Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1857-12-29
TH1nTY.FIrrn coxcnEss-1sr Session.
MONDAY, DEcfMBhk ~ 1870
a.

.d"n,.S hr vol. of "a against Is. providing that
when the two houses adjourn on "eunesuay " a
! no adjournment continue till the AIN u January
Mr.. Wilson introduced q bill granting a million OF
acres of land for the beneht OF Tree puoc eei'o'' "
the District of Columbia.
\ SPEECH OF MIR. RiGLER.
| Mr. Bigler addressed the Senate, vlndlcatihg ine
Presidents policy in the Kansas portion OF bis me
sage He said that no regretted more IMAM I'''
,elt to perceive that the discussion on 'he na",n
policy of the Administration WAS TO DO prec'p % -,
upon the Seua,e and the country. ne Paeeu Nv
,vod discussion until the resuit ., ~ ,r,;i Kans,s
| ,he slayery cause had trapspred, anu un'h i>op
honid rrassn, hsr.sIf f,r admission as State. But
he senator from Illinois (Mr. Douga.) made dli-
s-rent policy necessary and proper; anu no a'',
i've was left to the Administrators W. ~ ~, ppa,
| In hin on;niou, the great speech or the senator
| IL III Az rsspec, was after all g huge structure
| rs,ipa nm a very unsound and insufucent loutoa
| .;nr. and what still more extraordinary II was
sustained to no nconslderaoe extent py me s'.'
J,rstanding. had been used on former ana Ahlsf oc
4 casions against him by the enemies OF the Delh"
| cratic party. ,, T.
| Iinois should have shown 80 much Willingness 10
| weaken public confidence Ill the poiicy u Tue il'en
of his ow party whom he assisted 10 Pace 10 power
and who at this critical moment "leiu the 'uhconS
| OF Government capable "f maintaining INC pure
| osac. in ansas He could discover NO purpose "a
| nnuhic no,cy the attainment of which required the
S-nstur Ia do these things, nor 10 dea III oAs
| criticisms OF the views of the Fresidehi. the aus
,.ou that that Venerable statesman ilau l1'.h n'o
..fnndamen,s error as TO the meaning o the hahshs
and Nebraska bil and the purposes OF lis authorr'
because he was not in the country at the time OF lie
passage, was not worthy OF The Senator, 'nousn IL
| nav have served to ince The momeutary gralinca
| NON on the other side of the Chamber; but on mel
,ha- sde nor in the country will the sentiment meet
| sven a respsctable response. when the Influence OF
the hour shall have yielded TO sober renec''On Inc
Honorable Senator was not IN the country ~nen inc
/ rQ
| ,ban Nm. Constitution WIS made; yet be- claims to
nndsrstapd both these aud the purposes
in view by lis authors. IL the Kansas law more am
cult of comprehension Perhaps II IT, AZ Oil esens'
:, has certsinly required more explanation al Tue
| hands of it's author; aud il might seem that 30 long
| IA he fluids it necessary to explain what ne meant
| avery month in the year, he could afford 10 Paruou
| the President for the commission oi even lunu"'
| manual error" But what would the Senator say ~
nsctipy Tbs views of the late President who WAS not
ont of the country when the law passed. but parlcpa
ted in every step Of the struggle that gave II existence
he certainly understood the question: and he Mr.. Big
.r had sufficient authority tor anyng that ne agreed
| with his succsssor on the Kansas policy, and
oonseu uently differed with the Senator from ILLINOIS,,
| What did the Senator mean oy assuming INA
| the Kansas policy OF the Message was not hi
Administration measured Did he mean that the
| Cabinet did not agree with the President
He mr. B,gler) understood differently. Or did he
| mean that the Administration, having laid down lis
Kansas policy, will not hold that those VINO assAii ana
d.noupoe that policy do not oppose the Adnn,stra-
| ton, There was certainly no room for msuuder
stnndiny on that point II he meant that he does not
sac clearly what that policy 9, Mr. ger cou tell him
and ON this occasion be cd no. doubt the accuracy oil
begnpipg maintained the Territorial laws OF kansss;
having sanctioned the authority Of the Territorial LIE.
vi,lsture to call convention Of delegates to be elect
ed by the people, to make Constitution and State
government; and having exercised all Its powers to
secure to the people fsr opportunity to make their
domestic institutions in their own way, II would De
improper to PREJUDICE and discard the Gongs o: that
convention before it had been fully developed and
further that when Kansas shall have presented her
ssf for admission TO the Uuon, her Constitution be-
ing Republican, aud the people having had op
porunity of making free or slave State, as ind-
Gated in the organic act and as required by the gene
raj understanding OF the whole country u VIII mol De
considered sufficient reason 10 object to the admis
sion Of the State the ordinary forms OF the CON
stitution about which there dispute and which
may bs changed at any time the people may DESIRE
were not submitted to a popular vote.
