Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-02-11
THE LECOMPTON CONsPI-
RACY.
SPEECH OF
HON. ]. A. BINGHAM,
OF OHIO. :
Delirsre1 IN flA Hnttse Of Re,lres snfnkirea
Delivered in tie House Of Repressntatires
January 25, 1853.

Of 1918. Enough has been said 10 this
debate, both on this side Of the House aud
upon that, in yindicstion Of that law
Enough has also been said Of Gen. Will
| ham Walker. and his rapid upon Nicara
qua Enough, and more than enough, sir
has been said in denunoiation Of the gal
lapt Paulding,for bis Fidelity TO duty in ar
resting this culprit and refugee from justi.e
and sending him back to answer to the vi
olated laws Of his country. The Presi
dent, sir, has pressed upon the eonsidera.
ton of this House a question ef graver sig.
Rifeance. of mightier import, a question
which concerns the nations honor aud The
nations life a question which to day
challenges the profound attention Of The
whole people of this country-a question
upon which, if the official organ of the
President is to be credited, this House will
soon be required to pronounce its final de.
cision. 1t is useless to waste the time Of the
House in demonstrating the pos ton of the
President upon this great question. The
President and his party not only endorse
the Lecompton constitution, but by argu.
ment, BY entreatv, and by threat, seek to
induce Congress to endorse It, and thereby
give 10 It the sanction and the force oflaw.
That journal which is said to be in the
favor of the Executive, snd to reflect bis
opinions, has told us recently that the ques'
ton of the adoption or rejection Of this
Lecomptou Constitution will be question
between loW aud faction. think, sir, it
would have been more accurate to have
said it is a question between Executive des.
potism and popular liberty.
do not recognize the right of the Exec
utive to dictate to this House the manner
in which it shall discharge its official duty.
1t is bis province to give to Congress in
formationof the state of the Union, and to
recommend to its consideration such meas
ures of public policy as he may deem just
aud proper, but not to control its legisla.
tiOn. .#. r
/ trust that no member OF this body will
be influenced in the discharge Of bis Off
cial duties here, and more especially in the
discharge of that duty which he owes to
himself and bis country in the settlement
of this great question, by any constipation
other than his sense of right and justice.
For myself, | am free to say, that not
withstanding the Presidents Solicitude in
this behalf; Notwithstanding the reported
announcement by distinguished Senator,
that if Congress reject this slave Constitu-
tion, this State will secede from the Union; ;
notwithstanding the clamor of the party of
the President, here and elsewhere-I can>
not and will not give my sanction to this
Leeompton Constitution. This instrument
does not emanate from the people Of Kan
sas. 1t is not their will. Its provisions
are in direct confi ct with the Constitution
of the United States and with the principles
Of eternal justice.
1t is conceded, it cannot be denied, that
the reason why the Convention which franz
ed this instrument refused to submit it to
the people, for their approval or rejection,
was, that the people would have voted it
down. The proposition, the monstrous
proposition, is now made by the President,
and by gentlemen on this floor, to establish
this instrument as the Constitution of Kan
sas by act of Congress and against the will
Of the people of that Territory. Sir, it is
the first time 10 the history of the Republic
that the attempt has been made to establish,
by Federal authority,a State Constitution
and Government against the will of the
people. and without their consent State
Constitutions have been framed, and sent
to Congress for ratification, without any
formal submission thereof to the popular
vote; but it was only in cases where the
people, beyond all question, made the Con,
stitation, by their legally appointed dele.
gates. This has not been done in Kansas.
No delegates have been legally chosen
there; nor have any delegates beeu chosen
there at all by the great body of the peo-
pie: ~.
The delegates who framed this instru-
ment were chosen by body Of men not
equal 10 number to one-fourth the whole
number of qualified voters in Kansas, and
by virtue OF an election law passed by
usurpers. The Constitution thus framed
is the joint product Of local and Federal
usurpation. Let him deny this who can,
or who dare. But for Federal intervention,
the Missouri invasion of Kansas would not
have resulted in the election Of the first
Legislature in that Territory, and in the
enactment by that body Of a code of laws,
so atrocious and unjust, that no man can
or dare approve it. But for Federal in
tervention, the delegates to the Leccmpton
Convention, would not have been chosen :
But for Federal intervention, and the
presence of Federal bayonets at Lecompton,
those delegates would not have thus con-
spired against the liberties and insuted the
majesty of the people. Now that this act
of infamy has been done; now that the
rights ofthe peopleha have been clOven down;
now that popular sovereignty in that Terri
tory has'been strangled, or, as a distinguish
ed Administration Senator is reported to
have said, throHled,* by the hands of the
| Federal Executive-we are blandly told to
affirm this great crime against popular
rights for the sake of the Union, or, to use
the Presidents very expressive words, "for
The peace and quiet of the whole country"
Sir, it is not the first time that acts of
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