Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-12-22

4
vention should be approved by the people.
lhe words "and ratified by the people at the
| election for the adoption of Constitution"
| had been stricken out. Who struck out those
| words, or for what pnrpoee, were questions
1t was not for him to answer.
The senator assumed, the other day, that
| whenever the law is silent on the subject. the
| influence is in favor of submission, but full
| explanation OF the precedents bearing on that
| point had shown him that the converse of the
| proposition had the weight Of authority, and
| that which he had laid down as the rule Of
| precedent has never happened in single in
stance. MIR. Bigier proceeded to reply to och
| er points in Mr.. Douglass speech. He sus-
tanned the legality OF the Lecompton move.
ment,and in the course of his said he could not
| foretell what his action would be on
! the question of admitting Kanzas under the
| Constitution. The case was not fully made
up-a very large and dangerous power was in
the hands of those who are to conduct the
election on the slavery article. They may
| abuse it; if so. the result could not be recog-
nized but if the election should be fairly
| conducted, he should vote for The admission
of Kanzas as State, either with a free or
slave constitution, because he thought that
would settle the controversies, and give peace
| to Kanzas and the country. If the institu-
tons should not suit the people, they could
be altered more easily and satisfactorily with
Kanzas as State than Territory.
Mr.. Douglas replied, saying he had no fault
to find with the Senator from PENNSYLVANIA,
for making a series of attacks on his consis-
tency, while emitting to answer his argu-
ments. Some persons had presented him
with the records of the votes Of Senators on
the Wilmot Provisu, and some former speech
es relative to Kanzas matters. He knew not
r,I,
had they to do with the question now pre-
sented? He did not understand the motives
Tor ransacking all the public records and
newspapers, and picking up every scrap, to
see what his course was twelve years past on
the subject Of slavery. Suppose it was true,
that in l84S he was in favor of EXTENDING
the Missouri Compromise line to the Pacific
Ocean, as recommended by Mr. Buchanan in
his letter-and suppose it true that in 1854 he
introduced bill for the repeal of that COM
promise of which the President says he now
approves. All these things are not material
to the argument. The true issue was
whether popular sovereignty, to which the
President and himself were pledged, should
not be violated in Kanzas. He thought the
senator from Pennsylvania showed a want of
candor and fairness IN quoting from his
Springfield speech, and uniting to quote
what he said on the same subject the other
day, which was perfectly in harmony with
previously expressed opinions. He thought
Gov Walker was authorized to saw what he
did in his inaugural address by instructions of
the President and the Cabinet. He was
not aware that Gov. Walker had interfered
in the slightest degree, except in pursuance
of these instructions. He never supposed
that the agent was to be denounced for obey
ing instructions, and the principal applauded
tja obi +l,o
OF the President in assuming the responsible
ity of giving them, and regretted that the
President proposed, from motives of expe-
diency, to accept the constitution without
ratification by the people, although he adj
mits that it ought to have been submit
ted. Let policy and expediency take care.
He complained that the Senator from Penn
sylvania seemed disposed to put him in false
position. The true test is, the Constitution
must be endorsed by popular vote, and if
not it must be rejected. The only true way
of ascertaining whether the Constitution is
valid or not, Is to present it to the people.
Mr.. Bigler explained, that he did not say
that Mr.. Douglas maintained that an enabling
act was necessary in all cases, but that it was
necessary IN the case OF cases, The Sem
| ator from Illinois had disposed of his own ar
| gument by saying that he was not always
consistent, and that wise man will always
| change his views whenever he thinks himself
wrong.
Mr.. Douglas wanted to know by what au-
thority. Mr.. Bigler said the Lecompton
movement was an administration measure
| Inc message does not say so. Had he any
higher authority than that
| Mr.. Bigler replied he had made the deduc.
ton from the message, aud from what he
knew i'll addition. He did not assert it in any
other terms than that it was an administra.
ton measure, but said the administration
held the movement legal SO far as it has
| progressed. Mr.. Big then asked how could
the President make recommendation prior
to the result Of the vote, which he says in his
| Message he is waiting for
Mr.. Douglas repeated-He should like to
| know what other sources of information Mr..
| Bigler had, as that Senator, he thought, bad
much the advantage of HIM.
Mr.. Bigler was not at liberty to say that
| this was an administration measure and
would allow MIR. Douglas to define what it
| was not
| Mr.. Douglass again wanted to know what
these queer sources OF information were which
authorized Senator Bigler to read him out of
the party for not sustaining that MEASURE.
Mr. bigler denied that he had said one word
| about reading any man out OF the party
Dld Mr.. Douglass mean to make issue with
the Administration When he makes an is
issue, cannot he tell what it is:
HOUSE
lengthy debate ensued, in which Messrs.
Letcher, Banks, Lovejoy, Campbell, Quit
man, and Boyle participated The two latter
aVowed themselves in favor OF direct taxation
and free trade.
Mr.. Campbell would support the bill. with
notifications. He wished to offer an amends
ment to the bill imposing increased duties on
carpets, iron, the various kinds of manufac-
tHred cottons, linens, silks, worsteds, woods,
&c His object was to meet these Treasury
notes and to provide incidental protection to
the industrial pursuits of the country
The committee rose, and the Senate's
treasury bill was referred to the Committee
on Ways and Means. A resolution was pass
ed, limiting the debate on the subject to two
hours, tomorrow.
Mr.. Warren asked, but did not obtain.
leave to introduce preamble and resolution,
that, whereas it appeared from the proclama-
ton OF Brigham Young, late Governor of
Utah, and from the Presidents message, that
SAID territory is now in open rebellion against
the government of the United States-kesolv-
ed that the Committee on Territories be in