The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-12-26
Senator DSuaf.,, speechsa,

s>AS
in Senator Dougla's speech on tie Presidents
Message. We regret our inability to pub
iish his remarks entire, as they would well
repay an attentive perusal.
The President tellsus in his message that
the whole party pledged our faith and honor
that the Slavery question should be submit
ted to the people, without any restriction or
qualification whatever. Does this schedule
submit it without qualification ! 1t qualities
it by saving, "You NAV vote on Slavery If
you will vote for the Constitution but you
shall not do sd without doing that" That
is a very important qualification a-qualitica-
ton that controls mans vote and his action
and his conscience, if he is an honest mari-
qualification confessedly in violation Of our
platform. We are told by the President that
our honor are pledged that the Slavery clause
should be submitted without qualification of
any kind " hatever; and now am to be cal
led upon to forfeit my faith and my honor in
order to enable a smaller minority of the peo-
pie of Kansas to 'defraud the majority Of that
people ont Of their elective franchise I? Sir
my honor is pledged !; and before it shall be
tarnlshed, will take whatever consequence
personal to myself may come but never
ask me to do an act which the President, in
his Message has said is a forfeiture of faith,
aviolation of honor, and that merely for ex-
pediency of saving the party. l will go as
far as any of you to save the party. have
as much heart in the great cause that binds
us together asa party as any man living. |
WIN sacrifice any thing short of principle and
honor for the peace Of the party !; but if the
party will not stand by its principles,its faith,
its pledges, will stand there, and abide
whatever consequences may result, from the
position. Let me ask you, why force this
Constitution down the threats of the people
of Kansas in opposition to their wishes and
violation of our pledges What great object
is to be attained ? Cut bono (? What are
you to gain by it d? Will you sustain the
party by violating its principles. Do you
propose to keep the party united by forcing a,
decision2 Stand by the doctrine that leaves
the people perfectly free to form andregulate
their Institutions for themselves in their own
way and your party will be united and irres-
istible in power Abandon that great princi-
pie, and the party is not worth saving, nor
cannot be saved, after it shall be violated
I trust we are not to be rushed upon this
question. Why shall it be done !? Who
is to be.bene6ted :? Is the South to be the
gamer? Neither the North nor the South
has the'r right to gain the sectional advantage
by trickery or fraud, but am beseechedf to
wait untilI hear from the election on the
2lst Of December. am told that perhaps
that wilput all right, and willsave the whole
dlffAcuky. How can it 2, Perhaps there
may be Sfarse vote There may be large
vote retaxned sauslterls but I deny
that it isspossi6le to have fir vote on the
Slavery clause; and4 also tB It it is not posi-
BILE to have any-sotet on the c.onstitution.-
Why wait for.mockery of an e,nction, when
it is provided .unaIterably that tie people can
not vote-when the majorityare disfranchis-
ed? But am told on all sides aOh just
wait; the Pro-Siavery clause will be voted
down." That does not obviate any Of my
objections; it does not diminish any of them.
You may have no more right to force a Free
State Constitution on Kansas than Slave
State Constitution. If Kansas wants Slave
State Constitution, she has the right to it :,
if she wants Free-State Constitution, she
has right to it. 1t is none of nv business
which way the Slavery clause is decided
care pot whether it is voted down or voted
up. Do you suppose, after the pledges of
my honor that would go for that principle
and leave the people to vote as they choose,
that Iwould now degrade myself by voting
one way if the Slavery clause be voted
down, and another way if it be voted up /
care not how that vote may stand. I take it
for granted that it will be voted up. | think
Ihave. seen enough in the last three days to
make it certain that it will be returned out,no
matter how the vote may stand. [Laughter'l
Sir, l am opposed to that concern, because
it looks to me like system of trickery and
jugglery to defeat the fair expression Of the
will of the people. There is no necessity for
crowding this measure, so unfair, so unjust
as it is in all its aspects, upon US. Why can
not we now do what We proposed to do in
the last Congress We then voted through
the Senate an enabling act, called 'the
Toombs' bill, !" believed to be just and fair in
all its provisions, pronounced to be almost
perfect by the Senator from New Hampshire
(A1r. Hale), only he did not like the man then
President of the United States, who would.
have to make the appointments. Why can
we not take that bill, and out of compliment
to the. President add to it a clause taken
from the, Minnesota act, which he thinks
= should be a general rule, requiring the Con-
stitutior to be submitted to the people, and
pass that? That unites the party. Y on all
voted, with me, for that bill, at the last Con-
gress. Why not stand by the same bill now?
Ignore Lecompton, ignore Topeka !; treat
both these party movements as irregular and
void ;,pass fair bil-the one that we franz
ed ourselves when we were acting as unit
have fair election, and you will have
peace in the Democratic party, and peace
throughout the country, in ninety days. The
people want fair vote. They will never be
satisfied without it. They never should be
satisfied without fair vote on their Consti-
tuition. ~, ..,...-, a.. .--
If the .Toombs' bill does not suit my
friends, take the Minnesota bill of the last
session, the one so much commended by the
President in his Message as model. Let us
pass that as an enabling act, and allow the
people;of all parties to come together and
have a;fail vote, and will go for it.. Frame
any other bill that secures a fair, honest vote
to. men of all parties, and carries out the
pledge that the people shall be left free to
decide on, their domestic institutions for
themselves, and l will go with you with
pleasure, and with all the energy 1 may
possess. But if this Constitution is to be
forced down our. throats, in violation of the
fundamental principles of free government,
under mode of submission that is mock
cry and an insult, painful as it will be to me,
must break all associations or connections
rather th9p forfeit my principles. have no
fear of any party. associations being severed.
1 shohld rsgret to See social and political ties
severed & but if it must be, if l cannot act
with you and preserve my faith and my honor,
will stand on the great principle of popular,
sovereignty, which declares the right of all
people to be LETT perfectly free, to form and
regulate their domestic institutions in their
own way. Twill follow that principle wher-
ever its legal and logical consequences may
take me, and I will endeavor to defend it
against assault from any and all quarters.
Nn7,.ortol ,,,o,, shoIl ha rosnonsihle for nv