Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-04-11
SPEECH OF hon. sA. SMITH,
OF TEBnEssRE,
Dsivsrs n the H0Hsse Representatives, Fs 2e, 1853



1 know, every considerate man knows that the only
way peace can be attained is by concluding the
Kansas question. The only way to conclude that
question IS to admit Kansas into the Union as State
and then let her people settle their own difficulties
| IN their own way. care not whether she be a
slave or free State. care not whether her lseis-
lsture is Pro-slavery free-soil. want the CUES
ton settled because il is undermining the union Of
| these States.
Mr.. FosrER. May ask the gentleman question
| Mr.. SMITH, Of Tennessee. Yes, sir
! Sir. FosTER. The gentleman says that the only
way to settle the question is by the admission Of
Kansas and allowing her people TO settle it them
| selves. The question 1 put is, whether, in that
case the gentleman is prepared to have the United
States army Withdrawn?
/ Mr.. SIXTH, Of Tennessee. Yes, sir, answer that
! question have stated my position that sub
jet heretofore. l say, admit Kansas as State
/ withdraw the army Of the United States and then,
il there are any outlaws there who have gone there
4 on account Of excitement, let them cut their own
threats in their way, subject only to the con-
stitutiOn Of the United States and Of the State Of
/ Kansas Laughter Now, sir, small considera-
ioas sometimes lead 10 important results. Here we
| are talking about question in which, I confess,
there is little except that which looks to the pro-
lection Of the rights offs great section Of the Union
Mr.. GIDDISGs. l wish 10 PROFOUND an interroga-
/ tory TO the gentleman in the way Of compromise.
viii the gentleman and his party, IN case Kansas is
the President to withdraw the military force from
/ Kansas?
Mr.. CRAWFORD. For one, will say that I wish
4 the army had been taken from there long ago.
would have voted two years ago for their withdraw
al.
| Mr-SAoRTER And SO would /
/ Mr.. SMITH, Of Tennessee. would vote for such
l . law. fnf0rme ed the President that I would re
commend the Withdrawal Of the army from Kansas
More than thst-Iean tell the gentleman that the
President, in his message stated to Congress that
| the admission Of that Territory would enable him
/ to withdraw the army, and to send it to Utah.
| Mr. GIDDWGs. 1 am aware Of that The gen
] tlemsn viii understand me as putting the question
| to him in good faith. 1 will introduce bill to-
morrow, some subsequent day, directing the with
| draWal Of the United States army from Kansas.
Mr.. SMITH, Of Tennessee. I will put question
to the gentleman. III vote to Withdraw the troops,
will he vote for the admission Of Kansas
Mr.. GIDDNGs. Under the LecomptOn contrivanee,
/ never
Mr. SMITH, Of Tennessee. regret, sir, to see
this division in the democratic party in the northern
States, because see no necessity for it. If you
admit Kansas, this question must be settled. The
Il people Of Kansas are ready, as I am prepared TO
show, to settle it upon just and honorable terms,
satisfactory themselves and to the whole people
Of the country l regret to see these men from the
/ North, with whom have heretofore been proud to
| act differing from the democratic party 1 do not
/ speak of them now because they northern men.
find some here from the South who are opposed to
the admission Of Kansas. 1 gratifed that there
/ is no democrat from the South with them. If the
Lecompton constitution were irregular in its forma-
ton, yet it is republican in its character, such
is the Importance Of the settlement of the question
that hope every man who belongs to the demo-
cratic party will rise above petty considerations
admit her State, and thus preserve the integri-
ty Of the democratic party. It is the only means
Of preserving the Union. l see no means of pre-
he.
democratic party. 1 say it not as a partisan. Call
me party man, or what you please; but l say that
that party has alone the power TO resist the revou
tionary spirit which would trsmple down the laws
of the United States and particularly the law pas
sed in 1854 providing for the organization Of the
Territories of Kansas and Nebraska
do not charge this upon the people Of the North,
for the people Of the North patriotic as the
people Of the South taking the masses Of them and
giving thems correct understanding Of the questions
before the country. What can il be but q revolu-
tonary spirit which attempts TO destroy the effect of
a law! The gentleman from Ohio Ar. Tompkins
says that since the repeal Of the Missouri COmpro-
mise he is determined to vote for the admis-
sion Of any State the constitution of which tOerates
slavery. de is determined in his mind that the law
repeating the Missouri restriction shall have effect
Such was the substance Of declarations made here,
and it was in such mood that the eastern societies
we're organized which sent these men to Kansas with
Sharpes rifles and Colts reVOlvers to shape the in
stitutiOns Of the Territory. Such spirit as that
must be put down. Such a spirit must not rule, or
this Union cannot exist.
said that there was cause for division Of the
Democratic party in the North on this question. If
those who have chosen to differ from the great body
of the party upon this question will look to the past
history Of the country-if they will look to the re
cords which they have made this House-they will
find that every objection made to the admission Of
Kansas has been previously answered by themselves.
