The Washington union., 1858-03-21


throughout ygu border. threatens 70 involve you
| and our country in the game common ruin.'
He tells them
u cauuc earnestly impress you the necessity
the slavery agitation from The hs Of Congress aud reeh
iial conntts'
And again
s.s .%s q s1 % .s vi y Is ] '" 4 Easi , a. ,S
fairly and freely dectieI This question for hemseyes.'
Mr.. MONTGOMERY. / would like to ask INV colleague
whether the question ct SLAVERY ever submitted
Mr. PHILLIPS II the, gentleman wants to know
can tell bin tat il was sbbrittsd end surely he will
not deny it,
Mr.. MONTGOMERY. | de- deny il most epphateally
The question of the impcrtaon of slaves from other
states submitted, and the only submitted.
The question Of the existence OF slavery there never
submitted Slavery now cxiss in Kspsas, and by that
constitution is fastened upon The peobc of Kansas
I and forever
Mr.. PHILLIPS / glad my colleague has defined
his position on that subject We will know where to
III. MoNTGolERy There is 10 trouble in finding
me at any time.
Mr.. PHILLIPS. 1 will show my colleague that the
question Of slavery submitted people of Kansas
The constitution bad been made, and the slavery ques
lion was t- only submitted They uem ted that
It would be submitted but they told, they
warned, that if they did not vote, they delegated their
rights 10 those who did vote They told by Gov
Walker, they told by Secretary Stanton that
such would be the effect of absentng themselves and
Withholding their votes. They told that the
itself would submitted to the
the legislature had not undertaken to direct the
yuhtiun to d, H. hut teft " To- ttB ttHvboii Itself
Why, sir, years ago in Pennsylvania when it
undertaken 10 change the constitution Of that State when
the law passed by the legislature for calling
venton, of the most distinguished lawyers living
of those who gave the fame and of "a Pbila
delpha lawyer" which am afraid those who after
do not well deserve, objected 10 The law the
ground land | trust | may he considered reading
it pow Appendx AZ because undertook tp tell the con
ycntion in what form tho constitution should lie submit
ted and a'oe The law provided that after the conven
ton had finished their abos they should adjourn for four
months not to submit the question TO the people but
that the members could learn the will of their uo,stt,
ent s fuMilta. Intercourse between tho Representatives
and constituents, and then in accoilncc William
Lewis put upon record his dissent 10 this feature of the
law, the ground that the legislature, inferior body
had right to undertake to control the convention,
superior body composed of delegates just fresh from the
people direct einanaon of the people VIII my col
league tell me why I'm inferior body should prescribe
rules for the government ef superior body Will he,
VIII, all his ,dsas OF boular sovereignty tell what
body he recognises higher than convention of delegates
selected by the people to frame constitution for them
agree that the convention of Kansas ought to have
submitted the constitution which they had framed to
vote of the people il would have been better to do So
though do not believe that it would have removed the
difficulty, because from the earliest moment to
have been determined by the protesting majority that
they would have ra Their alscnting themselves
from the polls not accidental 1t the result ot
delibcration and combination and now, forsoolh when
things have been regularly denc and the convention has
given TO the people the decision of the only question
which those high in authority have pronounced the
o'y ohe uron which tho people differed they turn round
and say that majority did not vote aid dsf tou If yoii
will take that expression Of the will of the major
| ity, when only "a minority voted.
| have instances, with which my colleagues arc
familiar, in which minority have made constitution,
and have amended IL and say to them that on almost
every occasion on Which the question of amending the
constitution has been before the people of Penns ya
majority of the people have not voted for it but still
it has been carried by the votes of minority of the
tcrs. When there is contest about men, there is an
anxiety of feeling but when the contest is of prn-
| ciple, of establishing organic lawmen may talk as
much MS they please but put facts against arguments
the minority to control, for the majority do not
vote 1t may be that they did not feel interest in the
question that they had no time, and perhaps desire
to look into the question involved they have had
confidence in those who prepared the constitution ~
amendments; but certain it is, for reason, bc it
| what it may, they failed to vote. ..,.
In 1885 the people of Pennsy ylyabia called upon
To vote either for against constitutional convention.
ar they pleased. The same year upon the day. and
at the same election there contebt for governor
The number of people who voted fot governor
bundled and ninety nine thousand seven hundred aud
twenty sevcnwhin two hundred and seventy three Of
two hundred thousand The votes Ia favor of calling
convention to revise the constitution eighty thou
/ sand five hundred and seventy What will gentlemen
sa, to this The convention legally called No
body doubted the truth of the doctrine proclaimed by
Governor Walker, that those who did vote controlled
those who did not, Eighty 1N thousand votes only out
oi two hundred thousand voters called that convention
| We have another remarkable instance When the new
constitution submitted and adopted by the people OF
Pennsy lvania in 1888, two hundred and fifty thousand
hundred and forty six people voted for governor and
yet the constitution adopted with only hun
dred aud thirteen thousand hundred and seventy.
one voting for il.
| Mr.. MONTGOMERY. Had all the people the right TO
| vote in the of Kausns
! Mr.. PHILLIPS. i know of who were excluded
! from voting
| Mr.. MONTGOMERY. There nineteen counties
! In kans,s that had not the right to vote
Mr.. PHILLIPS. That s begging the question. Ny
colleague knows that those who do choose exercise
their rights have rights.
| Mr.. MONTGOMERY. They had no right.
Mr.. PHILLIPS. 1t is very well to find pretcxt when
one wants to find fault.
Another instance has occurred in PENNSYLVANIA since
my colleague has been member of this Congress While
there three hundred and sixty thousand poed
ut the election in 1891 for governor the highest vote
polled both for and against the proposed amendments to
the constitution less than forty per cent of that
number For of the amendments the highest vote
cast was one hundred and seventeen Thousand hun
drcd and forty three, and twenty thousand four hun
dred and twelve against it. One hundred and thirty
eight thousand five hundred and fifty three out three
hundred and sixty three thousand and eghtyonc voters
in Pcnnslvan adopted those amendments and under
those circumstances l have doubt my colleague will
acknowledge that the amendmcnshaye been adopted and
part OF the organic Inv of PENNSYLVANIA.
Now, in the case ot kansas, il the election legal
and lawful election, those who stayed at home iov
Walker says, authorized those who did go the polls
act for them The convention having submitted to the
people the only question in issue and the people having
voted upon it, it remains part of the constitution.