The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-11
Den" said the other, "jes tell a Teller whar
dat ar fence come 'FRONT.'" "HusbID said the
preacher; "two more questions like dat would
Spite all de feology in de world"
THIRTY-FIFTH CONGRESS-
FIRST SESSION.
Tuesday, March 2, 1853.

" VI y
FIRST SESSION.
Tuesday, March 2, 1853.
SENATE.
The Senate passed the bill from the Housa
to enable the President to carry out the stipu.
lation in the treaty for the abolition of the
Sound Dues and Mr.. Houston introduced a
bill to raise regiment Of mounted volunteers
for the defence of the frontier of Texas. and
also providing for four regiments of volunteers
to be added to the service of the United States
after which, MIR. Douglas called up his resoIu.
ton asking information concerning the cleo.
tons in Kansas, &c. In brief speech, of great
earnestness, he urged the Importance of ascer-
tanning the facts of the case now pending before
the Senate. The resolution, said Mr.. D., calls
for facts which | consider material. Some Of
these facts are alleged to be embodied in the
report of the majority of the Com mittee on Ter.
ritcries; and ! see the report states that Mr..
Calhoun, before the committee, furnished state
ments in regard TO few of the facts here
called for. see, by communication in the
newspapers, addressed by Mr. Calhoun to the
people of the United States, that he GAYS he
has communicated to the Committee on Terri
torres fully the facts in regard to the history
+ano origin OF the Lecompton Convention.
can only say that, as a member and as chair
man OF the Committee on Territories, was
present at every one OF the meetings of the com
mi,tee, but never saw Mr.. Calhoun there; |
never heard that he was there; never heard
OF a proposition to invite him there; never
saw communication from him, addressed to
The committee; l never had one from him, d.
Freely or indirectly, touching affairs of Kansas
as communication to the committee. 1t is
true, that, having seen these statements in the
M Lat
the report was made, when had not time to
read the report, / inquired of member of the
committee whether any communication had
been received from Mr. Calhoun and was told
that one had been shown to q member of the
committee, and taken back by Mr.. Calhoun to
be corrected and copied but still it has never
come to the committee. The committee as a
committee, have not been permitted to see the
facts which are put forth to the world as hav-
ing been furnished by the President of the
Convention to the committee. Now, want to
know whether or not communications are to
be made by President John Calhoun to a ma
Jority of the committee, and withheld from the
minority, who are deprived Of the opportunity
OF cross-exsmining him, or testing his knowl.
edge OF the facts-he not putting them in such
form as to make himself responsible for the
! truth of the statements thus made?
Sir, Mr.. Calhoun is in this CITY. He is a
. Government oftice-holder; he is the Surveyor
General of Kansas Territory, and is held for his
good conduct by his commission. He ia absent
| from his duties in Kansas, and is here as it is
| supposed, to favor the project Of the admission
| OF Kansas with the LecOmpton Constitution.
Why is it that the President tolerates him in
being here, and in Withholding the facts which
| are essential to an enlightened iudpme mt on
! this question?
Let me state the importance of this point.
The President tells US that this Constitution
may be amended by the first Legislature. Now,
If the Lecompton ticket is elected to the Legis.
lature, and majority of that Legislature is
opposed to any change, it is important to know
the fact; because it shows that the expectation
held out, that the Constitution may be changed,
is delusion and deception. To hold out the
idea that the first Legislature may provide for
change, and then pack a Legislature hostile
to change, is only practicing deception Let
us know whether there is Legislature elected
that ia in favor of change, and then we can
listen to the argument whether that Legislature,
under the Constitution, can provide for a change
of the Constitution.
1t is important, also, to know what State
ticket is elected, for this reason Suppose the
Free State or anti Lecompton ticket is elected
to the Legislature, and there is a majority of
that party, yet there is not two-thirds and
then the question is, whether the Lecompton
candidate for Governor is elected, in order TO
veto any bill that the majority of the Legisla-
ture might pass, providing for an amendment
!! OF the Constitution. These facts become mper-
| tant, unless we are to be called upon to vote in
| the dark; unless trick is to be played upon us
upless one party or the other is to be cheated
1t Is important to have this result known
and why Is it that gentlemen here are not will
ing to have the facts settled? Why do South
ern men desire to be called upon to vote in
doubt? Why do Northern men desire to be
called upon to vote in doub.
g 1t is none of our business."I
am told 1t Is none of our business. / will tell
; the Senator who said so, why think it is both
; his business and mine. We are called upon here
to put this Constitution in force, and recognise
. the State Government that may be organized
in Kansas under the Lecompton Constitution,
, and give 1t operation but every day, evidence
comes here of fraud after fraud, and forgery
after forgery, in the returns. 1t is not confined
now to the Delaware Crossing, which is admit
!; ted to have been forged return but the test.
mony has been taken, aud is conclusive, that
there was forged return, also, to the amount of
| some nine hundred votes, at Shawnee that the
returns we're taken from Shawnee down into
Missouri, and there, for two DAYS, two men were
adding names-one man calling off the names
from the poll-book that had been made out at
the election OF the 2lst of December, and the
other adding those names by the hundred to
the poll book of the election of the 4th of Jan
uary. On the day after the election, the testi-
mony is that in the State of Missouri some
nine hundred names were added. There were
only about one hundred and sixty votes on the
book before this addition, when the poll-book
left the Territory; bat, alter it got into Mis-
seuri, it swelled up to eleven hundred votes.
These facts are proved they were testified to
by the men who were present, and by the men
who transcribed the names.
So it is with regard to Oxford 80 it is with
regard to Kickapoo. The testimony as to Kick
apoo is, that, although there had been vast mum.
bers of illegal votes during the day, young
Thomas Z wing, son CT The late Secretary of the
Interior, voted next to the last. Only one man
voted after him, according to the testimony;
yet the psll-book shows come five hundred
names added subsequent to his. The certificate
was cut off, FIVE hundred names were added,
and then the certificate was pasted On after
these names. The testimony is equally con.
elusive as to Shawnee, where seven hundred or
nine hundred votes were added. A nan by the
name of Bailey was the last man who voted,
according to the testimony. The proof is con-
elusive that he was the last man who voted !:
and then they cut off the certificate, put on seven
hundred or nine hundred names, and pasted it
on again; and they call that return
These facts are well known to the world they
are proven before the officers of the law; they
are known to Mr.. Calhoun, the President of this
Convention. He is here in this city, under the
protection of the President of the United States,
and held by his commission. he withhoIds the
facts, and the Senate refuses to permit the in
formation to be extracted, and We are told that