The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-05-06

as witnesses. Well, sir, this is q matter of
small consequence to me. To myself, person
ally, the future Of these distinguished Senators,
and their associates in the House of Represent
atiVes, Is nothing, except 30 far as the posi-
tions which they shall maintain shall bear on
the result OF the present contest to establish q
new and better policy in the country. / know
not, indeed, whether | shall be found hereafter
lsboriug with them in efforts to promote tie
public welfare, or whether they will return to
your councils, and labor in your own ranks, as
. heretofore. Nevertheless, am sure of this-that
you will not succeed in discrediting and pro-
scribing them; for either you provide for your
selves defeat, which the signs of the times ia.
dictate, or, in lieu of that you will go down to
1860 under the influence Of sentiments and
feelings very different from that of 1858 A
party in power In the first year of an Admins.
tration is apt to be bold and violent A party
going out of power at the close of an Admins
tration generally is timid and hesitatiug. You
will search the SUBMITS in New Hampshire, the
plains in Mexico, and the halls of st. James
in London, to find Presidential candidate in
1860, who was against the Conference Lecomp-
ton-Ksnsas bill in 1858; and then, If these
honorable gentlemen with whom have labored
for short time 30 pleasantly shall be found yet
remaining within your political communion, /
think can promise them that you will come
to a much better understanding with them than
you have now.
Mr.. President, while am yet speaking, /
learn that this bill, of so much evil omen, has
passed the House of Representatives. con-
fess to you, sir, that it produces in my mind, if
some disappointment, no encouragement /
confess that am prepared for this conclusion
and that now, when it has come, flor what re-
mains to be done in this Chamber is a matter
OF course,) it is to me utterly indifferent. |
have known all the while that this wes to be
either our last defeat or our first victory. Eli
ther result was sure to be quite welcome. For
Kansas, for Freedom in Kansas, have not 80
much concern, as have about the place where
| shall sleep tonight although my house is hard
by the place where | stand. Kansas, sir, is
the Cinderella of the American family. She
is insulted, she is buffeted, she is smitten and
disgraced, she is turned out of the dwelling,
and the door is locked against her. There is
always, however, a fairy, that takes care of the
younger daughter, if she be the most virtuous,
the most truthful, the meekest, and the most
enduring inmate of the domestic circle. Kan
sas will live, and survive your persecution. She
will live to defend, protect, and sustain you.
The time will come when her elder sisters
sisters now 30 arrogant, Louisiana, Virginia,
and Pennsylvsnia-will repent themselves of
all the injustice they have done to her. Her
trials have not have been imposed on her for
naught. She has been made to take the hard
and hazardous position of being the FIRST of the
States to vindicate practically, by labor, by
toll, through desoation, through suffering, and
blood, the principle, that Freedom is better for
States and for the Republic than Slavery. She
will endure the trial nobly to the end, as she
has borne it hitherto; and as she has been the
first, so she will be the last, to contend and to
suffer. Every Territory that shall come into
the Union hereafter, profting by the suffsrings
and atonement of Kansas, will come into the
Union free State Sir, this unnecessary
strife, so unwisely provoked by Slavery, draws
to it's end. The effort to make slave States
within our domain is against reason and
against nature. The trees do not spring up
from the roots and seeds scattered by the pa
rent trunks in the forest more naturally than
new free States spring up from the political
roots projected and the social seed scattered by
the old free States. New stars do not form
themselves out of the nebule in the recesses Of
space, aud come out to adorn and illuminate
the blue expanse above us, more necessarily
or more harmoniously than new free States
shape themselves out Of the ever-developing
elements of our benign civilization, and rise to
take their places in this great political constel
lation. Reason and hope rejoice in this msjes-
tic and magnificent process. Let, then, nature,
reason, and hope, have their heaven appointed
way. Resist them no longer