True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-02-24

fore, men are property under the Consn-
tuition Of the United States, and by
virtue thereof held as property in the
Territory of Kansas, it is i'll vain, and q
mockery, to talk of the right of the pee.
pie Of that Territory to exclude Slavery
:berefron, or 10 establish Stale Consti-
tuition without Slavery and hence the
conclusion Of the President upon this
hypothesis IS logically and severely true
that although the majority Of the peo-
pie of Kansas adopt Constitution with
out Slavery, Slavery nevertheless cOntin-
ues in their Territory, and under their
Constitution so adopted. And 10 this
complexion has it come at last, that in
Kansas il is Just and reasonable that the
people thereof shall be permitted to vote
only for the Constitution framed and sub
mitted to them by usurpers, and only
for a Constitution with Slavery. And
this is popular sovereignty under Dem.
ocratic rale ! shall not join in this libel
upon the Constitution Of my country,
that Slavery exists in Kansas or any
where else under or by virtue Of that sa'
cred instrument know that one Of its
immortal authors, sometimes called the
Father of the Constitution, said that
it would be wrong TO admit in the Con
stitu,on that there could be properly in
men," / know that he whose dust
sleeps in its quiet tomb on the banks Of
the beautiful Potomac, he who is some
taes called the Father of his Country,
has said thai the Constitution ''is prfectIy
free in its principles. | know that it
declares upon its face that no person.
whether white OF black, shall be deprived
fliGe, liberty, or property, without due
process of law {; and that it was ordained
BY the people to establish justice /
know that, by law made nnder and
pursuant to that Constitution, the traffic
in men upon the high seas, under our
flag, is a crime, punishable with death.
Can it be that this traffic, which, upon
the seas, by the law Of the Constitution,
is piracy, worthy Of death, and punishable
with death, is upon land right, sacred
right, sanctioned by the Constitution, and
not to be restricted or interfered with by
the fundamental law of any State in this
Union? If this be so, tyrants may call
the roll Of their slaves on Bunker Hill,
and upon the very grave which holds the
hallowed dust of the first great martyr IN
the cause of our own American Liberty.
Such, sir, is not the Constitution oil The
United States. That instrument guaran'
ties Liberty, not Slavery Justice net
Injustice a Republican Government,
resting upon the consent, and unfolding
the Unborn rights of the governed, not a
despotism or an oligarehy, fastened upon
the people by brute force. The Consli-
tuition of the United States limits the
sovereignty of the people in lhe formation
of State Constitutions to This extent, that
their Constitution must be republican,
tha, it must not impair, bat sustain and
secure the universal and impreseriptible
rights of life, liberty, and property
When the people of the territories frame
such Constitutions, Congress may admit
them into the Union. That Congress is
the final arbiter on the question of the
formation of new States within our terri
tories is clear; for unless the Constitu-
ton framed BY the people of Territory
be affirmed and approved by Congress,
no State is organized, and the Constitu-
ton so framed does not become law
Your Kansas Nebraska act recognises
this principle to the fullest extent. 1t
declares that the people of the Territory
are left perfectly free to form and reg
ulate their domestic institutions in their
own way, subject only TO the Constitu
tion of The Uniled States"
Who is to Judge whether the Institutions
formed by the people of a Territory con,
form to the Constitution of The United
States? Manifestly Congress, inasmuch
as Congress alone can admit or reject
the proposed State. 1t is the right of
the people of Territory to form Re-
publican Constitution, which in its pro.
visions does not conlravene natura. justice
or the supreme law of the land; and
when they. having sufficient numbers to
sustain a Slate Government, do frame
such q Constitution, it is the duty of
Congress 10 admit them under it into the
Union. No higher or more important
duty than the admission Of new States
into the Union is imposed upon the Con.
gress of the United States. II, therefore,
the Lecompton Constitution had emana.
ted from the people of Kansas; if it had
been the expression oftheir will lift had
been Republican, and not Inconsistent.
with or repuguant 10 the Constitution OF
the United States, it would have been
clearly our duty 10 have approved it, and
to have given TO it the authority of law,
by admitting Kansas into the Union as
State.
/ have already said, and it has been
conceded on this floor, that this Constltu.
ton does not emanate from the people OF
Kansas, and does not express their will.
For that reason. it is our duty to reject it;
but if the whole people of Kansas had
solemnly ratified and adopted this instru:
ment, at either Of their recent elections, |
affirm that it would still be our duty to
reject it. 1t would be our duly to rejec!
it, because it contravenes the plainest
principles of the Constitution Of the Uni
ted States because it legalizes the wan
ton and continued violation of the rights
of life, liberty, and property because i.
is a constitution not fit to be made, and
such as no people or State can of right
make; because it is constitution which
could only originate in base conspiracy
against the liberties Of the country and
the sacred rights of human nature, Con-
IL. ,L;.I Wbot dn xua cannIiOn hu ac