Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1857-12-29

They first 90 on ana ~ - JVnstiHipi0n.
Then they make a schsf 3, IN which they
provide that the Constit .on, on the 3 LIST
of, December--the pres q month shall
be submitted to, an che 2'lG tide inhabi-
tants OF the Territory on l,ak day Tor their
free acceptance or rejeci |n. N the follow
inc manner. to-wit:. lho acknowledging
that they were bound q nnbmit it to the
will Of the people. ecncs' e That they had
no right to put it into. 4peration without
submitting IL to, the Peq 'e' prov ldipg in
the instrument that y 'opld take effect
from and after it's ratiiica and not be-
fore: showing that The 7fstitption de-
riyes It's vitaiiSy, ~ their - tifnation,. not
from the authority Of the Convention, but
from that vote Of the people to which il
was to be submitted Tor their free accept
ance or rejection. How is it to be sub
mitted? 1t shall, be submitted in this
form: Constitution with Slavery or Con-
stitution with no Slavery" All men must
vote for the Constitution, whether they
like it or not, in order to be permitted to
vote for or against Slavery. Thus Con
stitution made by a Convention that had
authority to assemble and petition for a re-
dress Of grievances, but not to establish a
governments Constitution made under a
pledge Of honor that it should be submit
ted to the people before it took effect; a
Constitution which provides, on its face,
that it shall have no validity except what
it derives from such submissions sub
mitted to he people at an election where
all men are at liberty to come forward free
", without hindrance, and vote for it, but
no man is permitted 10 record a vote against
it. That would be as fair an election as
some of the enemies Of Napoleon attribu-
ted to him when he was elected First Con-
sui. He is said to have called out his
troops and had them reviewed by his off
GERS with speech, patriotic and fair iE its
professions, in which he said to them :
''Now, my soldiers, you are to 60 10 the
election and vote freely just as you please.
If you vote for Napoleon, all is well; vote
against him, and you are instantly to be
shot" That was fair election. Laugh
teri This election is to be equally fair
All men in favor of the Constitution may
vote for it; allmen against it shall not vote
at all. Why not let them vote against 1t:
1 presume you have asked many man
this question. 1 have asked very large
number of the gentlemen who framed the
Constitution, quite number of delegates
and still larger number of persons who
ale their friends, and have received the
same answer from every one of them.
never received any other answer. What
is that? They say If they allowed a neg
alive vote, the Constitution would have
beer voted down by an overwhelming ma
iority, and hence the fellows shall not bt
allowed to vote at all. Laughter.
Mr.. President, that may be true. Itif
no part of my purpose to deny the propo
sition that that Constitution would have
been voted down If admitted to the peo
pie. believe it would have been votec
down by majority of four to one. l an
informed by men well posted there-Dem
ocrats-tl.at it would be voted down BY
ten to one; some say twenty to one, Blu
is it. good reaso1 why you should declar'
it in force, withoe being submitted to tn
people, merely because it would have beer
voted down by five to one, if you had sub
mitted it? What does that fact prove?-
Does It not show urdenably, that an over
whelmingly majority of the people OF Kan
sas are unalterably opposed to the Consti
tuition? Will you force it on them agains
their will simply because they would hav
voted it dowuif you had consulted them
If you will, are you going to force it upo1
them under the plea of leaving them per
, fectly free to form and regulate their do
, mestic inst;tut ons in their own way?o l
that the mode in which 1 am called upo
to carry out the principle of self-govern
, ment and popular sovereignty in the Ter
ritories- to force Constitution on the pee
| pie against their will, in opposition to the'
protest, with a knowledge Of the fact, an
then to assign, as reason for my tyran
nv, that they would have been 80 obstinat
{ and SO perverse as to vote down the Cor
J stitu;ion il / had given them an opportu
: nity to be consulted about it? Sir, den
your right or mine to inquire of these pee
t pie what the objections to that Constitute
r are.
| They have a right to Judge for then
selves whether they like or dislike it. !
? is no answer to me that the Constitution
: good one and unobjectionable. 1t is nc
: satisfactory TO me 10 nave the rresluel
say in his Message that the Constitute
l is an admirable one, like al the Constitr
= tions of the new States that have been n
9 Gently formed. Whether good or bat
t whether obnoxious or not, is none of m
: business and none of yours. 1t is tile
c business and not ours. care not VIII
c they have in their Constitution, 80 that
+, suits them and does not violate the Const
n tuition of the United States and the fund
9 mental principles Of liberty upon which OF
I institutions rOst. am not going to argl
b the question whether the banking syste
# established in that Constitution is wise
e unwise. 1t says there shall be no mono
It olies, but there shall be one bank of di
d count in the State, with two branches
: All have to say on that point is, if th'
e want banking system, let them have
IS il they do not want it, let them prohibit
/ If they want bank with two branche
II be it so; if they want twenty, it is none
n my business; and ait matters not to
q whether one of them shall be on the Nor
=, .;do o,,d Tia oth a. oY, tho Sc,rkh rida of 4