Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-01-01
the vital principle of our free institutions.
Mark this:

MARX this:
''Hid it then been insinuatcd, from any
| quarter, that 1t would have been u sufficient
compliance with the reqdistions Of the organic
law for the members Of Convention, thereaf-
ter TO be elected. to withhold the question Of
/ slavery from the people, and to substitute their
own will for that of legally ascer'ained ma
Jorlty of their constituents, this would have
been instantly rejected"
Yes, sir, and will add, further, had it been
then lntimated from any qn1rter, and believed
by the American people, that !; would have
submittcdtbe slavery clause in such a manner
as td"compel a man TO vote that which his con-
science did no; approve, in order tovote on the
slavery clause, not only would the idea have
been rejected, but the Democratic candidate
for the Presidency would have been rejected;
and every man who backed him would have
been rejected, too.
The President tells US in his message that
the whole party pledged our faith, and our hon
or that the slavery question should be submit
ted to the people, without any restriction or
qualification whatever Does this schedule
submit 1t without qualification! Il qualities it
by saying, "1ou may vote on slavery If you
will vote for the Constitution; but yon shall
not do so without doug that That is veIs
important qualification qualification that
controls mans vote and his action and his
conscience, II he is an honest mama quaif-
ca'ion confessediy in violation Of our platform.
We are told by the President that our faith
ana our honor are pledged that the slavery
clause should be submitted Without oualiica-
tioa of any kind whatever; and now, anI to
be called upon 10 forfeit my fifth and my hon
or 10 order to enable small minority tf the
people OF Kansas 70 defraad the minority Of
thar people out Of their elective franchise? Sir,
my honor is pledged; aad before il shall be
taruished, will take whatever consequences.
personal To myself, may come; bur never ask
me 10 do an act which the President, 10 his
message, has said is forfeiture of faith--a vi
olation of honor and that merely for the ex-
pedleGcy OF saving the party. / Will 20 as far
as any of you to save the party. / have as
much heart in the great Gauss that binds Us to-
geiher as party rs any man living. | will
sacrifice anything, short of principle and hon
or, for the peace of the party; but if the party
viii not stand By its principles, lis faith, ITS
pledges, will stand there, and abide whatever
consequences may result from the position.
Let me ask you, WHY force this Constitution
down the throats of the people of Kansas, in
opposition to their wishes, and in violation of
our pledge. What great object is to be attaiu-
ed! Gu bono7 What ale you to gain bv 1t?
" III you sustain the party by violating It's prin-
clp!esF Do YOU propose 10 keep the party uui-
ted by forcing division! Stand by the doc
ttine that leaves the people perfectly free to
form aud regulate their institutions for ,henl-
selves IN their own way, and your party will be
united and irresistible in power. Abandon
that great principle, and tue parry is not worth
saving, and cannot be saved, after it Shall be
violated. | trust we are not to be rushed upon
this question. Why shall it be done? Who
is to be benefited! Is the South to be the
gainera Is the North to be the gainerl Nei-
ther the North nor the South bas the right to
gain sectional advantage BY trickery or fraud
But | am beseeched 10 wait until hear from
the election the 21s, OF December | am
told, that perhaps that will pu; it all right, and
will save tue whole difficulty. How can it .
Perhaps there may be large vote. There
may be large vote returned. Laughter l.
But deny that it is possible to have fair vote
on the Slavery clause: and | say that IL is not
possible to have any vote on the Constitution.
Why wait for the mnckery OF an election, when
it is provided unalterably that the people can
not vote-when the majority are disfranchis-
ed (?
But am told or all sides, Goa, just wait;
the Pro-Slavery clause will bo voted down -
That does not obviate any of my objections, it
does not diminish any of them. You have no
more right to force free State Constitution Gu |
Kansas than slave-State Constitution. II Kan |
,as wants a slave State Constitution, she has |
light to i: il she wants free-Siate Consiitu- /
lion, she has right 30 it. 1t is none of my
business which way the Slavery clause is deci- /
led. | care not whether it is voted down or /
voted up. Do you suppose, after the pledges
If my honor that l would go for that principle, |
lnd leave the people to vote as they choose,
hat would now degrade myself by voting one
way if the Slavery clause be voted down, and
another way if it be voted upa | care not how
hat vote may stand. | take it for granted that
I will be voted out. | think l have seen
enough in the last three days to make itcertain
hat it will he returned out, DO matter how the
Yote uay stand. [Langhter.l
Sir, am opposed to that concern, because it
Z
glery, to defeat the fair expression Of the will of
he people. There is no necessity for crowding
his measure, SO unfair, so unjust as it is in all
is aspects, upon us. Why can We not now do
What we proposed to do in the last Congress2-
We then voted through the Senate an enabling
ct, called the Toombs bill, believed to be just
nd fair in all its provisions, pronounced to be
lmost perfect by the Senator from New Hamp
hire, Mr.. Hale.] only he did not like the man,
hen President of the UnitedStates, who would
AVE to make the appointments Why can we
lot take that bill, aud, out IF compliment to the
President, add to it u clause taken from the
Minnesota act, which be thinks should be gen.
raj rule, requiring the Constitution TO be sub
ntted to the people, and pass that? That
mites the party. You all voted with me for
I . Il. L. ckn