The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-12-26

With o knowledge Of the fact, and then to
assign Is reason for my tyranny, that they
would be 80 obstinate and so perverse as to
vsee down the constitution If had given
them On opportunity to be consulted about
IT.
Sir, I deny your right or mine to inquire
Of these people what their objections to
that constitution are. They have right to
jugde for themselves whether they like or
dislike Il. Ii is no answer to tell me That
the constitution is good one and unoi.jcc-
siouable. Il Is not satisfactory TO me to
have the President say in hit message that
that constitution is an admirable one, like
II the constitutions Of the new States that
have been recently formed Whether good
or bad. whether obnoxious or no., Is none
Of nv business and none OF yours IL Is
their business and not ours | care not
what they have in their constitution, so
that Il suits them and does not violate the
Constitution Of the United States and the
fundamental principles Of liberty upon
which our institutions rest. ! am not go
ing to argue the question whether the bank
ing system established in that constitution
isrise or unwise. Ii says there shall be
no monopolies, but there shall be one bank
Of discount in the State, with two branches.
All have to say on that point is, if they
want q banking system let them have it; if
they do not want it let them prohibit it. II
thew want bank with two branches, be it
%: IL they want twenty it is none Of my
business, and it matters not to me whether
one Of them shall be on the north side and
the ether on the south side Of the Raw
river, or where they shall be.
While I have no right ito expect to be
consulted on that point, edo hold that the
people Of Kansas have fherigh' to be con-
suited and to decide it, and you have right
full authority to deprive them Of that privi
lege. 1t is no justification, in my mind, to
say that the provisions for the eligibility for
the Offices Of Governor and Lieutenant-Go-
the United States. Ii men think that no
person should vote or hold office until he
has been here twenty years they have
right to think so; and If majority Of the
people of Kansas think that no man of for
eign birth should vote or hold Office unless
he has lived there twenty years, it is thor
right to say SO, and have no right to inter-
fere with them; it is their business, not
mine; but If lived there I should not be
willing to have that provision in the con-
stitution without being heard upon the sub
ject, and 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 in Illinois, but abandoned be
cause we did not like it. II they wish to
try it and get tired of it and abandon it, be
il so; but If I wee . citizen Of Kansas
would profit by the experience Of illinois
on that subj ct, and defeat it if i could.
Yet have no objection to their having it If
Il
So il is in regard to the free negroes.
They provide that no free negroes shall be
permitted to live in Kansas. l suppose they
have \ right to say so if they choose; but
II lived there I should want to vote on
that question. We, in Illinois, provide that
no more shall come there. We say TO TIE
other States, stake care Of your own zee
negroes and We will take care OF ours"
But We do not say that the negroes now
there shall not be permitted to live in Hi
nois and | think the people Of Kansas
ought TO have the right to say whether they
will allow them to live there, and If they
are not going to do SO, hOw they are to dis
pose Of them
So you may 60 on with all the different
clauses Of the constitution. They may bs
all right; they may be all wrong. That is
. question on which my opinion is worth
nothing. The opinion Of the wise and pa
triotic Chief Magistrate Of the United States
is not worth anything As against that of the
people Of Kansas, for thy have a right 10
Judge for themselves and neither President
nor Senators, nor House of Repre- entativesa
nor any other power outside Of Kansas has
q right to judge for them. Hence it is TO
justification, in my mind. for the violation
Of great principle Of sefSovernment, to
hat I'll, n
them is not particularly obnoxious or is ex-
ceilent in its provisions.
Perhaps, sir, the same thing might be
said Of the celebrated Topeka constitution.
l do not recolleet its peculiar provisions.
I know one th.ns-we Democrats, we Ne
braska men, would not even look into it TO
see wha: its provisions were. Why? Be
cause We said it was made by a political
party, and not by the people; that it was
made in defiance of the authority of Con-
gress that If 1t was as pure as the Bible,
rs holy - the ten commandments, yet we
would not touch it until it was submitted to
and ratified by the people of Kansas in pur-
suance Of the forms Of law. Perhaps that
Topeka constitution, but for the mode Of
making il, would have been unexceptiona-
bic. do not know; DO not care. You
have no right to force an unexceptionablc
constitution on people. 1t does not miti-
gate the evil, it does not diminish the insult,
1t does not ameliorate the wrong, that you
are forcing . good thing on them. am
not willing to be forced to do that which |
would do If 1 were left free to judge and act
for myself Hence l assert that there is no
justification to be made for this fragrant viO-
lation of popular rights in Kansas. on the
plea that the constitution which taey have
l. oh
But, sir, the President of the L. S. is
really and sincerely of the opinion that the
slavery clause has been fairly and impartial
" submitted to the free acceptance or rejec-
ton Of the people of Kansas, and that, in
asmuch as that was the exciting and para
mount question. if they got 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 it, and put an
end to the question. Let me ask, sir, is the
slavery clause fairly submitted, SO that the |
people can vote for or against it? Suppose
l were a citizen Of Kansas, and should go
UP to the polls and say, 81 desire to vote
II make Kansas slave state; here is my
ballot" They reply to me, "Mr. Douglas.
just vote for that constitution first, if you
please" "Oh, no!" answer, 81 cannot
vote for that constitution sOnscientiOusly. ]
am opposed to he clause by which you 10 |
cate certain railroads in such a way As to |
sacrifice my county and my part Of the
State. am opposed to that banking sys- |
tenn am opposed to this Know-Nothing |
or American clause in the constitution about |
the qualification for Office. I cannot vote /
for it" Then they answer, '' You shall not
vote on making it slave State" then
say, {" | want to make it free State" TheS
reply, "Vots for that constitution first, and
then you can vote TO make it q free State.
otherwise you cannot" Thus they disqual-
ify every free-State man who will not first