Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-12-24

W0u!o De Scteu oOHn u5 zen W INV ~
say iwenty to one.
But is it a good reason Why you should de-
clare i. in force, without beng submitted to
the people, merely because it would have
been voted down by five to one if you had
submitted it! What does that fact prove!
Does it not show undeniab'y that an over
whelming majority OF the people OF Kansas
are unaltcrably opposed 10 that constitution!
VIII vo fierce it on them against their viii
simply because they would have voted Il
down it you had consulted ihami II ycu
" |, are you going to force it upon the plea
Of leaving them perfectly free &c form ard
regulate their domestic Institutions in their
own wayl Is that the mode in which | am
called upon to carry out the principle OF
self government and popular sovereignty in
the T-rritories-to force a constitution On
tie Peep g against their will, in opposition
TO their protest with 4 know ledge OF the
fact, and then to assign, as a reason Tor my
tyranny, that they would be 50 obstinate
and 50 peTyeFse as to vote down the consti-
tuition if ! had given them an opportunity TO
be consulted about ii!
The opinion of the wise and patriotic
Chief Magistrate o! the United States is
not worth anything as against that Of the
people Of Kansas, Tor they have a right to
Judge Ter themselves; aud neither President,
nor Senators, nor House of Representatives,
nor any other power outside of Kansas, has
a right to Judge for them. Hence it is no
Justification, in my mind, for the viofsion
OF a great principle of self government, to
say that the consti ution you are forcing on
the,n is MOI particu!a ly obnoxious, or is ex-
ceiient in its provisions.
Perhaps, sir, the same thing might be
said Of the celebrated Topeka constitution.
| do not recollect its peculiar provisions.
know one thing: We Democrats, we Ne
braska mon. would not even look into it to
see what its provisions were. Whyl Be-
cause we said il was made by a political
parry, and 10 by the people; that it was
mase III defiance of the authority Of Con-
gress; that If II was as pure rs the Bible,
as holy as the ten commandments, vet we
would not touch it until it vas submitted 10
and ratified By the people of Kansas, in
pursuance Of the forms OF law. Perhaps
that Topeka constitution, but for the mode
Of making it, would have been unexcep-
lionable. | do 10 know; | DO not care
You have no right to force an unexception.
able constitution OH Il people. 1t does no
mitigate the evil, it does nc, diminish the
insult, it does : not ameliorate the wrong
that you are forcing a good thing on them
am not wiling to be forced 20 10 thai
which would DO if | were left free to Judge
and act for myself. Hence | assert tina
there is no Justification to be made For ihi!
fragrant violation of popular rights in Kan
SIS, Oh the plea that the constitution which
they have mace is not particularly obnoxious
Bu:, sir, the President Of The Uniter
States is really and sincerely of the opinion
That the slavery clause has been fairly ans
im?artially submitted to .he free acceptance
Or rejection OF the people of Kansas, anc
that, inIsmuch as that was the exciting anc
paramount question, if they get the right tt
vote as they please on that subject they
ought to be satisfied; and possibly it nigh.
be better If we would accept il, and put Al
end to the question. Let me ask, sir. is thu
tslavery clause fairly submitted, SO that thc
people can vote tor or against itl Suppos,
1 were a ciiizen of Kansas, and should q,
up to the polls and say, II desire to vote t,
make Kansas a slave State, here is IN,
ballot" They reply to me, "Mr. Douglas
just vote Tor that constitution first" sOB
nu,a answeg, Il rannot vote ssor that con
stituiion conscientiously. ! am opposed t.
the clause by which you locate certain rail
roads IN such a way as to sacrifice my coun
ty ant my part Of The State. ! I'm oppose
to that banking saystem. an opposed /
this Know Nothing or American clause i
the constitution about the qualification f.
office. cannot vote for it," Then the
answer, "You shall not vote on making it
slave State" | then say, 81 want to max
it u Tree Stale. They reply, "Vote for tina
constitution fist, and then you can vote /
make 1t a free State; otherwise you cannot.
Thus they d,squality every Tree State m4r
who viii mol first vote for the constitution
they d;squaliiy every slaves ate man VIII
will not first vo;c for the constitution. N
matter whether or moi the 7oters state tina
they cannot cJnscien -iOusly vote for lhos
provisions, they reply, "You cannot vote 70
or against slavery here. Take the co1sti
tatlon Us We have nude it, take the Plectiv
franchise as We have estab ishej it, take III
banking system as we have dictated it, tax
the raiiroad lines as We have located then
take the Judiciary system as we have form
ed il, take it ali as we have fixed it to sui
ourselves, and ask TO questions, but vot
or it, Or you shall not yole either ior a sIav
or free state" In other words, the 'eg;
effect Of the schedule is this: all thuse VIII
are i'll favor of this constitution NAV vot
Tor or against slavery, as they please; bu
ali those no are against this constitutio
are disfr anchised, and shall not vote at Al
That is the mode in which the slavery Or;
: position is submitted. Every man oppose
; 10 the constitution Is DISTINGUISHED on til
slavery clause. How many are they! The
: tell you there is a majority, fer they soy ii
constitution will be voted down Instant,
W "hSihinS haJOi.t u tUu dlHO
: a negative vote. This shows that a major
r ~ are agsin:tit. They diSquaIify and di
franchise every man who is against II, .ht
: referring the slavery clause to a minosir
of the people of Kansas, ard leaving tn
minority Tree to vote for or against the >la'
t cry clause, as they choose.
q + \ =
Tle President tells us in his message thi
the whole party pied ed our faith ard O
: honor that the slavery question should /
submitted to the people, without any r
strictiUn or qualification whatever. Do.
the schedule submit it without qualification
Ii qu,lities it by saying, "You may vote {
slavery ii you sill vote Tor The constitution
bui YOU shall not do SO without doirg Mat
o That Is 4 very important publication
qualification that controls d mans vote a,
his action and his conscience, if he is !,
d honest Gian-l qualification conlrssedly
), violation a.; CIR Dlalfurm. We are told