Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-05-28
THEY "ST09P 70 CuYQUER:"
Or,
THE ENGLISH SWIMDLE.
SPEECH OF SBliTOR WIDE.
OP OnIO,
IN TIE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.
April 81, 1858.

Mr. PREsIDENT: 1t IS not my purpose at this
time after the general question has been SO
elaborately discussed, to detain the Senate at
any length by anything that | may lave to saw
Al this Period of the debate. But, sir, we have
How before US, as We are told new PROPOSE
tim altogether. We are told hat it Is in the
natare oil new I'LL, h,ying but very little con-
neciien with any }thing that has preceded it
must confess that | am astenished al the nature
of the proposition which the geatlemsa co,n2o.
sing the committee Of conference h I'VE brought
in for our consideration. Uutrammelled as the
committee seem to have been by anything that
has been done--so they say--an,l being about
70 initiate new proposition altogether, the fac
that their minds should have fastene upon
such thing this, Is we'll calculated, | think.
fa 9 saFpsisd Fgsard 9g9Ei49dH Is ie tlh ST ja oTh
anJ Of the North, were to be considered by
that committee, il appears to M That an un-
sophisticated man might, iE five minutes, hive
brought in proposition against which there
would have been no dissenting voice in either
branch Of your Legislature.
We had been divided here upon questions
with regard to the will and wishes of the People
of Kansas as TO the Constitution under which
they should live. 1t vas conended ON the one
side that the people, acting through the forms
of law, had flaiued Constitution which ought
10 be obligatory. On tho other hand, that
Constitution was assailed here by ,de Opposi-
lion. upon the ground that it was an utter per-
version of the viii Of the mjority OF the people
OF Kansas that it was got up by trickery and
ty fraud and that the majority Of the people
ought not to be governed by il. Thus we were
at issue upon this thing called the Lecompton
Constitution. 4 portion OF the people had cali
| led a Convention, which framed this instrument,
and called it Constitution. The people had
! previously met and framed another Constitution,
which they called their Constitution, and which
| thsy slid embodied the viii Of the great mass
OF The people of * tnsas. allude to the To-
peka Constitution.
Now, sir, when tbs committee we're about
/ TO pass By all tue propositions that had gont
| before, and to Substitute new bill, how easy
/ ii would have been for them to say, in pertecI
justice and fairness to all, 'swe will not take
| The first Constitution made at Topeka, because
| ii is denied on the other side to be the will o.
the people, we will not take the LecomptoI
/ Consultation. because it is alleged to be fraud
/ ulent, and not to embody the will Of the people
/ but we vii. throw both aside, and we will pro-
vide. under every safeguard that can secure an
honest and fair election, FIR submitting thi.
complicated aud vex tious question again Il
the people, and they shall be at liberty to franc
their Constitutions For that purpose the
committee might have selected any precedent
they wished--they nigh. bave taken the ena-
bling act for Minnesota ,or any similar one, an
they would have found no objection to it. VIZ
should all have voted for proposition Of that
kind, Just to all parties, We shoul have per
ni1ttej the people to come up now fairly to tht
work of framing Constitutions; We should have
said 10 them, ''nake it republican in form; sub
nit it 10 eur considerations; and II we lad II K
be such. we will admit you with Il"
Why did it mol occur 10 this committee tha
that was the way to settle The controversy, il 4
settlement Of it was indeed desired? The pro
position which they have made, while it seem
TO me 10 certain aspect to be huaIlllatlng 4
The South, is unjust, if not an open Insult, t
the North. It is humliating to the South be
cause it is total and entire abandonment 0
the principle OH which many Of them stake
their determination not to exist in the Union j
ali; for they said, eset US have the Locompto
Constitution, or we viii go out OF the Unio
/ ourselves" That proposition they have sur
renGeredj taey nave given l. up 'ney w hu
pretend that they can stand by 1t, unless 1t
ia some sort submitted and thrown back to To
People to pass upon. 80 far it is right; so ia
| i is Just; and was glad 10 see the commi.te
yield thus far to the reasons and argument
which had been addressed to them, shown
that their Leconpton concern was fraudulent
that It did not ouibody the will Of the people
, that il was fraud, and that their legal rs
tim was fraught with tyranny and danger
) all subsequect time, That position has bee
repudiated and abandoned BY them. We hei