The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-22
DEBATE IN THE SENATE.
THE PREsIDEN1rs MESSAGE.
wkpNrspAr, pncEMprR D, 81.

On motion by Mr. DOUGLAS, the Senate resumed the
consideration of the motion made by him yesterday to
print the Presidents message and accompanying docu
ments, with fifteen thousand extra copies, 49, o..
Mr. DOUGLAS. Mr.. President, when yesterday the
Presidents message read at the Clerks desk heard
II but imperectly and of the impression that the
President of the United States had approved and endorsed
the action of the Leoompton convention in Kansas I'm
der that impression felt it my duty to state that while
concured in the general views OF the message yet far
it approved endorsed the action of that convenuo
entirely dsented from It, and would avail myself of
early opportunity to state my for my dissent
Upon careful and critical examination of the mes
sage reoiced TO find that the President OF the Uni
ted States has not recommended that Congress shall pass
law to receive Kansas into sne Union under the oons
tuition formed at Leoompon II is true that the tone of
the message indicates willingness ON the part of the
President to sign any bill that Congress may pass If we
shall proper to pass receiving Kansas into the
Union under that constitution. But sir IL is fact OF
great Significance and worthy Of consideration that the
President has reained fon any endorsement of the
vention and from any recommendation as to the course
Congress should pursue with regard to the constitution
there formed. s..... ... .#H ..s ..l.
The message of the President has made argument
unanswerable argument in my opinion against that
constitution which shows clearly whether intended to
arrive that result not that consistently with his
views and his principles he cannot accept that consu
ton He has expressed his deep modification and disap
pointment that the constitution itself has not been sub
mted to the people of Kansas for their acceptance
lection He informs that he has nquaedly expressed
his opinions that subject in his instructions to Gov
Walker, assuming matter OF course, that the cons
tuition to be submitted to the people before it could
have any vitality validity He goes further, aud tells
that the example set by Congress in the Minnesota
case by inserting clause in the enabling act requiring
the constitution to be submitted to the people, ought to
become uniform rule not to be departed from hereafter
in any case On these various propositions agree en-
tirey with the President of the United States, and am
prepared to sustain that uniform rule which he asks
to pursue in all other cases. by taking the Minnesota
provision example. .-+... a..E ..
/ rejoice. a perusal the to find
much less to dissent from than under the impress
sion there was from the hasty reading and the imperfect
hearing of the message in the first instance In effect he
refers that document the Congress of the United
the constitution of the United States refers for
to decide upon it under our responsibility 1t proper
that he should have thus referred to matter for
congressional action and not administration Ex
ecuve measure for the that the constitution Of
the United States says that Congress may admit new
States into the Union" Hence find the Kansas question
before now not administration measure mob as
an Executive measure, but measure coming before us
for free action, without any recommendation inter-
ference directly indirectly by the administration
in possession of the federal government Sir propose to
examine this question calmly and fairly to whether
or not properly receive Kansas into the Union
with the constitution formed at Lecompton.
The President after expressing his regret and moti
cation and disappointment that the constitution had not
been submitted to the people in pursuance of his nsrc
tons to Governor Walker and in pursuance of Governor
Walkers to the people, says however that by
the Kansas Nebraska net the slavery question only
required to be referred to the people, and the remainder
OF the constitution thus required to he submitted
He acknowledges that general rule on general prin
cplcs the whole constitution should be submitted but
according His understanding of the organic act of Kan
there imperative obligation to submit the sa-
question for their approval dsapproval but
obligation to submit the entire constitution In other
words he regards the organic act the Nebraska bil
having made exception of the slavery clause,
and provided for the disposition of that question in
mode different from that in which other domestic or local
conradistinguished from federal questions, should
be decided Sir permit to say, with profound respect
for the President of the United States that conceive that
this point he has committed fundamental error-an
which lies the foundation of his whole argument
this matter. well understand how that distin
gushed statesman came to fall into this He
not in the country a the time the Nebraska bill pass
ed he not party to the controversy and the dis
cusson that took place during its passage He then
representing the honor and the dignity of the country
with great wisdom and distinction at foreign court.
Thus deeply engrossed his whole energies absorbed
in conducting great diplomatic questions that diverted his
attention from the territorial questions and discus
sons then going in the Senate and the House of Rep
resentatves and before the people at home Under these
circumstances he may we'll have fallen into error
radical and fundamental it is in regard to the object
of the Nebraska bill and the principle asserted in it,
Now, sir, what the principle enunciated by the
authors and supporters of that bill when it brought
forward Did not come before the country and say
that repealed the Missouri restriction for the purpose
of substituting and carrying out general rule the
great principle of sefgovement which left the people
of each State and each Territory free to form and regulate
their domestic institutions in their way, subject only
to the constitution of the United States In support of
that proposition it argued here and have argued
it wherever have spoken in various States of the Unon
at home and abroad everywhere have endeavorcd to
prove that there why exception should
be made in regard to the slavery question. have APP
peaed to the people if did not all agree of all
parties that all other local and domestic questions should
be submitted to the people said to them ''We agree
that the people shall decide for themselves what
kind of Judiciary system they win have ; agree
that the people shall decide what kind of school sys
tenn they will establish agree that the people shall
determine for themselves what kind of banking system
they will have whether they will have any banks at
all we agree that the people may decide for themselves
what shall be the elective franchise in their respective
States they shall decide for themselves what shall be
the rule of taxation and the principles upon which their
finance shall be regulated agree that they may decide
for themselves the relations between husband and wife, pa
rent and child guardian and ward and why should we not
then allow them to decide for themselves the relations be-
tween master and servant Why make an exception of
the slavery question by taking it out Of that great rule of
selgovenment which applies to all the other relations
Of life The very first proposition in the Nebraska bill
to show that the Missouri restriction prohibiting the
people from deciding the slavery question for themselves
constituted exception to general rule, in violation of
the principle of selfgovenment and hence that that
ception should be repealed and the slavery question: like
all other questions submitted to the people to be decided
for themselves. ......lt.. a A
Sir that the principle which the Nebraska bill
was defended by its friends. Instead of making tn
slavery question exception, it removed odous
ception which before existed Its whole object to
abolish that odious exception, and make the rule gene
;fr 10,