Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1858-02-13
GRANT co. HERALD
LANCASTER, WIS, FEB. 10, 1858.
sDeecn OF Senator Hale.

lie were more anxious 10 hear from other
Senators, rather than learn the opinions OF
SO humble an individual as himself. He
did not think this discussion illtimed OF
premature The distinguished Senator
from Illinois Mr. Douglas) had spoken
and his speech had fully ment The public
expectations. He agreed with DIR. Doug
las in opposing the Lecompton Constitu-
ton, but not because it was in contraven-
ton of the principle and policy of the Kan
sas- Nebraska bill. He opposed it for just
an opposite reason, namely: because he
considered ii in exact conformity with the
act. He regarded it as part Of the orr
ginal programme, and as carrying it out
in letter and spirit. He was inclined to
think that, in the controversy between Mr..
Douglas and the President, the palm of vic
terry OUGHT to be awarded to the President.
Wien the latter undertakes to bring in the
Federal army to force this obnoxious con-
stitution down the throats Of the people Of
Kansas, it is because he understands the
Kansas Nebraska act just as well as though
he had been III the country a: the time
that measure became a law. Mr.. Hall
was opposed to the whole thing, from be-
ginning to end; was opposed to the tree
and its foliage, and now was opposed to
plucking the ripe fruit. He could only
Judge the object of the passage of the bill,
in the natural AMI inevitable consequent
ces which must have resulted from such a
measure. That object could be nothing
else than to break down the barrier which
separated the free territory from the slave
territory, and bring Kansas into the Union
as a slave State, legally and peaceabIy, if
it could; but TO bring it in as a slave, State
any how. Some Of the advocates Of thai
bill, the senior Senator from South Caro-
lima included, had avowed at the time that
it was their purpose to extend slavery into
Kansas. With regard TO proceedings in
Kansas, under the Nebraska bill, the elec
tions were carried, rot by mob from
Missouri, but by aninvading army,who went
over the line with drum and fife, and ban
ners flying, and carried everything their
own way, and returned across the river.
openly avowing they had conquered the
territory. Thus matters went on IN THIS
kirk of "peifect freedom'' and popular
sovereignty" and AT length the conven-
ton assembled to form constitution fol
the future Stale of Kansas, and what did
they dos They adopted The very best
plan which could be desired to make Kan
sas slave State. This plan was that the
people were very generously permitted to
vote for the constitution without slavery,
but it was a somewhat singular fact, and
might perhaps 90 far 10 explain the vote,
that the constitution without slavery was
a more stringent pro-slavery instrument
than the constitution with slavery. If the
was adopted with slavery, there
we're means provided at some future peri
cd by which the slaves might be emanci
pa;ed but the adoption of the constitution
without slavery made the institution per-
petual. 1t has been said that this matter
was in the hands of the people, who could
al any time change their constitution and
abolish slavery, if they saw fit, but he con
tended that they had no such power. He |
had heard great deal about popular SOW
but thought there were two
kinds-one genuine, the other spurious
The kind Of poplar sovereignty which II
was now proposed to establish in Kansas,
was not the genuine article, and he would
mention two or three cases of what he re
garded as real popular sovereignty.
On the 17th OF January, l715. eighteen
months previous 10 the Declaration OF hi
the people of New Hamp
shire came together, and Ignoring the
King and Parliament Of Great Britain al
together, adopted written constitution,
embodying the great principles Of civil
liberty. That was genuine popular SOY
ereignty. Next, the Declaration of indie
pendence, by which our fathers declared
that henceforth they would regard the
people of England as "enemies in war
in peace friends" was another example of
genuine popular sovereignty. But there
was ssill another instance, and ore in the
history OF England, which he had ever re-
garded will profund admiration. That
was when the House Of Commons, ignor
ing the House of Lords, as useless APP
pendage to the government, and ignoring
also the old doctrine of legal sovereignty,
determined to bring King Charles the
First before their tribunal and tdy him rs
criminal They did so, and found him
guilty of high crimes against the State;
and for these crimes his head WAS severed
from his body. This event had east a
shadow over the crowned heads of Europe
which has ever since rested on them-anl
liberty is to-day safer in England aud in
this country in consequence Of that occur
renee. Alluson was made to the remark
OF Mr.. Broderck, that President Buchanan
and his cabinet were to blame for the ex
cited state of Kansas. He di>sentei from
that opinion. He thought neither the
present Executive nor his predecessor was
the man to guide aud control public events
but they were vanes, set in high places,
to show the direetion of public sentiment.
Mr.. Hale read an abstract from one of Mr.
Buchanans former speeches, in which he
declared that "all Christendom is ieagued
against the south on this question of do,
nlestie slavery" OF course, then, remark
e1 Mr. IolN tho cont 4 40, l,,,.a -, ~. x