The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-03-17

ultsSlOn OF the CONSTITUTION TO the apeO-
pie of Kansas is forcing down their
throats a constitution which they do not
want, and if it be anti.republican, then
Illinois came into the Union anti-repub.
hcan, with a constitution forced down
the Threats of her people.
| refer TO that for the purpose of
proving the f~allaey of his argument. Ii
does not follow because the people have
not voted on a question forty tunes that
thew have not been heard. They voted
on it,when they elected members to rep
resent them in convention. How often
would you have them repeat IL? If
this constitution was submitted to them
now, perhaps they would raise the same
objection again, and we should hear the
Senator say, e do not force this down
the throats of the people of Kansas
and so it would GO al infnitnsu, with
no limit. The true policy of this gov
ernment has been, as I hold, to adhere
to the legal Prescriptions. The legal
Prescriptions are that the people speak
aud act on all such questions when they
form their convention and shape the
constitution and che people may in
~struct their convention as they deem
best; and even if they violate their in
struetions, the Senator from Illinois
cannot step in between a representative
and his constituents. Il is still a ques-
ton between them. We cannot inter
pose.
I had thought that non-intervention
was to be the principle of action on the
part of Congress, and that the Senate
would not intervene. Will tht Senator
set himself up as a judge whether Mr..
Calhoun, or any other member of the
convention, did right or wroog? To
his own masters he is responsible, and
and by their verdict he stands or fails.
His constituency constitute the master,
and not the Senate of the Uuited States.
Why shall we therefore review it P
Why shall We call it in question? They
have had every submission of the ques-
tion that a majority of the States OF
the Union have had, and now to say,
that, because they have not had more, it
is anti-repatlican, coerciye, forcing il
down their threats, is to say that a ma
jority of tho States have been thus tyr
annically dealt with-one of which which
States the Senator represents, another
[ represent, and another, the honorable
Senator from Vermont Mr.. C~oLLAMER]
represents, aud another of them is the
State eff Florida
So 1 might name more than seven
teen out of the t~hirty-one States which
never had a vote on their constitution
before the were admitted into the Union
Are they republican? Yes. Were they
submitted to tee people? Yes; but the
people in those cases spoke through theil
representatives. Had the people ofKan
sasthe same opportunity tospeak throgul
their Representative? Yes. Was tn,
convention in Kansas as legal as it wa
in Illinois? Yes. Was it as regular
was it fair Was the qualification oil
voters as just and as reasonable Yes
Wherefore, then, will Congress apply
rule in the one case hat was not applied
in the other? Wherefore will you as
sumo that one is anti republican and tn,
other republican ? that the one is a co
creed measure. forced down tho throat.
of the people, and tho other perfectl,
fair, and just, aud popular No, Mr.
President, it is a mere assumption.
More than that, when the gentleman
says that the people ought to rule
there is net a Senator in this Chambe
Il
dwell on points of perfect agreement
Let us come to the points of difference
Do the people act through tho conven
tion, or is it possible that the peopl
can act in no way except By mass meet
iug9 It may be that the people of Kan
sas did not wish to undergo the expense
and excitement, and danger, aud tumult
of an election. Ten thousand consider
atoms may have entered into it, and W
have every presumption that the peopl
we're as fairly heard and as fairly repre-
scented as in any other convention tia
ever sat in this Federal Union
Such being the case, 1 hold that
have more legal evidences that this i
the peoples work that this is the PEG
pies constitution, than he has to assum
that four 6tfbs of the people would yot
it down. His is q mere assumption
mine is a legal presumption. Mine i
in accordance with the principles of Law
with the usage of constitutional repre-
sentative government; his is the oppo
site in every particular. Judge ye, then
between us, whether I defend the peo
pie, constitutionally; justly, fairly, o
whether 1 seek to trample down til
voice of the people, The Governor G
Kansas Territory told them " you ough
to vote ; if you have got the numbers
control IT," If they had the numbers
is it not ~reasonable to suppose the,
would have voted /? Knowing they dil
not have the numbers, they wanted tt
keep up a pretext for a revolutionar,
and insurreciionary measure, and tina
discretionary, rebellious portion o.
Kansas is to De reckoned as four fifth:
of the people of that Territtry.
More han that, sir, the people o
Kansas have this question submitted t,
them as a matter of propriety, not
matter of necessity, not a matter o
compulsion. Kansas can come into tn,
Union as a majority of the States hav,
come in. Kansas has a republican form
Of government. As to the questions Q
: boundary and of numbers, why brin,
them up at this late period of the dis
Gu ssion /? On Wednesday last, when
thought the ingenious mind of the Sen
ator had scanned the whole ques,ioI
from beginning to the end, and had hun
ted up all the objections he deemed tar
gib;e and worthy of consideration, h
said not one word as to the boundary
Kansas; he said not one word as to th
numbers of Kansas. Wherefore, ther