The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-03-24
Lec0mpton Constitution Passed !
Mr.. Douglas speech I'm the Senate.

WASHINGTON, March 22-x.
SESATE.-EvENING SEssIoN-The Senate
re-assembled at half past seven o'clock. Mr..
Douglas. on entering the Chamber, was re-
eeived with applause which he deprecated by
shaking his head, and making gestures TO
the multitude to stop. Not n foot of vacant
room was left in the galleries: and the report
ers were over run by the invading crowd; oil
the seats on the floor were also occupied, and
the windows neal the roof were filled. After
abiding to the repeal of the Missouri Com
promise. he said Congress eventually decided
That newTertitores should be allowed to- hooss
their domestic policy for themselves. He was
one of those who, for want Of power to carry
out his own measure. agreed with this new
line of policy with view Of healing the sec
tional strife, and restoring peace TO the coun
try. The object was to iocalIzc not TO ma
tionalize slavery. The people of Illinois ap
proved ofhis course, and the Legislature
passed resolutions To that effect. Subsequent
ly rs Senator from that State, he felt it his
duty to apply the Kansas Nebraska bill. the
principles of which had been substituted for
geographical line. Now, said Mr.. Douglas,
tho question arises, is the Lecompton Consti-
tution in accordance with the principles Of
the Compromise of 1850, and in accordance
with the organic act!
Have people been LEFT to manage their
own affairs in their own way, subject only to
the Constitution of the United Statesi Does
the Lecompton Constitution embody the will
of the people of Kansas! fit does, you have
tie right TO admit her into the Union under
it, and waive anything tina. may have occur
red in the details. The whole action OF the
House turns on this-whether or not the
people have had fair expression of their
will on that act. What evidence have we
that it is sol At subsequent election the
vote against it was. 10000. This was evil
dence to his mind that the Lecompton Con-
stitution is not the expression of the will oil
the people.
1t had been said that the election Of De-
cember 2lst was legal, and that OF January
4th was not legal. The Legislature Possessed
rs much power on January 4th, rs on De
cember 2lst and February Goth. II you can
judge this Constitution by technical form Of
law, it was voted down. You are called on
now to give il vitality; but il you approach
it in spirit of craftsmanship, you find it
was not the embodiment of the will of the
people; hence deny your right to make it
the organic law, and II i. become so, it will
be by the act of Congress, aud not by the
will of the people. We arc told that the
Constitution may be changed; and that il is
small matter. The principle is the same,
when you set the example of violating the
principles of free government, for q day, rs
for year, and give precedcnts 70 unscru
TulOus intus IL II sdiu Jllab Tic ptp-
pie may change their Constitution when the y
will; that they had no right to tie their own
hand still 1864. lie did not agree that the
people cannot tie their own hands. He held
il as fair Interpretation that when one mode
of changing il was prescribed every other
mode was prescribed, and IL could not be
altered till 1864. If it is not the will Of the
it for a single hour. What right has Con-
gress to annul the provisions prohibiting
change till 1884. II Congress can change
one clause, it may annul or alter another and
another till the whole instrument be sub
verted. You have no right to annul it, to
alter or construe it. Lay not your sacra-
legious hands on it. be it the peoples act and
decd. Farewell to State rights. TO State
sovereignty, when Congress undertakes TO
construe State Constitutions. States will
become psoyinccs with no neutrality-suspicious.
than their counties have now. The latter
portions of his speech was devoted to the
Washington Union, attributing its hostility
20 his declining to vote for the publisher as
Public Printer.
Toombs went into q severe attack on Doug
discourse in relation to the Missouri Com
promise. and asked how many of his present
confederates then voted with him. lie then
retorted on the Douglas party, wherever they
had said that no slave constitution could be
imposed on the people against their will
L ney nau no ODlectlOn 10 cram Tree state
Constitution down the peoples throats.-
Toombs then followed Mr.. Douglasat length
and characterized the gentlemen who now
voted with Douglas us hypocrites.
Stewart briefly demonstrated against the
improperly of applying terms so ill-advised
20 Senators who had only followed what they
believed the line of their duty. In person
alities. when arguments failed, tho Senator
from Georgia h I'd now the laurels.
Senate adjourned.
Galleries were again crowded. Prelimin-
AIRY business unimportant. Green replied
denying the assertion of the Senator from
= Michigan that the friends of Lecomptor
have been driven from their position. Th'
Senator from Illinois implied the same thing
but It is not so. The Committees repor
stands unchanged its every indisputabl'
charge is sustained by official evidence, anC
the only exception taken to the report, is b,
the Senior Senator from Vermont who OBJ
Jects to the use of the harsh appellation o
rebels.
He made some desultory remarks in repl,
to the Senators from Michigan, Illinois anC
Vermont, and then went into the main line o
the argument, saying that the Kansas Gov
eminent was Government defdcto quite a
much as in the case Of California, even if yo,
admit that the alleged frauds were committed
He drew a parallel between the cases of Cal
iforhia and Kansas, citing Mr.. Douglas
SptccHcS OH the euppOtb VI OWl
views on the former.
WASHINGTON, March 23-P
HoUsE.-The House wertinto Committe
of the Whole. and resumed the consideration
of the deficiency appropriation bill. MI
Kellogg, of Illinois, continued his speec
against the Lecompton Constitution, com
menced yesterday; he said that the day G
compromises was passed. The people OF tn
North after calmly celebrating, have take
their position with q determination not
recall, but will ask nothing but their jus
rights.
Mr.. Singleton. Of Miss, while adyocatin
the Lecompton Constitution reviewed in cor
domination the Northern movement again,
slavery, expressing the belief that there wei
members of the House who have stole
slaves from their masters.
Blair, of Mo-, said those who were electe
as the friends of the President, and the Pr'
sident himself. have fully exposed his fortei
ure of his pledges that the people of kans'
should decide the character Of their ow
institutions. Hateful as is the design
force on Kansas Constitution abborred ;
her people, by low and mean frauds; hatefl
as arc the crimes which have held Kansas
subugation, still moro hateful is the desig
deliberately formed to extend, by conspIac
A Slavery TO the whole country, under the opir
80 bo Crprav,o Court IN the bred SCO