The Washington union., 1858-03-20

lhe House being in Committee of the Whole the state
OF the Union, Mr. NJ. J. CRAWFORD of Georgia
said
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: propose, in the hour allotted me- to
examine the and to explain the why is
that the public peace has been much disturbed, and
the appeheHsions OF aw-abidiog citizens aroused lest
civil should break ont upon the borders of our west
ern States and spread its dcsoatng influences through
out the entire republic
In so doing ] cannot hope 10 bring ANYTHING new he
fore the country hut do hope show whence orig
mates this dangerous spirit, and to whom we are in
debted for all the oonuson disorder and rebellion with
which we have been threatened.
propose to show further that the opposition the
admission of Kansas orga ed here and not the result of
any action whatever OF the Iecomlon convention but
of fixed and settled determination upon the mart of the
anti slavery men OF the North to cputie the pledges of
1885, and to defeat the very object accomplished by the
passage Of the Nebraska act
The Territory of Kansas has attracted public
attention. and excited more bitterness of feeling among
statesmen OF the country and the people of the United
States, than any other subject since its first introduction
into national politics.
The question Very naturally and properly arises why
is this 30 The lies in the hatred which exists
with the republican party the country to slave labor
and the doctrine of seltgovemcnt is provided for
the people OF Kansas by her organic The area over
which this act extends differs in material respect from
other portions Of the public domain for which similar
legal provisions have been made The soil climate and
productions differ but little from those the adjacent
country which skirts her borders Nature has made no
great chan9e III her gifts toward this and other
ing territory then why, repeat this struggle this
conflict Kansas Nothing, except that she permits
her citizens to employ slave labor wherever they may
prefer to white labor and hos mbodied that provision
In her constitution
This clamor is not new TO this House nor TO the coun
try. For quarter OF century we have listened to it
before this Territory known the people and had
y not been seized upon by great and powerful party
carry the popular elections, not hostile gun would have
been heard the plains of Kansas The torch of the
ncendary and the bloody knife of the assassin would
have been unseen within her peaceful limits and tho
military tread of American sodiery would have tegh
known only to protect the hardy settler in his quiet home
from the depyedations of the savage Indian.
The worst passions belonging to humanity excited
and put in action by these party influences and mani
tested themselves in acts Of arson robbery murder and
treason Why let inquire should these results
occurred in Kansas! All the territory of the United
Estates hai been provided for except Nebraska and
Kansas Governments had been given to the territory
acquired from Mexico and in them the greatest and most
alarming question in American politics was considered
and settled. The enemies of constitution ut home
ard abroad looked upon the question of slave labor
the rock upon which this Union would split and leave
our country divided and distracted, they hoIed il
would be- fit and proper subject for the cupidy and
ayarice of the commercial nations of the earth And
whilst had hoped that this daeget Hal PASSED and
that this question had been forever closed by the Congress
OF the United Htates, In having placed beyond the
reach of its intervention and in the hands of each
separate community when becomes sovereign vet we
well convinced that if it shall ever be settled it must
DO whcn nave yielded demand which fanati-
cism makes, to live in common government
where it prevails.
In the above simple easy, practical and constitutional
manner this perpexDg question disposed Of and AZ
it was hoped forever and IL in good faith had been
kept peacc and harmony would prevail between the
North and South and this sister would he welcomed
into the family Of States upon the acranmept That her
constitution republican in form. But sir when we
attempted to apply this principle to the organic OF
Kansas aud TO give the people the right to form, and reg
ulate their domestic institutions in hcir way be-
necessary TO repeal law which was in direct con,
licwith the exercise of this prcrogativc Northern and
southern patriotism equal to the task aud in pursu
OF principle which just well as consthi.
tonal, American statesmen repealed The law aud pnt
Kansas where she had right to Ie FREQ to determine
her questions OF domestic policy limited only by the
sttuon.
When this act securing these rights was first reported
in the other end Of the Capitol the enemies Of slave
Dor and seIfgovcnmcnt manifested their opposition
every possible form-and from that hour to this the
peace of the country has been disturbed and Kansas made
scene o. bloody strife, almost amounting to civil war;
and all done alone to destroy the rights which had been
secured to the citizens Of half your States by law of
Congress regularly enacted
That IL may he seen that charge wronefulty,
will read part Of n appeal to tho people of The Uni
ted States put forth by the leading opponents Of sa
very in the Senate and House of Representatives that
time. They say
by Tertoa which unhspIiy
Congress- open oganzcd
tory Of the Union TO the ingrcss a slavery
WI open tic territory The ingress Of dacery, And for this
encroahmea upon the rights of the free States they
cude their appeal with the following words
"wc imp'ore Christian. Christian ncrToo Their
Divine religion requires tcm behold every brother
labor the advancement and the human
wlcvcr apologies be offered for the liberation slavery
in the se' none con bn urged for M extension into Territories
whore ibat Involves
reicol Of ancient law aud the violation OF solemn LEI all
protest earnestly cmratcaly by oorcfpondcon through
pres by memorials by resolutions public meetings and legislative
bries and in whatever other mode may oSc'n against this
cnormous crime
ourselves shall speech
the abilities which God has
pending struggle submit We shall 20 home const.
the standard
c The from The slavery. We
will despair the human
In this appeal we find that the opponents of slavery
and the enemies of sofgovcmment determined to
resist the passage of this by and speech and
all the abilities which God had given them fearing lest
these should prove Intellectual they invoke the mid of the
of God, and cn upon Christian ministers to inter
pose and especially seek their interpcsion, upon the
ground that in each slave they brother and this
sir, to extent is true, fcf whilst the slave
10 his master, the other is slave to his naticism
and folly. This appeal had its desired effect and thou
sands Of deludcd clcrgymen upon whom holy
hands had been lad-stepped from their high and di-
vine mission and united with these aboonists in en-
dcavoripg to prevent American Congress from allow
ing the men in Kansas the same rights and privileges
which they themselves enjoyed 10 this appeal and
these efforts they did add pledge OF resistance to the
law should it be passed, and called upni the people, in
that event. to rescue Kansas from thc domination Of
slavery.
These anti Kansas mon in sober earnest in all
they said upon the sulectand they have, with dcvo-
tion worthy better cause contested every inch Of
ground which this question had the slightest bear
ing The developments of the Kansas investigation Of