Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-03-27
sPEEcH

ST II II z III
0F
HON. JOHN j. CRITTENDEN.
,.,
VI AENIuohi'
an
a
The Admission of Kansas into the Union
under the Lecompt0n Constitution,
phlisEhEp is the
SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.
MARCH IL, 1858.
m o.. -, -. .u.;y.,:.., ~ 1,y J.
- $500. = ''~'''s s". I. - V''' =
adatss hansas snfo tne 0'sso's as q otate--
Mr.. CRITTENDEN said
feel how ;nadeouatc ! am Mr. President IN
IA anvth;nc ~ the various arcrmants that have
has, ~, cysd ~ tb;s subject dnr;ng lie lono die.
c,,s.on throncb which III Lavs nassed. and Va I
should not rs,rrn nv drtv accordnc ~ I, ws
e s ~ - ..a:. -, "a s.ac
-, M, s,,ti.,t hv. tha Senate donot ;ntand
y, occur, = your t;,a WITH axorfms IL qzer;o5t
n ~ s,,. :, II ~, x ~. se,,,
!; w ,.s ,rb;cG ~, Joeru,ns,f Wi IN +, st;.
s,,s;o,s III dsne.d n seams ~ mo that this great
,,r;r.;r,,a u ;nvolved & ,ba rrasentS suh;act
TIM pras;ds,,t of tIa TTn;ted states co,nmun;.
cot ~ :, on ;nstr,,n,snt caed the const;tnton ~
the noonle of tba Terr;torv ~ Kansas and he has
NJ Il 90 adv;seSl and
- - - sd'a;t ansas ,dar th.t const;tn;on =
! State into ,b;s Union The question as 4 has
nresented ;tsalf 81 NV mind involves an inou;rv
81 10 the matters of fct hearing unon this instr-
mont of wr;,;ng and whether these authorize us 70
regard tb;s ;nstrumant as the .const;t,ton of the
,naorls ~ Kansas Ia n tbe;r CONSTITUTIONS Does
+ emhodv Their w;llS Does it come here under
sncb ctons tbat We are OBLIGED 10 regard d or
opubt ~ regard Il os fbe ner,nanent Fundamental
Law and const;tntion of this new Statep I do not
think n comes with sncb sanction or onoht IN re
- III. const;t,,ton of M neoble of Kan.
-sss ssr 7 shall moi occunv your tima lone IN th;s
,o;nt
what are the evidences that t;ssop II tismade
nv I convention ~ ba sura calad under tbes am
tbortv ~ an act of tho I.ao;slatnra of Kansas II
Il YaJa ~ dsIeestss rlv alac,ad hv ,h;s reo.
,,la and yc;s 4 would annear that 4 had
IA Sanction ~ M reonla of Kansas. INT + tb;nlr
tbere ars ev;dercss ~ = bcber character 70 show
that a il not 40 that Il Il bt IN appearance con-
stitut;on. and not in reality.
Tn tha ;rst nIace the fact s established bevond
al, controversy that nm oyerwheIming majority of
the neonle of Kansas are onnosed 20 this instru-
ment ~ their Constitution. The two highest Off
cars ~ the Federal Government lately there under
appointment from the President Of tine United
States Governor Walker and Secretary Stanton.
hotb assura ne of that fact unon the;r nersonai
knowlcdoe Tbat Il higb evidence 10 establish the
fact nat T. = a,o;nst tbs will f an ovsrvbalm;ng
mo;o,;tv ~ The reonIe nnon whom 4 "a 10 he ;m.
nosed "a ! const;tut;on
That constitution IN mart was submitted to the
neonIe. / sbaIl not sfon now 70 INQUIRE how Il
was submitted. whether fairly or not. A part OF
Il was auhmitted however and nnon q vote taken
received s;x thousand votes and little more.
Thess sra ,ha sanc,;ons with which Il comes n
ma To this ertcnt Il would seem 10 have the
nonular annrobation' But sir. when YOU come 70
INK M further into the investigations which
have t,ken Mace ip that Territory Il appears that
~ ,hose s;r tboussnd votes. about three thousand
were 6ctitions And fraudulent That Il reported
-. ,s hv ~ . mioor;tv renorts of our COMMITTEES ON
Terr;tores: that Is verified to us by the proca.
nation issued by the President of the Council and
the Speaker of the House of Representatives Of the
Territorial Legislature of Kansas. These high off,
cials, who were invited by Mr.. Calhoun TO witness
the counting Of the votes which were returned to
him, certify from their personal knowledge that
more than two thousand of the three thousand
votes which were given at three precipcts in the
counties of johnson and Leavenworth we're fcti-
tious votes. only call your attention to this in
order that il may appear tTuthfuly who ii was that
approved of this constitution.
That vote was taken on the 2lst Of December.
Before that vote was taken, however, Legisla.
ture. which was elected In October last and which
met on the call of the acting Governor Mr.. Stail-
son. In December, passed en- act postponing that
vote from the 2lst Of December to the 4th Of Jan
uary. On the 4th Of January, under the provis-
ions Of that act, question was taken upon the
constitution itsclf broadly. IL provided that the
question should be taken upon the Lecompton
constitution with slavery, upon the Lecomptou
constitution without slavery, and generally upon
the constitution itself Upon that occasion, over
ten thousand voted against the constitution and
the Legislature Of the Territory Of Kansas have
passed resolutions unanimously protesting against
Che reception by Congress Of this instrument as
the constitution Of the State, declaring that II was
obtained by fraud, and that II has not the sanction
or concurrence OF any, except small minority o.
the people. This rs the substance OF their reso
lutions.
Now, I ask you, sir, upon this evidence, as a
Judge. 10 say whether this Is the constitution o.
the people Of Kansas or not' whether the evi
dence before You Is that Il Is an instrument sign
fying their viii and declaring that general and per
rnapent law upon which they wish their govern
ment 10 be foundedf Unless you shut your eyes
10 the vote taken on the 4th Of January, here i
a direct popular evidence and protest against the
constitution; and, even supposing the whole Of
the six thousand votes which were given for u on