Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-12-24

conceding that they had no right to put u IN
to operation without submitting it to the peo-
pie, providing in the instrument that il should
take effect from and after the date of its rati-
fcation, and not before showing that the
constitution derives its vitality, in their esti-
nation, not from the authority of the conven-
tion, but from that vote of the people to which
it was to be Submitted for their free accep-
tance or rejection. How is it to be submit
ted 1t shall be submitted in this form -
" Constitution with slavery or constitution
with no slavery" All men must vote for the
consultation, whether they like it or not, in or
der to be permitted to vote for or against sla-
very. Thus a constitution made by conven-
ton that had authority to assemble and petit
! ton for a redress of grievances but not to es-
! tahlish governmental constitution made un-
der pledge of honor that it should be sub
mtted to the people before it took effect ;
constitution which provides, on its face, that
/ 1t shall have no validity except what IL derives
/ from such submissions submitted to the peo-
| pie at an election where all men are at liber-
! ty to come forward freely without hnderance
and vote for it, bnt no man is permitted to re.
cord a vote against il.
That would he as fair an election as some
OF the enemies OF Napoleon attributed to him
when he was elected First Consul. He is said
10 nave called ont his troops and had them
reviewed by his officers with a speech patriot
ic and tair in its professions, in which he said
to them : /" Now, my soldiers, you are TO 20
10 the election and vote freely Just as you please
If You vote for Napoleon, all is we'll vote
against him, and You are to be instantly shot"
| That was fair election. Laughter. This
election is to be equally fair. All men in fa-
vor Of the constitution may vote for it-all
men against it shall not vote at all Why
not let Them vote against it presume you
have asked many man this question. | have
asked very large number of the gentlemen
who framed the constitution quite a number
OF delegates and still larger number OF per
sons who are their friends, and have receiy-
ed the same answer from every one of them
| never received any other answer, aud pre-
snme We never shall get any other answer
What is that? They say if they allowed
negative vote the constitution would have
been voted down by an overwhelming majori-
ty and hence the fellows shall not be allow
ed to vote at all. Laughter
Mr.. President that may be true. It is no
part Of my purpose to deny the proposition
that that constitution would have been voted
would have been voted down by a majority of
! four 10 one. ain informed by mea we'll post
( el e-Dem0crats-;hat it woald be voted
down by ten to one some say by twenty 10 one.
But is il good reason why YOU should de-
( clare il in force, without being submitted to
/ the people, merely because it would have been
! voted down by five TO one il YOU had submit
/ ted it? What does that fact prove Does
7 it not show uadeuiably that an Overwhelming
majority of the people of Kansas are unatera-
bly, opposed to that constitution ? VIII vou
force it on them against their will simply be-
cause they wouId have voted it down if YOU
had consulted them Ii YOU will, are you 60
I ing 10 force II upon them under the plea of
leaving them perfectly free TO form and regu-
late their domestic institutions la their own
way ! Is that the mode in which | am called
upon to carry out the principle OF Sclf-yoyern-
ment and popular sovereignty in the Terrific
ries-t0 force a constitution on the people
against their will, in opposition to their pro
! test, with knowledge OF the fact. and then
| 10 assign, as a reason for nv tyranny, that
7 they w0Iid be so obstinate anu so perver>e as
: 10 vote do.m the constitution if | had given
them an opportunity 10 Ire consulted about il.
/ Sir, | deny vouT right or mine to inquire of
/ these people what their objections to that con
S,tntl0a are. They have a right TO Judge for
/ themselves whether they Ike or dislike it, IL
7 is no answer 10 tell me that the constitution is
/ good one and unohiectonable Il is not
! satisfactory to NE TO hare the President say
! In his message that she constitution is an ad-
. mirable one. Ike all the constitutions of the
/ sew States that have been recently formed
Whether good or bad whether obnoxious or
I na,, Is none Of nv business and none Of yours
. Ii Is their business aup rot ours | care no;
F what they have in their constitution, 50 that
+ il suits them enl does not violate the Cousli-
I tuition of the United States and the iuudamen-
4 tai principles OF liberty upoa which our iLSii-
/ tuIlOns rest. | am not going 10 argue the
| question whether the banking Svsteia eStab-
/ llSiled in that constitution is wise or unwise
Il SAYS there shall be no moaop0iieS. out there
( shall. be one bank of discount in the State,
with Two branches Al | have to say on that
! point i, 4 they want 4 banking system let
+ them have il If they 10 not want II iet them
+ prohibit il ii they want bank with two
f branches, be il 50 Il they want twenty it is
noue Of nv business, and 1t matters not 10 Iae
/ whether one Of them shall be on the north side
/ aud the other on the soGth side of the kaw
! river. OF where tbeT shall be
/ While | have no F.ghs to expect 10 be con-
suited on that point. do hold that the peo-
! pie Of kanS-s have the right 10 be consulted
I and to decide it, and ycu have no right ful au-
/ thority to deprive them Of that privilege. II
IS no Justification. in Hiy mind. to saY that the
proviSioas for the eligibility tor the oiices Of
I Governor aud Lieutenant Governor require
twenty years citizenship in the United States.
! ii men think that 10 person should vote or
/ hold Office until he has been here twenty years
they have right to think so and if ma
jority OF the people of Kansas ihink that no
man CT foreign birth sboaid vote or hold Office