The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-01

Of it,
But we are told we must force the Lecompton constitu
ton down the hroats of the people for the sake Of peace
for the sake OF locxng the quarrel How IL that to lie
done BY passing act of Congress forcing constitu
ton the people OF Kansas against the will OF that peo-
pie What next When you find the stubborn factious
majority resisting the that you have imposed
them the President will be called upon TO use the
my and navy to put down nsurrection and nasnuch AS
this Lecompton faction is only composed Of perhaps one
tenth twentieth Of the whole people, and there is
not Of them who dares stay there day without
the United States army to protect him. should have
special message from the President recommending in
of the army and the calling out of volunteers To
march to Kansas 10 put down the insurecon aud mai
tain the government which you force them at the point
of the bayonet That is the mode in which going
to locaze the Kansas q,arrelby calling troops from
Virginia and from Wisconsin from Illinois and from South
Carolina from Massachusetts and from Mississippi and
satonng those volunteers around the city OF Lecompton
TO protect the governor whom yop impose upon that
people against their Will Then Isuppose there will be per
feet peace and harmony among them all Yonw restore
peace In that way, and iocaze the Kansas difficulty No.
sir The moment YOU impose a constitution that peo-
pie against their remonrance and protest. you have
onalized this difficulty, and pledged yourselves to mains
tain that government at the point OF the bayonet and
with all the power at your command. lon have legal
lied civil instead OF localizng the kansss quarrel
These my convictions believe that such will be
the consequences ii proceed IN this mad career of
forcing constitution on people against their will
hope may be Mistaken and that such consequences viii
not result but while such my convictions must be
permitted to express them. II my doing brings down
assaults me, from whatever quarter high low from
my section opposite section must repe those
assaults but do not choose to go into any elimination
recmnaton in regard to consistency former phases
of this question, willing that my consistency shall
be judged of by the public. think my course is pretty
well known, and / willing that the people shall
Judge of it, If the of the senator from Indiana is
equally well known, let the people judge of it by that
knowledge. If it is not well known, have no desire
disposition, to hunt up old speeches and old records
.I
has very little to do with this question The great point
is is it right to force constitution upon people against
their will Am not right in my opposition to that act
of power and oppression? ] would rather argue that
question than go into any controversies with political
friends even political opponents would prefer that
they should consider humble an individual that
my history of fifteen years is not necessary to be discuss
ed, inasmuch during the whole fifteen years have
found them loud in praise of my to the political
iniquities which they propose to bring in judgment
against me.
But sir, ] ask mercy in relation to this matter. I
will not provoke controversy with anybody. shall not
shrink from the avowal of my opinions and the yindca
ton of my character whenever choose to do it. may
not reply to ALL 1t may be object to worry out my
strength by these constant attacks from day to day.
Whenever find it failing will myself, and then
come back and take rakng fire at the whole group.
Laughter.l But whenever shall feel inclined will re-
pei the blow at the time 1t Is struck
MI, FITCH. Mr.. President
The VICE PRESIDENT. The senator from Michigan
is entitled to the floor
Mr.. FITCH. should not ask the indulgence Of the
senator from Michigan but for tho fact that the senator
from Illinois, for best known to himself attb
uted to language which did not utter and sentiments
which have not expressed entertained must there
FORE appeal to the courtesy of the senator from Michigan
to allow me to
Mr. STEWART. Inasmuch as commenced the day
by acts of courtesy would hardly be graceful for
to refuse to extend the courtesy yield to the
tor.
Mr. FITCH. At first, the senator from Illinois as
sumed that his and my argument were based on the
same ideathe idea that the slavery question: from being
exceptional one was by the compromises OF 1850 and
by the Kansas BILL placed under the general rule and
subjected to the popular will, in precisely the
ner with other domestic questions Whatever his views
may be- he did not express that view in his opening
speech Here it is, in the pamphlet form, ordered by
the senator
Now, what the principle enuneaied by tho authors and
country say that repealed
sSn ion tor the PURPOSE Of substituting and carrying out as general
institutions In their ways',
Repealed the Missouri restriction for the purpose
Of substituting something else general rue;
elfgovernment in lieu OF the rule of government pre-
viousy enforced Why sir that paragraph implies that
the senator from Illinois wrested the right of selfgovcrn
ment from tyranny, and bestowed it the people
that he gave them general rule Ia power which they
did not previously possess. Now he claims merely to
have taken question from an exceptional position and
placed 1t under general rule previously in force
spoke of the slavery question exceptional one which
his Kansas bill proposed to place upon the footing
with the other domestic questons but not in the open
ing remarks of his spccchs foundation. He tells
differ with the President stop not to ask whether differ
with him the senator from Illinois Neither the President
any other gentleman is responsible for my but
myself would differ with the with the
other il thought his reasoning, the conclusions at
which he arrived, not correct. do not read the
message the senator from Illinois reads it, and his read
ing is not justified by Its language nowhere find the
exccntional one by the Kansas BILL He says. in sub
stance that it the prominent question. the which
had been discussed the one which had been agatsd
and therefore, 1t highly proper that 1t should be sub
mitted TO the people distinct proposition The
tor from Illinois asserted in TERMS but that the
purport-th that denied the proprety of submitting
State constitution including that OF Kansas TO the pso
pie distinctly asserted my regret that 1t not thus
submitted but declared that, in my opinion, had
right to go behind the authority had recognised
legal and demand its submission, when that authority
had omitted to demand it. The senator from Illinois
must conne himself to the rccordto what have said
when he pretends to quote me my sentiments
The senator asks me, as he asked the senator from
Pennsylvania yesterday why these nnuendoes about fac
ton and division of the party He the first
tor to introduce here what he calls nnuendoes and init
nations upon that subject He the first to audc TO
any possible division of the party the first TO allude
to any faction in connexion with this question. mere
ly answered his aluon and not to be taken to task
for it,
did not quote the message, as he says. scarcely
made ason TO IT, except to the conclusions ut which
the President arrived Has the senator other defence
than attibung language 70 me did not utter att,ib
uting sentiments TO did not express He says he
with the President in points and differs with