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

pie for ratification | know that men, high IN
authority, and in the confidence Of the territoi
al and National Government, canvassed every
part of Kansas during the election of delegates,
and each one Of them pledged himself 10 the
peuple that no snap judgement was to be taken;
that the constitution was to be submitted TO the
people for acceptance OF rejection that 1t would
be void unless that was done; that the Admin
islration would spurn and scorn it as violation
of the PRINCIPLES on which it came into power,
and that Democratic Congress would hurl it
from heir persence as an insult to Democrats
who stood pledged to see the people lett free 10
frm their domestic institutions for themselves.
Not only that, sir, but up 10 the time when
the Congention assembled, on the LIST of Sep
TENDER. so far as i can learnt was understood
everywhere that the constitution was to be sub
mtted Tor ratification or rejection. They met,
however, on the LIST of September, and adjourn
ed until after the October election. | think il
was wise and prudent HAT they should thus have
adjourned They did not wish to bring any que
ton into that election which would divide The
Democratic9aEty, and weaken our chances oil
success 10 the election. was rejoiced when
saw that they did adjourn, so as not to show
their hand on any, question that would divide
and distracls the party until after the election
During that recess, while the Convention was
adjourned Governor Ransom, the Democratic
candidate Al,Ds@gress. cunning against the pre-
sent DELIGHTS IRON that Territory, was canvass
ing every part of Kansas in favor of the doc
trine of submitting the constitution TO the peo
pie, declaring that The Democratic party were in
favor of such submission, and that it was Sian.
der of the Black Republicans to intimate the
charge that the Democratic party did not inenC
to carry ont that pledge in good faith Thus
up TO the time of the meeting of the Convention
IN October last, the pretence was kept up, the
profession was openly made, and believed BY me
and ! thought believed by them that the CON
ven ton intended to submit a constitution to the
people, and not to attempt to put government in
operation without such submission The e lee.
lion being over, the Democratic party being de-
feated by an overwhelming vote, the Opposition
having trlumphed, and got POSSESSION of both
branches of the Legislature, and having elected
their territorial Delegate. the Convention assem-
bled, and then proceeded to complete thei
work.
Now let US stop to inquire how they redeemed
| Inc pledge to submit the constitution TO the PEG
PIE. They first 90 on and make constitution
nen they make schedule, in which they pro-
VIDE That the constitution, on the 2lst of De-
cember-ihe present month--shlll be submitted
to all the bona fde inhabitants of the Territory
on that DAY tor their free acceptance or rejection
IN Inc following manner, to wit thus acknowl
| edglng that they were bound TO submit it to the
will OF The people, connecting that they had nc
right put 1t into operation without submitting
it to the people providing in the instrument thai
it should take effect ftom and after the date Of
lis ratification, and not before showing that the
Constitution derives its vitality, in their estima.
ton, not from the authority of the Convention
but from that vote of the people to which it was
to be submitted for their free acceptance or re.
lection. How is 1t to be submitted! 1t shall be
submitted In this form Constitution with
slavery, OR Constitution with no slavery" All
men must vote for the Constitution, whether
they like it or not, in order to be permitted tc
vote tor or against slavery.
Thus constitution made by convention thai
had authority to assemble and petition for re-
dress OF grievances, but not 10 establish gov
ernment--a constitution made under pledge O.
honor that it should be submitted TO the pc oplt
before it took effect constitution that provide,
on its face that il shall have no VALIDITY except
whst il tbrrtnsrstom such snbmission-is submi
ted TO the people at an election where all mer
are at liberty to come forward freely without hin
drance to vote for it but no man is permitted t,
record vote against it. That would be as fa
an election as some of the enemies of Napoleor
attributed to him when he was elected First Con
sui lie is said to have called out his troop
and had them reviewed by his officers with /
speech, patriotic and fair in its professions, il
which he said 10 them" Now nv soldiers. yol
are to go tohe election and vote freely Just as yot
please If you vote for Napoleon, all is well
vote against MIN, and you are instantly TO be
shot" That was fair election daughter. =,
ms election is to be equally fair. All men If
favor OF The constitution may vote for it-al
meE against it shall not vote at all. Why not
let them vote against it! lplesume you have
asked many a man this question. have asked
very large number of the gentlemen who fran.
ed The constitution, quite number of delegates
and still larger number of persons who are
friends, and have received the same answer
ON every one of them, never received any
other answer, What is that! They say if they
allowed negative vote the constitution would
have been voted down by an overwhelming ma
Jorlty, and hence the fellows shall not be allow
ed TO vote at all. Uaughler)
Mr.. President, that may be true. 1t is no
part of my purpose to deny the proposition that
that constitution would have been voted down
by majority of four to one | am informed
by men well posted there Democrats it
would be voted down by ten to one; some say
by twenty to one.
But is ii good reason why you should de-
Clare 1t IN force, without being submitted to
the people, merely because it would have been
voted down by five to one if you had submitted
1t What does that fact prove! Does it not
snow undenmbly that an overwhelming MAORI
ty OF people of Kansas are unalterably opposed
TO that constitution? Will you force it on
them against their will simp ly because they
would have voted it down if you had consulted
them Ii you will, are you going to force it
upon them under the plea of leaving them per-
leclly free to form and regulate their domestic
institutions in their own way! Is that the
mode IN which am called upon to carry out
the principle of self-government and popular
sovereignty in the Territories--to force n con-
ssisation W ~ ,Fsople against their will, in
Of the fact, and then to assign, as a reason for
my tyranny, that they would be SO obstinate
ana so perverse as to vote down the constitu-
ton If | had given them an opportunity to be
consulted about it
Sir, deny your right or mine to inquire of
these people what their objections to that con
stltuslon are They have right to Judge for
themselves whether they like or dislike it.
1t is no answer to tell me that the constitution
is good one and unobjectionable. 1t is not
satisfactory to me to have the President say in
his message that that constitution is an admira-
BILE one, like all the constitutions of the new
States that have been recently formed Wheth-
er good or bad, whether obnoxious or not, is
none OF my business and none of yours. care
not what they have in their constitution, 50
that it suits them and does not violate the Con-
stituton of the United States and the funda-
mental principles of liberty upon which our
institutions rest. ain not going to argue the
question whether the banking systrm establish.
ed In that constitution is wise or unwise 1t
says there shall be no monopulies, but there
I...Il h.