Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1858-02-09
WHOLE NUMBER 517.

BILE mansion; il was ''semi-offical and
called" For what? "Called TO promote
| the public good" Yes, sir, semi-oificial
meeting called to promote the public good
and what did it do? The honorable Scna-
tor from Pennsylvania says:
"My recollection was clear that l left
the conference under the impression that
it had been deemed best to adopt measures
to admit Kansas as a State through the
agency of one popular election, and that
for delegates to the convention. This
impression was the stronger, because
thought the spirit Of the bill infringed
upon the doctrine of nonintervention, to
which had great aversion; but with the
hope of accomplishing great good
the meeting was called for the public
good =
fA-sand as no movement had been made
in that direction in the Territory, waived
this objection, and concluded 10 support
the measure. l have few items of tes-
timony as to the correctness of these i'm
pressions, and with their submission
shall be content" ..
Then he goes on to say
81 have before me the bill reported by
the Senator from Illinois, on the 7th Of
March, 1856, providing for the admission
of Kansas as a State; the third section Of
which reads as follows:
"'That the following propositions be,
and the same are hereby offered To the
said convention Of the people of Kansas.
when formed, for their free acceptance or
rejection, which, if accepted by the con.
vention, and ratified by the people at the
election for the adoption of the constitu
ton, shall be obligatory upon the United
States and the said State of Kansas
1.-The bill read in place by the Senator
from Georgia on the 25th Of June, and
referred to the committee on Territories.
contained the same SECTION, word for word.
Both these bills were under consideration
at the conference referred to;"-
Two bills under consideration at this
semi official meeting
-"but sir, when the Senator from Illinois
reported the Toombs bill to the Senate.
with amendments, the next morning it
did not contain that portion Of the third
section which indicated to the convention
that the constitution should be approved
by the people,"
The result of this semi-official meeting,
called for the public good, was that the
bills came into the Senate the next morn
Ing minus the clause submitting the con-
stitution to the people. 1t WAS stricken
out: but the honorable Senator does not
impugn anybody nor his motives, because.
he says:
"Who struck the words out, or for what
purpose they were omitted, is not for me
to answer"
If it s not for him it is not for me; but
thought he had given a clew to the
reason why they were struck out, when
he said the meeting was called for the
public good. Undoubtedly they were
struck out for The public good. Who
struck them out seems to be mooted
question, as uncertain of an answer as that
old question, "Who killed cock -robin?"
: Laughter 1t has got out somehow or
. other. did not see the Senator when he
, delivered the speech. If had I should
have watched him closely; and it is posi-
bic that by some gesture or some shake Of
1 that "who" was; but we are left in the
: dark-we do not know who i was.
e You see, then, that this was not acci-
3 dental. A eemi-oflicial set Of patriots,
= friends of popular sovereignty, and disci-
pies OF perfect lTeeuOtn, Caileu iOr Ino
e public coed in private room, met to-
gether, and for peculiar reasous-that is
v what the Senator said-they determined
e to strike out of the bill the only redeem
!, ing feature III it, and that was the submis-
VI sion to the people Of the question whether
1t they would have slavery in the constitu-
g ton or not. In that secret cOnclave, that
It semi-oflicial meeting for the public good,
Il these patriots put their heads together Ia
t. strangle at the birth the only thing there
!. was in their bill which ought to commend
it to the real genuine friends of perfect
o freedom and popular sovereignty. Well
l. sir, am learning something every day
n but did not know, till that speech was
d made, that when we met here in officia
Ie meeting and matured bills and put them
t. in shape, they were to be committed t.
+, the tender mercies of semi. official meet
of ing to strangle and choke out of then
l. everything that was worth the keeping the
d breath Of life in. They struck, down
le then, that great principle of popular SOW
ot ereignty-a principle inestimable to free
% dom, formidable on y to semi-officiaI patri
ot OTIS. Laughter. So that this was no
le accidenlal it was purposely done; ant
g this too, was done in the name of popula
is sovereignty
N No., TT.