The Washington union., 1858-02-05
M>sSa>A SSS
KANSAS AFFAIRS SPEECH OF MIR. lOOMBS.-
VINDICATION OF THE PRESIDENT

KANSAS AFFAIRS SPEECH OF MIR. TooMBs. 81
VINDICATIoN OF THE PRESIDENT.
Remarks of Hon RoBEnr Tooxps of Georgia, in the
United States Senate Tuesday the I'd Of February,
ON the motion to refer the special message OF the
President communicating the constitution OF Kansas,
TO the Committee ON Territories
Mr. President but for the character of the assault
which the honorable senator from Illinois Mr. lHuM-
BULL has thought proper to make the OF the
President Of the United States should have been con
tent TO let go TO the country and vndcae ITSELF put
account of the Of that assault deem it to be
my duty to express my hearty coopeation with the pol
icy which the message yndicatcs and at the same tune
to express my qualification at the signal ability ana
power with which the great principles lying at the DOT
tom of that policy have been presented to the American
people by the Chief Magistrate of the Union.
He has proposed the American Congress as becomes
his duty under the constitution that the Territory OF
Kansas he admitted to her place as one OF the sovereign
States of the Union His policy is that it shall be done
now Upon the point that Kansas ought to be admitted
into the Unon it that all the people OF Kansas,
and all the representatives Of the people of the United
States in both houses o Congress for the last three years.
have agreed Since 1856, there appears to have been
no question with any portion of the inhabitants of Kan
that it was their desire to into the Union
large portion, said to be majority by those gentlemen
who represent what Is known the republican party,
formed for themselves nearly three years ago. constitu
ton known the Topeka constitution and came here
and asked for admission into the Union under that nstru
ment very considerable portion of both houses Of
Congress- majority in the other branch, and large
minority in this, voted to admit Kansas into the Union
under what known as the Topeka constitution An
other portion of the people of Kansas acting under the
authority of the territorial government and in obedience
to law, tool part in the action the Topeka const
tuition. Then the territorial Legislature submitted the
question to all the people of Kansas whether they would
into the Union very large majority of the
then inhabitants said they desired to into the Union
In conformity to their Wishes thus expressed the territorial
legislature called the Lecompton convention That con-
venton met in of this act of the legislature
which had for its authority the expressed will of the peo
pie of Kansas at election where all had opportunity
of voting, and where, far as am informed,
complained that he had not fair opportunity of voting
Then. those of the people who the side of law
and ORDER on the side of the territorial government
ognised by every department of the government of the
United States said We, too, desire admission into the
Union,"
In 1856 this body seeing that this the desire of
all parties in Kansas the Topeka party being before
with constitution seeking admission. and believing it
to be illegal and not in proper form to justify her ad
mission into the Union, other propositions then
made from various quarters. The senator from New
York. Mr. SEWARD acting in behalf of the friends of
the Topeka constitution the senator om Illinois, MR.
U0pGLAs probably other Senator's and myself suggested
plans for doing that which it settled everybody in
Kansas wanted us to do and everybody here willing
to do, If we could agree on the mode of doing it. say
therefore, the admission of Kansas is conceded to be
cessary proper and desirable by all the people of Kan
and also by all the representatives of the soveregns
among whom she desires to take her place
Then. suppose, there can be no difficulty about
much Of the policy of the President that
Kansas shall be admitted into the Union. Waving all
question to the number of her people, for various and
sufficient reasons it is admitted oil hands that it is
proper to admit her into the Union The point of dispute
is how shall she be admitted The President of the Uni
ted States says she ought be admitted under the L
compton constitution Why? Why ought she to be adj
mitted under that constitution rather than under the To
peka constitution The President states historical facts
which no man deny Those persons who framed the
Topeka constitution for which do pretend
to say were true or false simply giving the his
tOru nf t1an ,ofl
territorial legislature - and the senator from Illinois
TRuABuL to-day endorses and defends their action
for doing ''We will not recognise this government
we assume that afe majority of the people and we
claim prorio ulgor by virtue of being majority of the
people OF the United States in the Territory of Kansas
that we can make constitution only without
law, but against law, and demand admission into the
Unol even against the existing government Of the Ter
rtory. That deny that the President Denies There
Is the ISSUE and grave issue 1t is an issue living
at the very foundation Of public bertyan issue that
Will survive this question, and a thousand such
The President says Kansas ought be admitted under
the Lecompton constitution because it comes with legal
comes clothed with the dignity of representing the
will OF the majority, legally expressed That is the
ground on which he puts it, What then are the hstor
ica acts The Topeka constitution is avowedly in op
position to the existing government Its supporters have
made that declaration everywhere and have boasted of it
until this moment 1t is pretended government or
ganzed IN opposition to the territorial government which
as before stated has been recognised by the President
b his predecessor by both branches of the Congress
and OF this Congress- by every department of legitimate
government and by republican House of Representa-
ves themselves for at the last session of Congress both
houses voted for the payment of the territorial legislature
say te validity of the territorial legislature was recog
nlsed by the former Executive, MIR. PIERCE and has
Deen recognised by the present Executive 1t has been
recognised by the Senate and House of Representatives
Every department. OF this has recognised it,
except Topeka II that be department of the govern
ment parties be referred to in this connexion say
1hat 1t has been recognised by the democratic party and
also ny the republican party Every department this
government, and all the party organizations have recog
aed the legality OF the territorial government and if
they had not could be well and easily maintained upon
irfeiraSapie legal principles No man. suppose denies
our right to make territorial government of some
sort. No man denies that we have made such govern
ment for Kansas, that have had governors Judges
narshas and constabes there that we have had code
OF laws and been acting under them and have upheld
them but too vigorously according the account of the
senator from Illinois Such being the fact the opposing
constitution is rebellious constitution made by men in
hostility to the laws of the land the President has
justly and truthfully said
The friends Of the Topeka constitution stand here to
constitution and hey tell u.s. In the first place that Il
violates the fundamental principles of the Kansas Ne
braska act have few words to say on that act
know something OF its history and its object but shall
take 1t only MS it the statute-book Its enemies
have turned its expoundcrs. 1t not to be supposed
that they have cxpoundcd rightly that which has ALWAYS
met their opposition -Four years ago there was great
clamor raised when attempted to pass that act al
though it was based upon principles which have been
affirmed by every branch of this government affirmed bv
the executive by the legislative and NV tlc u;o,a IA