The Washington union., 1858-03-09
PENNsA DEMOCRATIC STATE
CONVENTION
srEEcH oF ZOE. 49, ]. pAwseN.
Prs.i8s.i qFlAs oo.aaa.ioa .dsisaerss NprE A. ISIS

Prsasssa y tAs 0euaesssoa s5aEsneyta HrrE a. 1855
Mr.. DAWSON taking tho chair addressed tile con
rention as foliows
GA taking the scat which your ltalisy has assigned
rae to preside yeur deliiTeos must retarn yoa
my hearty acknowledgements for the honor done by
your selection The OCCASION l. one Of ordinary
portanoe; and from the number q tried men from every
part 81 the Commonwealth whom ! around IAe,
doubt that your action viii be fully mp to the line o
a common duty.
1t is the occasion mutual atuIation this
is the convention Of democrats which has assembled
the capital since the election Of the present ehis
magistrate Of the stsie. lAppianse Elected by a
oaity OF most flatering ngntude he has in that cleo
on, the seal OF appreciation Of his past acts and
est OF support la the upon which he
Just entered simultaneously with inaugurafo
constitutional reforms, providing additional garan
for the rights Of property and for the gradual and
certain reduction Of the State debt and etuai security
against a similar insprovidenne in the future
In addition the regular nominations la which
trust all viii be we and for the best interests Of the
party il IL proper that should give decided
preston upon the question which, than any
0 ther, is sgitaiing the country. Applause
This Kansas question which events have in de-
gree complicated. and which for partisan purposes, has
become involved IN frrTexity until e. tae aaginations
OF MANY il fraught with poEtenfous evils s IN
fact, simple and pAin
1t is 10 t- remembered that this government
pure democracy such ezt~d in ancient times II is
government of written law u i- in forn and IN fact
representative lepusic The popular viii is
tained and ilbode into la~ through the legal action ol
the representative There be liberty without
law
1t incoGtastby the principle Of the aet oi 1884
organizing the Territories q Kansas and Nebraska, for
which had the honor Of yotngl that the people 81
those Territories should be liberty form their
institutions IN their way, subject only to the co1stl-
tutien of the United States II is also fact which nc
one viii venture deny tla In pursuance Of egnlse
authority of delegates elected 20 frame
a constitution for Kansas under which, by regular pro-
ceeiins on the part Of Congress be admitted
a Sr1f4. NE
ms sirs OF that convention elected hy tine people
with full knowege Of their sentiments upon this and
all public questions involved Ia the case, and especially
In reference the Introduction exclusion OF slavery
A. one Of the domestic institutions OF the State
Now does il at all affect the validity OF these proceed
ings thai waHn the people afforded an opportunity,
by the oly authority legally caneteut to do oi de-
terlning by their votes the political complexion OF
the convention and OF the character Of the constitu
ton be formed by them, portion Of the people,
from whatever purpose choose 70 absent themselves from
the polls and allow to their adyersAries the victory
The convention 20 elected sti legal convention
the constitution adopted By that convention legal
constitution and il percance il mbodies the views Of
minority the faalt Of the majority who yolunta
riy asenteI fheaseFes from the post of duty and by
defaut to allow another sentiment to prevail Surely
rler negligence or wilful derection of public duty i
no why others should fail TO meet the question
maafully and ,leaisiyely, Ilireat applause
But why should Il be insisted essential IN the
ease Kansas alone that the whole constitution should
have been Submitted a vote " t,r people when the
practice settll by prclert, shows the point t. he
wholly of discretion There is nothing ia the terms
al the kansas a1d Ne1ssa law ia Cincinnati plat
torn il the at o e Kansas legislature, authorz
mag the election of convention which rxacts sic sub
mission The proposition is after thought and the
test a [Great applause What il there In
the case which ruiresa different rnle from that
which applied in the of Vermont Gf Kentucky, o
Tennessee Missouri Of Indiana of Arkansas OF Ohio l.
puncfiious compliance with her cayrices due to the
btio attitude which she has occupied towards the fed
ral government from the formation Of the Territory
down the present moment Although land have
doubt. all Of yonwould have preferred with the
President in his annual snesage that the whole onsti-
tuition should have been Submitted to popular vote,
still must regard the action of the convention the legal
expression sovereign people Non-ineryeniian-
ular soyereiguy foglds inquiring beyond that
son such inquiry would he papable rlsuration
thority-a virtual condemnation of the great principle
/ which the democracy have struggled to establish
As practical question then, what have the people Of
Tegrsylsaiia do With IL exeept 10 insist upon Its
speedy settlameRtto uphold sustain, AID approve the
course Of the national administration ia its patriotic de-
termination accept the constitution, 10 eattle
Kansas prompt admission into the family Of States
There other point which viii notice in
ion with this subject and that is that the admission of
4 Kansas with Objectionable constitution by
means fixes permanently the character Of her iustitutions
but On the contrary it Nhdraws her from the national
arena ia which the President has sad she las
pied too much ai4s-o, % the prejudice Of the best in
terests Of the country and il w give i-e aTarAte
and independent existence and organization ef sovereign
Congress-
Let this he oue and let Kansas In her sovereign Ca
uaaty which invests her with the right at oncea1d
without deaying until Is64o retain abolish slave
rypgoceed to strike out the obnoxious provision This
viii give peace and security Kansas peace TO the whole
country and stability TO the national administration
iiensts.a t4 Integrity OF the democratic party, the
memory u its former hmpns stoI4ss l-.4i.l .Gt
we should stand firm and united m urging it speedy
tlerneni. lAIplause
There never was time, ia my oginion when il was
orr The duty of the citizen to look before him and
aroara LlIa e4aine the security OF he ground upon
which he stads- ana whittier Is. f,aaa4waE issS ha-
The occasion may he nomrntous. Ii not 30 be dis
Vuised that there il patty ia the North well In
The South who CONSIDER the dissolution of the Union
the sovereign remedy fer every real or imaginary griev
anoe let suppose for IeupeIit tat the Union
dissolved and that an and line marked the
limits Of free and territory he Atlantic the
Rocky mountains Bv this arrangement the subject of
-laseTy south OF tr dividing line forever passes from the
aoHtro. u tts AoHt4s. t.s l144ai,lo O. ,h4nvs Ehe
south sould have scoHmuity OF interest whhA would
render her unit upon every vital question and hest
10 that she coah form and stable gov
eminent I'm month time The idea popular in the
North the South IL dependent upon the North for
the protection OF slavery would then be found be
lsta latsFea fl- EFsls 9. .fs ilst4tns4oa .ay
e within her limits, common interest Noaid rite
every section uFOvig aIeest exclusively the real sta
pie which enters largely nto the consumption ct every
enjoyment Of her institutions by Engaad and France
and perhaps the either European powers II cotton is not
Indispensable to the manufacturing prosperity Of New
E1glaEa Il nerairv is that of Great Britain nar
Ii ~ Indispensable 30 domestic lgaagnufs. Iass
away tt oostoa aaanufctzTes of Ealazd and her nv