Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-12-17

Territory of Arizonia.
Mr.. Douglas said he yesterday had the
impression that the President had approx
ed the action Of the Lccompton Convention
and under that impression he felt it to he
his duty 20 state that while he concuned i'll
the general views of the Message, yet, 50
far as it did approve or indorse the action
of that Convention, Inc entirely disscntcd
from it, and would give reasons for such
dissent. Upon more careful and crit
ical examination of the Message he WAS
! reoiccd to find that the President had not
entirely approved the action of that Con
vcntion lie was also rcioiccd to find that
/ the President had not recommended that
/ Congress should pas laws receiving Kan
sls into the Tn Oh as a State, under the
constitution framed at I.ecompton 1t is
true that the tone of the Message indicates
willingness on the part of the President
to sign any bill Congress might pass re-
cciving Kansas into the Union; but it was
very significant fact that the President
had refrained from any endorsement OF He
convention, and from any recommendation
as to the course Congress should pursue in
deed the President had expressed deep
modification and disappointment that the
whole constitution was not submitted to the
people Of Kansas for their acceptance or
rejection.
lie proceeded to show that Congress
could not properly receive Kansas into the
Union under the l.ecompton constitution
Not only the slavery question, but all 9th
ers, must be submitted to the people of
Kansas. as they are guaranteed to cstab-
lish all their domestic institutions for
themselves. On this principle the whole
constitution must be submitted, to a>ccr-
tain whether or not it meets with their APP
probation.
Mr.. Douglas contenIe, that the people OF
Kansas ought to have an opportunity to
vote against the constitution, If they chose
: TO do so. lie compared the freedom al
4; lowed by the Lccompton convention to
the freedom at the election at Paris when
Louis NAPOLEON was elected President
The reason assigned why the people OF
Kansas were not allowed to vote on the ac-
ccptancc of the Constitution prepared, was
that if they had the chance they would vote
it down by an overwhelming majority
he believed they would and he thought it
was a clear violation OF the organic act,
thus To force the obnoxious constitution
upon the ma ;ority.
When Douglas concluded there was APP
plau>c in the galleries.
Mr.. Bigler replied TO Douglas, saying
the Convention was called according Ia
' law, AMI had lecn recognized Iry the Pres
ilcnt and the Governor Of the Territory
= 1t was their right to submi; the Consii
i tuition TO the people, or send it to tongres,
without submission If It was right in il
y self and republican i'll form, ana the pcopl,
:, had fairly tleci'led the slavery question. i
u would not he wise 20 keep them out of til,
> Union, simply because the whole constitu
It ton had not been submitted to them. L,
do SO would be inconsistent with the doe
= ) trne Of n-intervcntion. There was moth
- ing in the past history of the country (,
i" Justify such a course it would be the dut,
- Of Congress to look at the. question as i
came before them. tn do the best the,
:, could, looking at the happiness of the en-
II tire country lie had long been under TIN
entire impression ii would he the best 20
:. the t'non anl Kansas, that the Stat,
should be admitted at the first favorabl,
- opportunity, in order to localize the strife
lie would have preferred that the who'll
Constitution had hccn submitted TO th,
, people, but persons outside of the territor,
!" have no right TO interfere with the slave
: ~ question there. He believed the peopl
. of Kansas now have an opportunity to dc
~ eide whether to Lave free or slave State
u He could not, however determine his en-
tire course until they shall make such lie
= ci>ion. He SAID the position oi Douglas
" :, o-day, was in utter dcrogaion from tha
u which he occupied when he voted 70
: 'roombs bill, which proposed to max
State Constitution and put it into opera
II ton without submitting it to a vote of tn
people. and this, only short time ago
He could not understand how Douglas har
50 realty become sensitive, rcgarlin,
he the rights of that people. after htvin;
,e attempted such an infringement upo
j. them.
Mr. Douglas-I am certain Mr.. Biglc
$ did not speak for the President; kno,
j. that the President has Iist spoken for him
he self in his Message, in which he condemn
n the convention for not submitting the on
he >titution to the people, and refuses to re
n commend me to receive it, The Presilen
H. is a bold, frank man. anl if he intended t.
IN give us an Administration measure h
a would say So Ii is not respectful to aSSum
hc we will do what he will not recommen,
or us to do. OF course, knew the Senate
a. from Pennsylvania did not speak by author
ity.
of Mr.. Biger-I think am safe in saying
n and think the Senator from Illinois vii
l,e agree with me, that the President uphel,
q. iii his Message the doctrine that the con
vcntion hal the right to form Constilu
s. tion and submit it to the people for appro
4 val, or send it to Congress for approval
think it is deducible from the Message
= the President does not hold that becauS
| the entire Constitution is not submtte,
to the people, Kansas should be kept on
; of the Union
A. Mr. Douglas infer from the Mcssag
the Pcsident docs hold the convention ha,
g. a right to form constitution and send /
a. here, but that was only the right to pc
H. ttion for redress of grievances under tn