The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-01-07

hV AZ w au uCtt Wuicu TUG fSo'VSHts W
his message, has said is forfeiture Of
faith--a violation of houor--and thar
merely for the expedicncy OF saving hi,
party. will 60 as far as any OF you to
save the party. have as much heart in
the great cause that binds US together a,
party, as any man living. | sill sac
rifce anything short of principle aud hon.
or. for the peace of the party. but if the
party will not stand by its principles, its
faith and its pledges, l will staud there,
and abide whatever consequences may
result from :be position,
| LIT me ask you, why force this Consti
tuition down the throats of the p ople OF
Kansas, in opposition to their wishes, and
in violation of our pledges. What great
object is to be ottainedl Cui bona p
What are you to gain by it'll Will you
sustain the rarty By violating its priuci-
plesl Do you propose to keep the party
united ty forcing division! Stand by
the doctrine that leaves the people per-
fectly free to form and regulate their in
stitutiops for themselves 10 their own way.
and your party will be united aud irresis-
tible in power. Abandon that great
principle. and the party is not worth 50.
wing, and caunot lie saved, after it shall
be violated. | trust we are not to be
rushed upon this question. Why shall il,
be donel Who is to be benefited ! l.
the South to be the gainerl Is the North
to be the gamer! Neither the North nor
the South has the ri ht to gain section
al advantage oftriekery or fraud.
But | am beseeched to wait until hear
from the election on tie 2lst Of Dccem-
Der. | am told. that perhaps that will
put it all right, and will save the whole
difficulty. How can itl Perhaps there
may be a large vote. There usy be q
large vote returned. Laughter But |
deny that it is possible to have fair
vote on the Slavery clause; and say that
it is not possible to have any vote on the
Constitution. Why wait for the mocke
ry of an election, when it is provided un-
alterably that the people cannot vote
when the majority are disfraucbised
But am told on all sides, "Oh, just
wait; the Pro-Slavery clause will be vo-
ted down. That does not obviate any OF
nv objections, it does not diminish any
OF them. 70 have no more right to force
a free State Constitution on Kansas than
a slave State Constitution. If Kansas
want, a slare-State Constitution, she has
a right to have it; if she wants free
state Constitution, she has right to have
it. Il is none of my business which way
the Slavery clause is decided. | care not
whether It is voted down or voted NJ
Do you suppose, after the pledges Of my
honor that it would 60 for that principle,
and leave the people to vote as shey
choose, that | would degrade myself By
voting one way if the Slavery clause be
voted down, and another way Ii j. be 70
ted upl | care not bow that vote may
stand. | take it for granted that it vii
be voted out think hare seen enough
IN the last three days to make it certain
that It will be returned out, no matter
how the vote may stand. Laugbter.l
Sir, [ am opposed to that coucern, be-
cause it looks to me ike a system of trick
cry and jugg!ery, to defeat the fair ex
preston of the will OF tie people. Their,
is no necessity for crowdiDs this measure.
SO unfair, SO unjust as it is in all its as
poets upon US. Why can we rot now do
what we proposed 10 do in the last Con-
gress We then voted through the Sen
ate an enabling act, called the Toonbs
bill, believed to be just and fair in all it,
provisions. pronounced to be almost per
feet BY the Senator from New Hamp-
shire, Mr.. Hale only he did'nt like the
man, then President Of the United States
who would have to make tho appoint
ments Why can We not take that bill,
aud out Of compliment to the President,
add too it clause taken from the Mime
sofa act, which he thinks should be a gen /
eral rule, requiring the Constitution to
be submitted to the people, and pass thatl
That uDites the party. You all voted
with me for the bill at the lat Congress.
Why lot stand by the same bill nowl-I
Ignore Leconpton, ignore Topeka. treat
both these party movements as IRE eSular
and void; pass fair bili-the one that
we framed ourselves when We are acting
as unit. Have fair election, and you
will have peace in the Democratic party,
and peace throughout the country in nine
ty days. The people want a fair vote
They will never be sati-6ed without it,
They never should be satisfied without a
fair vote on their Constitution.
If the Toombs bill does not suit my
friends, take the Mirne.ota bill of last
.ession-the one so uuch commended ny
the President ib his message as model.
Let US pass that as an enabling act, aud
allow the people of all partie. to come to-
lcther and have fair vote. and will 70
for it. Frame any other bill that secures
fair honest vote, to men Of all parties,
and carries out the pledge that the peo-
pie shall be left free to decide on their
domestic institutions for themselves, end
| will 60 With you with pleasure, and with
all the energy | may possess. But if
this Constitution is TO be forced down our
throats, in violation of the fundamental
principle of free Government. under a