The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1858-04-17

~ the HorsE or REPRESENTATIVES,. MARCH ~.
The HoHsr having under consideration the Bill
TO admit the state Of Kansas into the Union-Mr
HENRY WINTER DAVIS of Maryland said:
MIR. CHAIRMAN: The earlier Explorers in high
Northern lalilldcs were pcrpleXcd at behold
ing great lcchcrgs myStcliouSy making their
way to the north against current and wind
and tide. Philosophers in the closet OWNED
from the strange phenomenon the existence
III an und,r current running counter to that
Of the surface, that bore them along. The
DISTINGUISHED spectator, Mr.. Chairman Of the
course Of THIS debate, ignorant of our history
for four years. and OF who now holds the
helm, v ould find himself similarly perpcxel
and perhaps he might Sulmisc Il similar SO.
luton.
That an administration which processes to
sc the god.la Of "popuhr sovereignty"
should oppose the submission Of a constitution
TO the ropn'dr vote: that an administration
which Is. IN name. Democratic, should pro.
pose to impose upon the majority the will of
the minority that an administration elevated
to power by the South. against the will of
The North, should urge, as the shortest way
To accomplish the great purpose Of max ing
Kansas Il free State, her admission as slave
State; that the administration, which pro-
!,Sses anxiety to preserve the peace of the
country. should say that the shortest way to
restore the broken peace is. not to remove
hut to fa>tcn, by irrevncabe laws, in the
form Of u State constitution guaranteed by the
united power Of the country, that hateful
oligaIchy upon people whose neck was too
tender to bear the weight Of their Territorial
yoke, which Congress could al any moment
all In t1,at ,nl- sl, Il !,
to accomplish these purposes, may well puz-
z'e the sp' culator in exploring the hidden
reasons that dive men thus contrary to what
apparent rcason-,hc ordinary method of
guiding the commonwealth, the ordinary
propclng powers OF the goycrnmcnt-woud
seem TO dictate. And possibly, Mr.. Chair.
man, he might not be very far from solving
the problem il he were to assume that the
question is, not so much how to accomplish
the paciicanon Of Kansas. or to make legis-
'ation square with the dogma of poprior
SOrercignB," CT to secure the right Of the
people to form their own domestic institutions
in their own way, which we arc taught to
believe is new revelation Of the year of grace
eighteen hundred and fifty -four not so much
any of those rcaSons as toprcvcnt :hc Admin
istration, which boosted itself the omnpotcnt
paciticator, from being brought to lick the
dust. now, ere the termination of the first
session Of ITS first Corgrrss--to lick the dust
before the will of that majority winch it is
duylng in one Of the Territories before the
will Of that majority of the people Of the
United States. against which Mr.. Buchanan
assembled the Presidential chair, anG amid the
irrecoucilablc divclsi,cS of opinion of the
people who were combined to elevate Mr..
Buchanan TO the prcsidcncy--bu here that
men ami parties ale brought face to face
can no longer coaIesce III the policy he would
have them pursue.
We are debating the recognition Of IN in
dependent State.
The Administration produce piece of
parchment with form Of government written
on 1t and certificate as one John Calhoun
that II Is the constitution adopted al 'I.ecomp-
ton by convention of the people of Kansas:
and on ms evidence the President and his
friends demand the recognition of the State OF
Kansas.
We respectfully ask for the proof that the
piece of parchment contains the will Of the
people Of Kansas.
Neare told the Territorial Legislature took,
by law, the sense Of the pcoplc-aud 2,670
voted to call Il convention : hat 1900 per-
sons voted, IN all, for the members Of the
convention: that the convention, whose
Journal no one here has seen, voted the con-
stituion; that it was not submitted to the
people for their ratification and that the
vote Of the 4th Of January, Of 10 600 against
1t, is of no legal relevancy to the question
before us.
On this state of facts, Mr.. Chairman, we
are besoueht, on behalf of the Administration.
to vote for the admission Of Kansas under the
Lccompton constitution for the sake Of the
principle involved. Sir, confess myself the
servant Of principle: and respectfully ask
gentlemen what principle they ask me 10
sanction
Is it that minority in territory consti-
tutc the people, and SO must make their will
the law over the majority If so, respect
fully dissent from the principle.
Ii it that the people of territory, with or
without previous authority Of Congress, have
iegai right themselves 10 take the initiative,
and TO lay upon your table a constitution
which they are entitled to demand at our
hands that we shall accept? Ifso, then
respectfully dissent from the principle.
Is it, on the part Of our Southern friends,
that any constitution which may be laid upon
our table containing, no matter how put
there, clause sanctionng slavery, Is to shut
the eye to every other circumstance connected
with it, and TO drive us to the admission
of that people as State merely because that
provision is in the constitution If 50, then
respectfully dissent from the principle
Is it that they mean that gen tlemen may
look into the constitution for the purpose of
seeing that slavery is there, and when they
find it there are bound to vote for the admis-
sion If so, then the gentlemen upon the
other side of the House, by exactly the same
reason, may look into that constitution to
see that slavery is there; and, if they think
it the more logical conclusion, may vote to
refuse admission upon that ground. Bit as
do not understand the gentlemen on the
other side to admit the latter alternative as
one fit to be embraced they will indulge ne
in the logical consequence of not regarding
the former as a proper consider alton 10 weigh
at all with the upon the question that is
before the House.
That slavery is embraced in that consttu-
ton, is certainly, Mr.. Chairman. in my
opinion, no ground at all for the rejection
10 ground at all for any difficulty about
admission. II put there by the will Of the
people. it ought not to weigh with the weight
of the dust in the balance upon the question !;
for to allow that to be ground If exclusion,
while it would be within the legislative
discretion of Congress, would be, in my
judgment. unwisc, tending directly to conse-
auences that all of us are most anxious to