al truggled, in this body and throughout the
ccaSry, to establish as the rule of action in all
tir53 TO come?
1be President of the United States his made
soese remarks in his message, which il strikes
M lfiwould be very appropriate to read in this
coin ction. He says:
he friends and supporters If the Nebraska
az! Kansas act, when struggling on recent
ocg.slon to sustain its wise provisions before
thsc great tribunal ofthe American people, never
dtsred about Its true meaning on this subject.
Everywhere throughout the Union Il ey pub
lies pledged their faith and honor 1,at they
would cheerfully submit the question o Slavery
to tl,t' decision of the bona tfde people Of Kan
saas.. without any restriction or qua ifcaticn
wtssever. All were cordially united ~pon the
grit doctrine of popular sovereignty, which is
thtsital principle of our free institute, ls"
seark this:
Glad 1t then been Infatuated, from ~ quar-
teSa sliat 1t would have been a suffcen. compli-
arc with the acquisitions of the org mic law
fog he members of Convention, theS after to
bG,lected, to withhold the question OF Slavery
frotI the people, and to substitute their ,wn will
for at of a legally -ascertaiued majori of their
coat tuents, this would have been astantly
rejsfed."
Tea, sir, and 1 will add, further, had it ,enthen
intispsted from any quarter, and believ> ! by the
American people, that it would have q omitted
ths' Slavery clause in such Mariner a, to com.
pee man to vote that which his copsc fnce did
ne.eapprove, in order to vote en- tn, Slavery
Ct, .sae, not only would the idea b, Ie been
res-ssted, but the Democratic caAdidai for the
p 9Nency would have been rejected I'D every
M 3~sho backed him would hare ben reject
eds s.,
as President tells us in his messag. that the
VIII party pledged our faith ind OF honor
thA. She Slavery question SHOULD be sJbmitted
tol. 81 people, without any restriction )r quail
fcctgn whatever. Does this scheduE submit
it Ntthout qualification? 1t quslifes q by say
inE7 I You may vote On Slavery # yop'sill vote
for fhe Constitution; but you shall pt do so
without doing that" That is very aportsnt
qualification "a qualification that C, ,ntrols O
mans vote and his action and bis co science,
II he Is an honest mana qualifications confess
eddy in violation of our platform. We are told
by the President that our faith and O n honor
are pledged that the Slavery clause s. ould be
submitted without qualification of az kind
whatever; and now, am l to be calico upon to
forfeit my faith and my honor in orde to ena-
BILE a small minority of the people of ansas to
defraud the majority of that people OF of their
elective franchise2 Sir, my honor is lodged !;
and before it shall be furnished, l ! III take
whatever consequences, personal TO my elf, may
come but never ask me to do ap act u itch the
President, in his message, has said is forfeit
IRE OF falth-a violation of honor. nd that
merely for the expediency of saving tt party.
| will go as far as any of you to save t, party.
L have as much heart in the great ca sse that
binds us together as a party as any mas living.
will sacrifice anything, short Of primo ole and
honor, for the peace of the party; b.{ if the
party will not stand by its principles, IS faith,
its pledges, | will stand there, and abb e what
ever consequences may result fcoIn the position
Let me ask you, why force thia Com titution
down the throats of the people of K asas in
opposition to their wishes, and IN vic, .Jtion of
our pledge. What great object is tes be at
tanned Cut 6OTOP What are you o gain
by 1T? Wlll you sustain the party by ;olating
Its principles? Do you propose to ep the
party united by forcing a Division s And by
the doctrine that leaves the people erfec,ly
free to form and regulate their instituf ons for
themselves in their own way, and. 20, party
will be united and irresistible in power. tAb ban
don that great principle, and the parI is not
worth saving and cannot be saved, .fter it
shall be violated. / trust we are no to be
rushed upon this question. Why sha it be
done? Who is to be benefited Is tt sSouth
to be the gamer? Is the North to be gain
er? Neither the North nor the South as the
right to gain sectional advantage by ickery
Or fraud.
But am beseeched to wait until ! be from
the election on the 2lst of December am
told, that perhaps that will put it all Ri 1t, and
will save the whole difficulty. How an it :?
Pefhaps there may be a large vote. There
may be large vote returned. La, Inter
bus deny that itsis possible to have a fair
vote on The Slavery clause and / say hat it
1t y not possible to have any vote on u Con-
stitulion. Why wait for the mockery@>of an
election, when it is provided unateraf that
the people cannot vote-when the msjC, .ty are
di-franchised?
But am told on all sides, :" Oh, jusT wait;
the' Pro-Slavery clause will be voted own :"
Ihat does not obvia'e any of my obje ,,ons
1t d9es not diminish any of them. 70 Shave
no more right to force free State Cons Tuition
on Kansas than slave-State Constitutfn. If
kansas wants a slsve-State CONSTITUTE !, she
has right to it if she wants a fire. Estate
Constitution, she has a right to il. 1t none
Of m hu anasz Which
is decided. / care not whether it is vote, down
or voted up. Do you suppose, after the edges
OF my honor that | would go for that pr cipIe,
and leave the people to vote as they ,.Hoose,
that would now degrade myself by voti, Z one
way IT the Slavery clause be voted dow and
another way it it be voted up? care n.e how
thag .vote may stand. l take it for gs'nted
thai it will be voted out. | think hav, seen
eno3gh in the last three days to make it rtain
thss it will be returned cut, no matter hc.< the
vote may stand. Laughter q
Sir, am opposed to that conce n, b, .ause
1t locks TO me like system of trickery al, lug.
g!egy, to defeat the fair expression Of til will
OF the people. There is no necessity for ovid
ing this measure, 30 unfair, so uniast a. It is
In ali Its aspects, upon Us. Why can not
now do what we proposed to do in tie las. Con-
gressY We then voted through the Seua, an
enabling act, called the Toombs bill, bel we'd
to be just and fair in al its provisions.pro
noGnced to be almost perfect by the Se~ator
frota New Hampshire, Mr.. Hale, only ( did
noth the man, then President of the Lifted
STATES, who would have to make the an, ant.
meats. Why can we not take that bill-snd
out OF compliment to the President, add o it
Clause taken from the Minnesota act. = 4ich
ne thinks should be general rule. reol$inp
the Constitution to be submitted 70 The ~ Me
an9 pass that? That unites the party y You
all voted with me for that bill at the last Ion.
greaa. Why not stand by the same bill NV?
Ignore Lecompton. ionore Tonoka t-aa.A a.