The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1858-04-08


Speech Of Hon. J. J. Crittenden,
OF KENTUCKY,
Delivered IN the U s. Senate, March II,
1858.
(ConclVdcd.)
A WORD ABOUT THE CONDUCT OF THE
PEOPLE OF KANSAS.
do not undertake TO defend this peo-
pie for their conduct. IL is not my
partnor my province. I should agree,
perhaps, with the President that much
of their conduct had been Of disrepu-
table, disorderly and seditioUs charac-
ter. Ii may be chat it deserves the ep-
tibet of rebellion" which the Presi-
dent applies TO it. have nothing to
do with that. am not their advocate.
L have disapproved Of their conduct in
many instances. There were many bad
men among them, as believe, but for
chat the law assigns it's proper punish
ment. The majority Of the people have
their political rights, that remain, not
withstanding their legal offences 1t is
in that point Of view; it is in their po
litical character as the people Of a Ter
ritory, that 1 look on them in respect to
this subject. Whether they be more
or less vile on the one side or the other,
is not the question. I fear that neither
party could take the chair of impartial
| ity and Justice, and be shameless enough
to ATTEMPT to administer rebuke or JUS
tice to the other.
One great objection to their admis-
sion at all is that they have not shown,
! by their conduct on any side, that they
are altogether fit for association with the
States Of this Union. A little more
apprenticeship, little more practice of
honest and fair dealing, a little more
spirit Of submission and subordination
to law and authority, would be we'll learn
ed by them; and fit and qualify them
much better for citizens of the United
States That is my opinion I have,
however, spoken Of their political rights
as men, and it is not for me to sit in
/ judgment to condemn and deprive them
of the right Of suffrage on one side or
the other, because Of frauds committed
by one, or violence pracriccd by auoth-
er. This is a political question.
THE CASE sTATED-AN ARGUMENT.
Itis said, however, that the series of
legaltes and tcchnicalties, to which I
have alluded, of a regular election, of
regular Convention, Of q submission
to the people, and of votes of the peo-
| pie upon all these questions, have been
regular; and what then? All the peo-
pie had a right to vote, and those who
| did not vote forfeited their right to
complain; and we are not to enquire
whether there were any people who did
not vote, or whether those who voted
voted fairly, and were entitled to vote
or not. 1t is said we arc precluded by
the forms in which this transaction
is enveloped; that the formal election,
the formal certificate of election, the
formal Constitution certifed-these for
malihes are enough for us, and that we
are not permitted to look further Sir,
l do not think so. We are applied to
now to admit a new State into the I'm
ion. The instrument which she pre-
seuts as her Constitution is opposed by
people from the same Territory They
say, this is not our Constitution; it is
against our will; it is not only against
our will, but it has been imposed upon
us by device and fraud. 1t is void for
fraud. If it is not void for fraud, for that
is rather legal than a political term,
we present these frauds and this oppo-
sition as a reason why you should not
admit our Territory into the Union un-
der this Constitution.
That is the state of the question be
fore you. The complainants admit all
the regularities just as the President
states them. Perhaps they admit the
effect these forms would ordinarily have
but they urge other facts in opposition
to the apparent evidence of the Consti
tuition itself, as I have before adverteC
to-. A majority of the people have
protested against it, The present Leg
islature, by its inquiries have develop
ed the vast frauds which were practiceC
in the Convention concerning and re
lating to all around this Constitution
They say, "Do not accept that do no
admit us under it; send it back let it bC
e. submitted to a fair vote of the people.
Sir upon such a complaint as this ar,
! we not bound, in justice to that people
! to examine the whole case2 Can am
Senator turn and refuse to look at thp
testimony that is offered? Can. he b,
5 justified in so doing by naked legal pre-
sumptions from naked regularities o.
{ Irregularities?
Do not suppose that L would dispar
% age all these conclusions and presump
' tions from a formal, regular manner of
] doing business In many cases, and Il
r many of the transactions Of society, es
{ pecially to your Courts Of JUSTICE, the,
] are necessary, and they subsorve tn
purposes of justice. They were no
] made to sacrifice justice, but to uphol,
@ it, and maintain it, and protect It, as al
4 armor. That is the proper business Of
forms-not to crush down Justice, but Il
J; promote it. We are not now sittin)
@ here governed by any tochnicalities.-
o This is a grand national political tribu
e nal. to Judge according to our sense o.
e policy and our sense of justice Tha
is our high provinoe-not to be CONTROL
ed by presumptions Of law when we ca
u have the naked truth. IL Is the trut
Ian N