Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-03-25

and told you the Lecompton Constitution was
not the will of the people, and ne (DougaSl
would hazard the prediction, that II yon ASK
Governor Denver to-day, he viii tell you 1t is
mockery and delusion Consult the poll books,
the citizens, and they viii all tell You It does
not eInbody the will of the people Hence they
deny your right to make it the organic law, ana
if it becomes SO, it will be by the act oil Con
grcss, and not by the will of the people we
are told that the Constitution may be changed,
that it is small matter-but the principle Is
the same
Mr. STUART again appealed to the President
to send an officer up to keep quiet in the gale
rieS.
Mr. DouGLAs resumed-Thc principle is the
same when you set an example of violating the
principles of free government for day as Tor i
year, and give precedents to INSCRIPTIONS men
Further, it is said the people may change their
Constitution when they will that they have no
right to tie their own hands until 1864-he did
not agree that the people cannot tie their own
hands. If the Constitution is social compact,
not only have they right, but it is wise that
they should have some stability, and that Iunda-
mental law should not be liable to every tiuctn-
alton and passion He held it as n fair interPre-
tntiOn that when it prescribed one mode Ofchange
it precluded every other mode and could not be
altered till 1864, and he held it wise provision,
and thought that the people was not fit for self
government who could not bind themselves by
Constitution for ten years. He did not object
to it because it bound them till 1864, ii 1t Is the
will of the people, and if it is not, you have no
right to bind them by it for a single hour
What right has Congress to annul the proVl-
siOns prohibiting no change till 1862 If Con-
greSS change one clause, it may annul or al
ter another and another, till the whole inStru-
ment be subverted. You have no right to
null, to alter, to cOnstrue it. Lay not your sac
religious hands on it, if it is the peoples act and
deed. Farewell to State rights and State sOver-
4
State Constitutions. The States will then be-
come provinces, with no more independence
than their counties now. Referring to the una
jority report, he said the Chairman of the Ter
ritnrial Committee, found clause in the bill of
rights which he thinks overrides provision in
the Constitution. The bill of rights says that
the people have the right to change their Con-
stitution as the people themselves may deter
mine. There are two modes of changing their
Constitution. One is peaceful, the other revolu-
tionary. IL, in the progress ola peaceful change
you encounter opposition, it becomes revoln-
to the Presidents suggestion with reference to
this clauseY
Nh. HAMMOND here asked why Congress has
no right to construe constitution
Mr. DOUGLAS repeated that if Congress eXer-
cised the right to look into State Constitutions
this Government becomes consolidated Gov
ernment, an Empire with provinces and indie
ereign States. Turning to Mr.. Pugh's amend
mcnt, which the Clerk read, Mr.. Douglas said
he was at loss to know what his friend from
Ohio meant by that amendment. Who ever
pretended that anything could be put in the act
of admission? What legal effect would this
amendment have if adopted? None at all. He
(Douglas) objected to putting in any clause that
expresses any opinion in reference to any pro-
vision in the Constitution. Suppose the Sena-
tor from NewYOrk (Seward) was to put in n
clause that nothing herein should he construed
as sanctioning Slavery, would Southern men
not object to it because it had no legal effectE
He protested against Congress interfering by
expressing any opinion upon this or that clause
of the Constitution. If it be the will Ofthe peO-
pie of Kansas you have no right to touch them.
Mr.. Douglas then came back to the question.
Ought we to admit Kansas with this COnstitu-
ton? Is the evidence satisfactory that is the
peoples act and deed? He thought not. He
would protest against that special pleading that
would seem by technicalties to fix COnstitu-
ton on the people of u State. Reverse the
case. Would Southern men, if a Convention of
FreeSoi should make n Constitution, and al
low you to vote for it, and then to attempt to
force that Abolition Constitution n slave
holding people against their will, would' you
Southern gentlemen have submitted 10 such an
outrage?
had RETAINED from voting would have sub
mitted until 1t was changed in the due forms of
law.
Several Senators.-'rhat's so exactly.
Mr. DoUGLAs-The Senator assumes what is
not in evidence
Mr. HAMMoND-It is universally stated.
Mr. TooNBs-That's not the true state of the
matter.
Mr. DOUGLAS retorted that it vas all as
stated He regarded the principle involved AS
vital as fundamental, and its violation DEATH
blow to States Rights and Sovereignty. Moro
over, said he, if you admit Kansas under the Lee
compton Constitution, you admit also her fraud
ulent Government. The false returns are proved
at Delaware Crossings, KickaPoo, Shawnee and
elsewhere, showing three thousand fraudulent
votes. The SenaIe will remember the effort he
made to procure an investigation into the alleg-
ed frauds. Can any tell whether we are
admitting with this Constitution men who at
one election threw these fraudulent votes, or
those who were LEGALLY elected by the popular
vote? One day it Was this rumOr, another that,
and so on alternately, like chills aud fever. He
here quoted from Mr.. Calhoun's letter in yes.
terday's Star, saying that he thinks the Della
ware Crossings give the Legislature to the Free
State men. II was of no importance what Mr..
Calhoun thought, bnt the facts are important,
as IN them depend the integrity of the vote
As Mr.. Calhoun is absent, is it satisfactory for
the deDOSed President tn address n letter To the