St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-03-18
Congress-.

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ming the ascendancy of the slav,
States was absolute. 1t is now being
reversed. Second, That whereas the
national government heretofore has ia
vored this change of balance from the
slave states to the free states, now i,
opposes the change. Third, That ma
tlonal intervention in the territories in
favor of slave labor and slave states
is opposed to the natural, social and
mora! development of the Republic.
He argued these propositions at some
length. His treatment of the bred
Scott ,iugglery was whitening and ov-
erwhelming. Having traced step by
step the history of Kansas affairs, Mr..
Seward gave an account of the ma
tonal intervention in the territories in
favor of slave labor since 1920, ad-
ding, No wonder that the question
before us excites apprehension and
alarm" In closing his elaborate
speech Mr.. Seward said I" l am sure
that no patriot who views the subject
as I do, could wish to evade or della,
the trial. By delay we could only ex
tend slavery, at the most Throughout
the Atlantic regions. The Pacifi,
slope is free, and it always must ant
will be free.
MIR. Thompson, of New Jersey, con
tended that the Lecompton constitu.
ton was the expression of the will OF
the people of Kansas. He replied to
the many arguments made against
that instrument, and instanced the ca.
SEES of fourteen States whose constitu.
tons were adopted without submis-
sion to the people. If wrong had
been suffered by the opponents of the
Lecompton constitution, that wrong
was the consequence of their own
misconduct, and therefore they have
no right to complain. IF the Free
State party has a large majority, as is
pretended, they can change any OBJ
noxious features in the Constitution ;
but if they are in minority they
must submit like good citizens to the
will of the majority But this party
do not want peace they desire agita
ton. The affairs Of Kansas will be
infinitely worse if she be not admit
ted into the Union. He was impa.
tient and anxious that Congress should
be relieved from the consideration OF
this question, and that the people OF
Kansas should be left to settle theil
own difficulties in their own way and
under their own State Government
Then we shall hear no more abou'
bleeding Kansas"
! Mr.. Hammond of South Carolin:
contended that the Lecompton consti
tuition embraced the will of the people
of Kansas, for the convention was as
sembled of the people in their highest
capacity. How was it possible the
constitution could be the creation OF
the territorial Legislature He argu.
ed that the Lecompton constitution
was legal instrument, even if it EN-.
bodied but the will of the minority
The constitution of the Union was
made by minority.
Mr.. Doolittle of Wisconsin alluded
to the threats made in certain quar-.
tiers, that unless Kansas be admitted
under the Lecompton constitution the
Union will be dissolved. He did moi
believe it. He did not believe tina
the politicians in Washington could
dissolve the Union. The Republicans
would stand in the Union whoever was
elected President. He referred to the
extraordinary statement of the Scna-
tor from South Carolina (Mr. Ham
mond) charging the North with viola
ting plighted faith and plundering the
South by means of national banks
and tariffs. 1t was not the North that
repudiated the compact of 1887 nor
the compromise of 1920; and as to
national banks and tariffs, he showed
from the record that the greatest
statesman from the South calhoun
supported the very tariff he (Ham-
mond) complained of, and also voted
for national bank and supported in
ternal improvements. To the taunt
that northern laborers were slaves, he
replied that his own father was la
borer, and that other gentlemen on
that floor stood in the same category,
and asked if they were to be branded
as the SONS of slaves. In answer to
the question, why did not the Free
State men of Kansas, if in a majority,
vote for delegates to the convention :?
he showed by numerous familiar facts
that in many cases they could not
vote in consequence of several coun-
ties being DISTINGUISHED, and also that
they had been solemnly assured that
| the constitution would be submitted
to the people for their adoption or re-
lection. This assurance was given by
Calhoun himself, as well as by Presi-
dent Buchanan in his message, and
through his chosen organs, Walker
and Stanton. He denied the Pres
idents assertion that when the slave
ry clause was submitted all was done
that was necessary. He denied that
even the slavery clause was fairly
submitted He then reviewed the
course of events from the repeal of
the Missouri Compromise to the pres
ent time, instancing the Atchison
meeting in Missouri which passed res
olutions that Missouri would extend
her institutions over Kansas at what.
ever cost of blood, and contended
that these meetings, as well as the
Lecompton constitution itself, were
the direct fruits of that repeal The
programme of these meetings was
carried out in full Missourians with
bowie knives and revolvers, invaded
Kansas, usurped the Legislature that
in three short weeks enacted the
whole code of Missouri. There stands
the appalling fact, and no mantle OF
shame is broad enough to disguise it.
Pass this act, and history will declare
that in the same year when Russia
emancipates her slaves, republican
America tramples upon her principles
of independence and imposes a con
stitution on her territories establish
ing slavery