Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-12-24


office until he has been here twenty years they
nave right to think SO and ii majority of
the people OF Kansas think that no man of
ioreign birth should vote or hold Office unless he
mas lived there twenty years, it is their right 10
say so. and have no right to interfere with
snem lt is their business, not mine but if I
iiVed there should not be willing to have that
IN the constitution without being heard upon
Tue SUBJECT, ana allowed to record my protest
against it,
have nothing to say about their system of
taxation In which they have gone back and
resorted to the old exploded system that we tried
~ IL, ILLINOIS, but abandoned because we do not
ike 1t. 1t they wish to try it, and get tired
Oh IT, and abandon it, be it 80 but if were a
citizen OF Kansat | would profit by the expert
ence OF illinois on that subject. and defeat it if
could: Yeti have no objection to their hav-
ing 1t II they want it it is their business, not
mine.
So tits in regard to free negroes. They pro-
vac that no Tree negro shall be permitted TO
I'oe In Kansas. | suppose they have right to
say so II they choose; but if lived there
should want to vote on that question. We, in
Limos, provide that no more shall come there
we say to the otherStates, - take care of your
own free negroes and we will take care of ours
Bat we do not say that the negroes now there
shall not be permitted to live in Illinois and
think the people of Kansas ought to have the
right to say whether they will allow them to
i've there, and If they are not going to do SO,
how they are to dispose of them
30 you may go on with all the different clau-
ses OF thEconstyuton. They may be ali right;
they maybe all wrong. That ID u question. on
which my opinion is worth nothing The opin-
ion of the wise and patriotic Chief Magistrate
OF the United States is not worth anything as
against that of the people of Kansas, for they
have right to judge for themselves and nei-
Their Presidents, nor Senates, nor Houses of
Representatives, nor any other power outside of
Kansas has right to judge for them. Hence
1t is no Justification, in my mind, tor the yio-
lation OF great principle Of self.government,
to say that the constitution you are forcing on
them is not particularly obnoxious, or is excel
lent in its provisions
Perhaps, sir, the same thing might be said
OF the Topeka Constitution. do not recolect
its peculiar provisions. know one thing we
Democrats We Nebraska men, would not even
look into it to see what its provisions were-
Why! Because we said it was made by Do
litical party, aud not by the people, that 1t
was made in defiance of the authority of Con
gress that ii it was as pure as the Bible. as
holy as the ten commandments, vet we would
not touch it until itswas submitted to and rati-
fed by the people OF Kansas, in pursuance of
the forms of law. Perhaps that Topeka con-
stitution, out for the mode of making it,would
have been unexceptionablc do not know
do not care. You have no right to force an un-
exceptlonable constitution on people. 1t does
not Mitigate the evil, it does not diminish the
insult, 1t does not amelorate the wrong that
you are forcing good thing on them am
not willing to be forced to do that which
would do if | were left free to Judge and act
for myself Hence assert that there is no ius-
tliication to be made for this fragrant violation
OF popular rights in Kansas, on the plea that
the constitution which they have made is not
particularly obnoxious.
But, sir, the Presiden of the United States
is really and sincerely of the opinion that the
Slavery clause has been fairly and impartialy
submitted to the free acceptance or rejection
OF the people of Kansas, and that, inasmuch
as that was the exciting and paramount ques-
ton, 1t they get the right to vote as they please
on that subject, they ought to be satisfied and
possibly it might be better if we would accept
1t, and put an end to the question Let me
ask, sir, is the Slavery clause fairly submitted,
SO that the people can vote for. against it =
Suppose were a citizen of Kansas and should
go up to the polls and say, III desire to vote
to make Kansas a slave State, here is nv bal
lot. - They reply to me. Mr. Douglas, Just
vote Tor that constitution fist, if you please"
On no answer, e" cannot vote for that
constitution conscientiously. | am opposed to
the clause by which you locate certain rail
roads IN such way us to sacrifice nv county
and my part of the State. | am opposed TO
mat banking system. am opposed to this
Know Nothing or American clause in the con.
situation about the qualification for Office. I
cannot vote for it," Then they answer. You
shall not vote on making it IL slave State"
then say " want to make it Il free State."-
They reply, " Vote for that constitution first.
ana then you can vote to make it free State
otherwise you cannot" Thus they disoualify
every Tree State man who will not first vote for
the constitution. No matter whether or not
the voters state that they cannot conscientious
~ vote Tor those provisions, they reply, You
cannot vote for or against Slavery here. Take
the constitution as we have made it, take the
elective franchise as we have made it, take the
banking system as we have dictated it. take
the railroad lines us we have located them. take
The judiciary system as we have fixed it to suit
ourselves, and ask no questions, but vote for 1t,
or you shall not vote either for slave or free
State. In other words, the legal effect of the
schedule Is this: all those who are in favor of
TINS constitution may vote for or against
Slavery, us they please but all those who
are against this constitution are disfran-
chlsed and shall not vote at all. That is
the mode in which the Slavery proposition is
Submitted. Every man opposed to The consti-
tuition is disfranchised on the Slavery clause -
How many are they They tell you there is a
majority, for they say the constitution will be
voted down instantly, by an overwhelming ma
jority, If you allow a negative vote This
shows that majority are against it. Thew dis.
qualify and disfranchise every man who is
against it, thus referring the Slavery clause to
minority Of the people of Kansas. and Ieay-
ing that minority free to vote for or against the
Slavery clause, as they choose
Let me ask you if that is fair mode of SUBJ
hitting the Slavery clause Does that mode
OF submitting that particu lar clause leave the
people perfectly free to vote for or against
Slavery as they choose! Am free TO vote as
choose Ga the Slavery question: if you tell
me shall not vote on il until vote for the
Maine liquor law! Am | free to vote on the
Slavery question, if you tell me that shall
not vote either way until | vote for u bankl Is
it freedom of election to make your right to
vote upon one question depend upon the mode
IN which you are gong to vote on some other
question which has no connection with it, Is
that freedom of election Is that the great
fundamental principle of self government, for
which we combined and struggled, in this
body and throughout the country.to establish
as the rule of action in all time to come!
Ihe President of the United States has made
some remarks in his message which it strikes
pae 1t would be very appropriate to read in this
connection. He says:
" The friends and supporters of the Nebraska
and Kansas act, when struggling on n recent
occasion to suetain its wise provisions before
th.a tril,a...l =