The principal ground Of objection here is that there
has been fraud il the elections in the Territory Not
only they say that the people have not partici-
psted in these elections. I ask gentlemen to calmly
review their statements. The reason why these
people have not engaged in the elections in Kansas,
is because Of their wanton willfu and revolutionary
spirit, which prevented them from participating Ia
any election hold under any law of Congress- or Of the
territorial legislature. They openly defed the laws
Of the country. They openly rebeled against the
law organizing their territorial government
The gentleman from Illinois, Mr.. Harris I who
introduced the resolutions referring the Presidents
message TO q special committee Of fifteen remarked
truly, that We we're now entering upon duty which,
no matter how discharged, might inaugurate a train
Of circumstances Of more serious consequence to the
country than any that had ever before occurred. l
will ask the gentleman, when we have seen all this to
be the result Of action the part Of the free
State men in Kansas, if be Is ready to allow them
10 take advantage Of their own wrong, and to keep
this country excited this question for the next
four years, or At least until after the next Presden
tial eleCtiOn3
Mr. HARRIS, of Illinois Does the gentleman
want al answer?
Mr. SMITH, Of Tennessee. After a while, when l
have read some authorities on the subject, TO show
how these difficulties originated. ! always listen 10
the gentleman with pleasure. When he investigates
q subject, free from prejudice any influence which
could bias his judgment he goes into the facts with
an earnestness which carries conviction with it.
find that the gentleman the 18th Of March, 1856,
in discussing the question Of the origin Of the diff
cultes in Kansas, state that they were easily trace
able to their proper sources He said:
The origin o. this difficulty can be very easily traced,
and its history understood. When the Kansas ebraska
bill passed by the last Congress Il was al
cd BY those who mad been most bitterly opposed TO t ps
sage including Ofthe three thousand cergymen that
they had been unsuccessful in their effort in Congress
ney EoulG uaaser the oaIie ground 70 Kansas, III
Black Republican prss OF the North aud the Black Repub
cEn preachers, with that reverend emanHeRTy Ward
BeecheFa1 their head, have declared from their puis
that they will carry freedom into KanFas by means OF
death are more effective agents for that purpose than the
Bible and the sword Of the spirit"
He also states that the cause Of these difficulties
was that the North had sent, by these abolition
cieties men 10 Kansas TO shape and form their IN
situations with Sharpes rifles; that they had iuoOr
porated large companies, with large amount Of
capital for that purpose, and that whatever the BeO-
pie Of Missouri had done, they had done in sef-de
fence. And not only that, but after that committee
had gone TO Kansas, they had reported and after
from Illinois again took up the subject and discussed
Kansas affairs in general He said:
The ink dry upon the signature ofhe bill be-
fore the slavery agtatOnisIs commenced plotting pre-
vent quiet sud peaceful settlement Of Kansas Comb
nations Of capital formed under the auspices OF the
aboionists 70 carry bodies Of settlers Of their stripe
into that Territory. They pass through the State Of
Missouri and there made the threats and boasts that thsy
intended, ater shaping affairs IN the Territory to of
the slaves that immediate border OF Kansas attracted to
its soil from their avOcatOus ais pressed into the Terrific
~. Sull difficulties occurred aud the
pOndents their papers auded tie kindness ofhe Mssou-
rRns. TSee Evening Post, June IS, 1851 This would
not do; strife is the subsistence of this kind anatcsm
and strife must be sngendeTed change Of tactics BE-
came necessary The New York Tribune the Post and
Tunes aud all the lending papers OF that sort began
threaten and boast what their Tree State zs0n would
do with the Mssouraus and the pro slavery men On the
lst of August 1854 the Pos. declared that slavery will
be 0Uer1id and sHl1rsa by freedom f the PLANS Al
RHADY FOEEED HALF EXECUTED,
Now let Il Be borne in mind that outbreak had Oc
Cured everything going smoothly the Territory
was filing up and s willing 70 leave future legisla.
tioa to fair expression of the popular will But here
came the announce nent Of plans aud plots slreldy form
ed which Il but half executed, 70 overlap and
smother slavery; BY fair expression Of The pc p
but BY plans already formed On The Sd Of August the
bag hea1ad "