New-York daily tribune., 1858-03-05
xxxvth CONGRESS-. First Session
SENATE. .wAsHrso1os, Msroh 4. 1853.

SENATE. .WAsHISeroS, March 4, 1858.
Mr. STUARTreported adversely on the bill 10 emeod
the act Of March 8 1853 granting bounty lands 70 cer
The Senate at O'clock, took up the special assign
ment-the Kansas bill.
Mr.. HAMMOND Is. c. contended that the L.
compton Constitution embodied the wil ei the Peops
OF Kansas for the Convention was an sssemoiage @
the people in their highest capacity
Mr. Hammond said that he understood the Sssstw
fom Illinois to have declared that he .s oppossdt,
the Lee ,mpon Constitution only on ohc point namely
because he was not satisfied shat Il embodied the
will of the people Of Kansas.
Mr. DOtGfAS Illl replied that that was not
exactly his position: He thought tast tIers VIZ ~
be assured that the Constitution embodied the WIZ
the people OF Kansas. ,, D,
Mr.. HAMMOND had understood that Mr.. Donglas
maintained that all the other irregularities could os
of difference between them. But the question rs how
can the will of the people of Kansas be ascertaned
He thought Mr.. Douglas in error IN saying tna tns
Lecompton Convention was the creature oil the Ietr'
to,al Legislature and he thought that from that error
had probably arisen all his subsequent errors upon
that subject How was it possible that the Conven'
tion could be the creature OF the Ierrioral iogs-
ture The Convention was an assemblage OF the
peope in their highest sovereign capacity about 70
perform the highest possible act OF Sovereignty Ins'
Territorial Legislature was mere proSisons Rosefn-
men petty corporation, appointed ana paid ey Com
gress without apsrce OF sovereign power ana tnsre
fore coud not interfere with sovereignty, although
that sovereignty was stl nchoate. Congressco NOT
interfere with the Convention IL coudnt confer upon
the Legislature power to interfere with H. ot vs
ia not sovereign 1t las 10 power to act outsioe tae
limitations of the Constuton-no right 10 carry 'hso
effect the supreme will Of any people, II II hss not oecn
expressed in that G, institution Therefore Congress
NOT soyeregn neither does It hold sovereignty In haa-
ans That sovereignty resides in the thirty sovor-
eqn States He then proceeded to argue that the lie.
compton Constitution was legal instrument, oven
if il embodied but the will OF minority OF the people
n ;t,,tio of ia Vnin " m
by A minority and in 1910 a minority had 10 their
HANDS power TO alter abolish it, for at that time six
out of the twenty-six States held numerical majority.
He alluded to the charges that fraud had been 2spe-
trated in Kansas. He presumed that there had beee
frauds on both sdes aud thought that the least that
said about the matter the better. But the true
object of the opponents OF the Lecomptlon CoAssto
ton was the agitation Of the Slavery question.
They wanted to introduce an element OF dscord mo
the Democratic party II is singular that while claim
ing q majority in ksnsss, they should have been
beaten at every election. .
spoke of the prosperity Of the South aud sd that the
condition Of the slave better than that Of the poor
white lsborer at the North. There were moro beg.
ing lifetime at the South. He closed by saying that
if the South was obliged TO surrender the government
after sixty years, thsy would surrender with cdun-
Try abundant in prosperity incaicnabie il strength
Mr.. DOOLITTLE alluded to thre ats made 10 Ger.
tain quarters that, unless Kansas be admitted under
the Lecompton Constitution, the Union will be dis
solved. Did he belle We such great national calam
ty could low the rejection Of the LecomptOn Const
tuition that II at all likely he confessed that it
would he entitled TO great weight; but he didn't be-
leve that all the politicians in Washington could dis
solve the Union Referring to the boasts made that,
had Fremont been elected, he would never have been
nauguraed, he said that the Republicans would stand
by the Union, whoever was elected Presdent. lie
then passed glowing euogy on the Uoion
Without concluding their consideration Of the sub
ject the Senate adjourned till Monday.