The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1858-06-05

there are inducements on one side, and |
penalties on the other, there is no free
dom of election. The election must be
free. The electors must be left unbiased |
by the action of the government, if yeu |
are going to have fair elections and fair |
decision.
For these reasons I do not think that |
this bill brings the question within that |
defence of which have stood here for the |
last five months, battling against the large
| majority of my political friends, and in
| defence of which intend to stand as long
as have any association or connection |
with the politics of the country. must
| repeat. that / do not think this brings it |
| within the principle thus laid down, nor
| do the Democracy cf Illinois think this
bill comes within that principle. We |
have recently held State convention.
Public meetings were held in ninety
eight of the one hundred and odd coun-
ties. In ninety-seVen of these counties,
resolutions were passed endorsing the
course of the delegation in Congress upon
this question. In one county the cppo- /
site policy you see sustained. That was
the county of Lake, a county where the
Republicans have an overwhelming ma
| jority-perhaps 10 or 20 to one over the
Democrats, and where there were just
Democrats enough to hold the post-ofice
| and custom-h house, and to fill the light
houses. That one county was carried by
the Lecompton men, q of them in num-
| Der, I think; the other 90 counties were
being carried by the anti-Lecompton men,
| and in nearly all of them by an unani-
nous vote. That convention representing
| the entire State, embodied more of the
eminent and distinguished men-men of
weight, of character, moral, political, and
social, than any convention ever assem- bled
in the State.
Here the Senator quoted the resolu-
tions adopted by the Illinois State Con-
vention, which have already been printed. ]
l have had appeals made to me from
political friends, whom l respect and
esteem, imploring me to yield this great
principle on this question in consideration
of so many concessions being made on the
other side. Some of that glorious band of
Democrats, who have been acting with
me On this question during the session,
have felt it their duty thus to yield, be-
ieving, as they think, that they have
secured substantial triumph in this
great contest Sir, desire no personal
| triumph. [ have not stood here for five
months in conflict with men with whom
l have acted whole lifetime, struggling
for a personal triumph. Hence, because
they have made concessions, that fact
ought not to change my course, unless
those concessions are of such a nature as
TO give me tho principles for which /
contend.
/ If the object was to prove that the Le
compton men had backed down, and
abandoned their original ground, l could
parade the fact that at the opening of this
session we were told that Kansas must
come in under the Lecompton conStitu-
i ton Internationally, or else that four
i States would secede from the Union. 1t
tods thes, an unconditional admission. Af-
ter while, upon reflection, upon investi-
CATION, the conclusion was arrived at that it
was wise to put clause in the bill lin some
way recognizing the right of the people
of that State to change their constitution
before 1864, although, according to my
construction of its terms, it prohibited any
change until that period. Here was
concession made, a great concession,
concession which l never could have
made, on whichever side Of the question
l may have been, for the reason that do
not believe Congress has any right to alter
or construe authoritatively State con-
stitution.
1t was not satisfactory to me to have
Congress, in pursuance of the recommend
! ton of the President, intervene and recog-
: nize, by any implication, the right of the
people to change their State constitution
in manner different from that prescribed
J in the instrument itself. Ideny The right
| of Congress to intervene and authorita-
, tiyely construe the constitution of State.
If the constitution was their act and deed !;
: if it embodied their will, it was sacred, and
} it ought not to be touched in any respect
whatever, except to receive 1T uneondltlon-
ally, or reject it Internationally. That
: concession was made; but still it did not
} reach the point which had felt it my
, duty to make. It did lot come to my
: principle. / do not claim that Senators
are under any more obligation to come to
me than am to go to them. claim the
, right to determine for myself, according
, to my own judgment and my own con-
science, what my duty is to agreat funda-
mental principle; and if Senators cannot
bring the bill within the principle, must
exercise my right and duty of dissenting
from it. did not think that concession
brought it within the principle, or obviated
} any of my objections. It only made the
, bill more obnoxious to me by violating
another principle equally sacred IN our
. political system, that of the sovereignty
of the States.
Next came the declaration that the Free
! State Legislature was elected; and hence,
} if Kansas was forced into the Union with
! pro-slavery constitution, against the
: will of the people, it would not last long,
! for the reason that there was Free State
t Legislature, who would Immediately take
| steps 70 change it. and abolish slavery.
: That argument did not address itself
f fayorably to my judgment, for the reason
: that it did not affect the principle involved.
: What difference did it make, so far as the
e principle was concerned, whether there
e was majority of Free State men or
!, majority of pro-slsvery men in that Leg
!. islature? What difference did it make
e to me whether there was q majority oi
5 Democrats, or majority of Republicans,
j or majority of Americans in that Legis-
a lature, provided they were fairly and hon
q estly.elected If the people of Kansas
: desired a pro-slayery Legislature, they
: had right to it. If they desired Re-
e publican Legislature, they had right to it
d II they desired q Legislature purely
y Democratic, elected without reference to
the question of slavery. it was their right
e to select such a one and, sir, it was the
: duty of Mr.. Calhoun to declare those
e elected who had received majority o.
: the legal votes, fairly and honestly return.
!. ed. The declaration of that result could
e not change the principle involved in thi: