The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-05-29
SPEECH
HON. JACOB coLLAMER, Of vt

the report of the Committee of Confer
snce on the disagreeing votes of the two
Houses on the bill for the admission of the
State of Kansas into the Union
Nr. COLLAMER said
Mr.. PRESIDENT: I do not propose, Al
this time, to occupy the Senate at any
great length; but | shall endeayor, a:
succinctly and distinctly as can, to state
in the first place, why |, together with
those who act with me, opposed the Sen.
ate bill, without going into the argument
on its merits; aud, in the second place
why we voted for the amendment of the
House of Representatives and, in the
third place, why we cannot vote for the
proposition now offered.
First, as to the Senate bill its sub
stance was. If adopted, that it admitted
Kansas into the Union as a State under
the Lecomptou Constitution without any
further action of the people. Our objec-
tons consisted essentially in these : that
that constitution was framed by a conven.
ton which was the fruit and result ol
usurpation and fraud; that the usurpa-
ton which had been instituted originally
continued, so as to deprive the people OF
the opportunity of free voting on the sub
iect Of calling a convention !; that an unfair
and imperfect census was taken, by which
large part of the people were deprived
Of the chance of voting for delegates; that
the constitution was framed in defiance OF
the will of the people, as manifested in
their then recent election for Territorial
Legislature, and was made in point of
fact only by those who acted in and
approved of it, By minority of those
originally elected to the convention; !; that
the constitution was professed to be pre-
sented to the people in disguised and
deceptive form that the people them.
selves were deprived of the opportunity
which had been promised to them, of
passing upon the whole constitution that
an election was held, wherein they pro-
fessed to obtain some six thousand votes
for the constitution with slavery that an
election for State officers was made under
that constitution by officers not in any way
appointed by the people, and unknown tu
the law; that that election was fraudu-
lently conducted /; and that, besides all
this, the people, at an election held on the
4th of January, by virtue of an act of the
Territorial Legislature, by a very large
majority repudiated it. These. put to-
gather and aggregated, constituted our
objection to the Lecompton constitution
and for these reasons we considered that
H. kO kha ~ ~
Congress that the State should not be
admitted under it; and that it was not
entitled to be regarded iu any measure as
a constitution presenting the views of the
people of Kansas.
In all these respects the Senate, by a
large majority, voted US down. Our
objection was not merely that the consti-
tuition had not been submitted to the
people. WeiIsisted that, in point of fact,
the people had, on the 4th of January,
under lawful ttority, voted directly to
reject it by a very large majority. That,
to be sure, among others, was ground of
complaint; but all these objections, and
others which were presented By other
gentlemen. were aggregated in the COM
plaint. The Senate, however, decided
that, in point of fact, the Lecompton con-
stitution was the constitution of Kansas,
so far as the action of Kansas was con-
cerned, and that it was only for Congress
to say whether they would accept it; that
the people had made that constitution
legally by their delegates NOT only
formed it, but adopted it, and that the only
question of difference existing there, was
one in relation to slavery, which. as they
said, was fairly submitted. They there
fore passed bill admitting Kansas as 9
State with that constitution.
| next call attention to the amendment
presented by the House of Representa-
tives. What was its character ? Why
was ii voted for ? So far as ! could under
stand it the substance of it, without
recurring to particulars, insisted on three
things first, that the Lecompton consti-
tuition should be submitted to vote of
the people, and if they adopted it, very
well-it was to stand but, second, if they
did not adopt it, they should proceed, by
convention, to form such a constitution
as they wished; and, that, upon being
ratified by the people, they should be
admitted as State with such new consti-
tuition; and third, in order to secure fair
elections on the constitution, board was
formed, consisting Of the Governor and
Secretary of the Territory, appointed by
the President. and of the presiding officers
OF the two Houses of the Territorial Leg
islasure. elected by the people; and this
BOARD was to direct and control the cleo
uons and their returns, pass upon them,
ana finally decide them. That was the
proposition which came to us as an amend
ment from the House of Representatives.
why did we vote for it In the first
place, it would be sufficient for me to say
mat there were presented to US two alter
natiyes-on the one hand, the Lecompton
constitution. which had been rejected by
the people Of Kansas, most imperatively
and conelusivelv, and, on the other, an
ouer 10 submit it to the people, accom-
panied by provision that if they did not
NE 1t they might make another constitu-
1on, which they did like. Could there
oe any doubt as to the choice we should
make between them?
!, In the next place, if we voted against
'he House amendment, we deprived the
people Of Kansas even of the right oi
establishing free constitution we lefi
mem to have the Lecompton constitution
imposed upon them, and gave them nc
opportunity to form free one. Hence
~e voted for that proposition. Again. il
sas iair-it was fair even to those who
sssam that the people, in forming thsil
constitution, may make it free State oi
save State constitution as they please
Uecause It offered that opportunity. THAI
opposition was very liberal step fol
suese gentlemen to take-and there arr
soms such in the country who hold thai
sue people, in the formation of a Stats
constitution even, have not the right se
snslave their fellow-men. But those gen
IHemen, if any such there were in the twt
noases, voted for it with very great lib
sIai,Iy and why First, because it wa
me osst of the two alternatives offered t
mem. Next. because, after the knowl
sage Oh the vote of the 4th Of January