The people of Kansas had right TO do this in their
own way. The way it has been done s their own.
But if in ths any other particular, the delegates
have acted in bad faith, or have abused the powers
ated to hen they 3ponsble TO the p-opl.
mot to Congress to the Administration MIR.
BigIer said he had before lin the bill reported by
Mr.. Douglas, on the 9TH March. 1856 providing for
the admission of Kansas into the Union as State,
the third section Of which reads as follows THAT
the foregoing propositions be and the same are hereby
offered 10 the said Convention OF The people ct Nan
sas when formed, for their acceptance or rejection
which, if adopted by tie Conventions and ratified by
the people at The election for the adoption OF the Con-
stitution shall be obligatory upon the United States
and the said State Of Kansas The bill read i'll place
by the Senator from Georgia (Mr Iouinesl on the
Nth Of July aud referred to The Committee on Ter
ritories contained the section, word for word
Both OF these bills were under consideration at the
conference which had been referred 10. but when the
Senator from Illinois reported the Too'nbs bill to the
Senate the next morning, 1t did not contain 40 much
of the third section Indicates To the Convention
that tine constitution should DC approved by the peo
Die. The words land ratified by the people at the
electou for the adoption OF :he ConsttutioR' had
been stricken out. Who struck these words out or
for what purpose was 1t done, were questions Noich
il was not for him to answer.
The Senator assumed the other day that whenever
the law is silent the subject, the inference 10 10 Ia
vor OF SUBMISSION, but full examination OF The pie
cedeuts bearing that point had shown hlm mat the
converse of the proposition had the weight OF autho
rity and that which nc had laid down hs the rule OF
precedent has never happened in sing s instance.
Mr.. Bgler proceeded 10 reply to other points In
Mr.. Douglas speech He sustained tho LEGALITY OF
the Lecompton movement, aud. in the course OF his
remarks said he could not ior-ell what his action
would be on tho question Of admitting Kansas under
the Consultation. The case WAS not lully made up
very large and dangerous power was III Inc hands
of those who ERE to Conduct the election on the slave
ry article. They may abuse it,. IL so, the result
could not be- recognized. But il the election shall be
fairly conducted. lie should vote for the anus'ion oi
Kansas as State, with either free or slave C9nst
tuition; because be thought that w"aid eeitle he con
,roversy and give peace Kansas and the county
II the Institutions should not SUIT tie people, they
could be altered easily and satisfactorily with
Kansaa as State. than III q Territory.
Mr.. Douglas replied, savirS he had no fault 10 IND
with the Senator from Pennsylvania for making n
series of attacks on his consistency wiils emitting Ia
answer his arguments. Some persons furnished him
with the records ct the votes OF Senators on the VIII
mo, proviso and som- former speeches relative "a
EnA mary l,t
true or false what had they 10 Go with the ques
ton now presen'ed1 Ils did not understand the mo.
tves for ransacking the public records ana news
papers, and picking up every liA scrap to see what
his course had been for twelve years past on fh-
subject Of Slavery. Suppose il was true that III 1913
he was in favor Of extending The Mssouri C"mpro-
mise line 20 the Pacific Ocean, es recommended by
Mr.. Buchanan in his letter preceding; ana suppose il
true that in 1854 he introduced bill tor the repeal Of
that compromises Of which the President says he now
approves. All these things are not material TO the
argument. True. the issue was whether popular
sovereignty to which the President and himself were
pledged should be violated in KaHGas. He thought the
Senator from Pennsylvania allowed want OF candor
and fairness in quoting from his Springfield speech,
and emitting to quote what he aad on the same sub
isot the other day. which was perfectly in harmony
with previously expressed opini"ns lie thought Gov
Walker WAS authorized 10 say whst he did in his in
augura address. by the instructions Of the Presld-h;
and the Cabinet, 10 demand that the Constitution
should be submitted, and unless submitted that II
should bs regarded null aud void. He WIS not aware
that Gov Walker had aertered in the slightest d.
gree except 10 Pursuance of these instructions lie
never supposed that the S.:eC' WAS to be denounced
for obeyng instructions and the principal appauded
for giving them. He admired ths !nanlness OF thu
President in assuming the responsibility to give them
and only regretted that the President proPosed from
motives of .Ipediency. to accept the Constitution
without ratification by the people. although he admits
it ought to be submitted II is right 10 submit let II
be submitted. Let policy and expectancy take care
of Themselves. He complained that the Senator from
Pennsylran a seemed disposed to pu: him in false
position. TIE true L. the Constitution must be
endorsed by the popular WILL and if moi. j; must be
rejected. The only true way of ascera'ning wheher
the Constitution is acceptable or not, is 10 submit II
to the people.