The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1858-04-21

! fASt ltGltHcl II yOuI OOl OuT OOl.
| There is one other argument which / have
heard advanced by some Of our southern friends
upon this floor, which don't do them any good
and which Injuries us.
! | refer to the comparisons drawn between the
criminals and paupers north and south. l ad
nit that the ratio Of crime and pauperistn al
the north is greater than at the SOUTH accord
ing to the census, but not in point of fact. In
Connecticut our paupers are composed Of the
poorer portion Of the laboring people, supported
at the public expense who are too young, toe
old, or physically disqualified for labor AT the
south you have the same state things existing
| for apprehend that a negro, like white man.
is born, has his childhood ard his old age, has
his times when he cannot work, but must be
supported by his master. suppose you have
| just as much Of this at the south, in proportion
to your population, as we do at the ncrth.--
You have, therefore, in point Of fact as much
pauperism as we, il not more. Ours go into the
record, into the census; yours do not. And the
only difference between us is that our pauperS
are supported at the public expense, and yours
by private individuals. Take, again. the sub
ject Of criminals. The gentleman from Georgia
tells us that there are more foreign criminals
among u.s. That is true, bot there are more
foreigners. Nineteen-t -twentieths Of all the for.
egners in this country reside north Of Mason
and Dixon's line. In regard to native crmi-
mails, he tells the truth again. But why is this!
Is it because less crime IS committed at the
south in proportion 10 the number ofinhabi-
tants? Is it because our southern citizens are
not just as bad and just as wicked as we are?--
| do not say more so. The very TACT that the
census shows less crime among YOU is palma
jacie evidence either that your laws are less
stringent, and the conviction of criminals less
certain, or thai your census taker was net as
willing to expose your vices as ours was
| We have great many laws with us under
which convictions are made every day. which in
your country would inpiison half your people.
| We have Maine liquor laws, horse-racing laws,
gambling laws, swearing laws, Sunday laws,
and any quantity Of other laws which you do not
have, or if you do do not enforce We used TO
have a law in Connecticut which forbade a man
kissing his wife on Sunday. With such Grim
nal law enforced in the State OF Georgia upon
that warm blocded and alftctienate people, ev-
cry dwelling house would be converted into a
prison. But will not dwell on these subjects.
| have said enough, l think, TO satisfy gentle
men Of the south that we are q very decent
people in our way, and that slavery would rot
improve our condition; and have only touched
upon these topics in the hope that gentlemen
| of the south will abandon such Arguments
| Connecticut democrats will stand by YOU in all
that is constitutional ond right because it is
constitutional and you certainly can ask no
more. Do not ] implore you, weaken us, and
in weaking us, njure yourselves by such un
necessary and useless comparisons. | have
spent so much more time than | intended on
these topics, that ! fear shall lie cut short in
The IepaI Ks which | proposed 10 offer upon the
Lecompton constitution.
! In discussing the question Of the admission OF
Kansas under the Lecompton constitution, |
deem It unnecessary to go any further back than
February, 1857, when provision was made by
The territorial legislature for the election ofdel
e1ates to form constitution. | know it has
been, and is even now, CLAIMED upon the ohe1
side that this Legislature was togus legislature
from the beginning, and had no legal authority
whatever. Ills was one OF the great points
urged in the last presidential election Every
republican orator during that oompaign, with
I'tbe report of the Kansas Investigating Com
mittee for his Bible, and the bogus legislature
for his text, endeLvured to convince the people
that the Topeka Legislature was the legal legiS
lature of Kansas, and that the territorial legis-
lature was an usurpation. Congress, by proyd-
ing for the payment of the members ofthe terri
torial legislature has decided in the moT 'ol-
emn manner the legality OF that body. as
been recognized by the executive and leg la.
tive departments of this government Then
the sovereign PEOPLE Of this whole country, by
. vote OF 2,65o,COO against l,275,CC0 acknowl-
edged the validity and legality Of that leg;sla-
ture The majority Of the people against the
Topeka legislature was 1,315,LN0 more than
she entire vote in its favor. Therefore, the
Executive, Congress, and the people, have de.
cded the legality cf that body. In addition to
| all this, the O-caed free State men of Kansas
have acknowledged its legality in the most
solemn manner, and are now estopTed from de-
nving it. Under the laws Of that body, in Oc-
tober last they elected majority of the mem
| bers OF the present territorial Legislature. Tn.
der those laws they elected free State delegate
| to Congress, who now holds his seat on this
| floor, and not q single republican member ofthis
House has raised bis voice against the right OF
that delegate to his seat. So that The free State
men of Kansas, and even the republican mem.
bers Of this House, representing the republican
party of the country, have by their very acts
acknowledged its validity. Thus we find that
all political parties in Kansas, and all parties in
the United States have united in the decision
that the legislature was a legal body. The yer
dict of the country is unanimous, and it is now
too late to contend that the Lecompton consti-
tuition is void and Of no legal effect because the
Legislature which called the convention had nc
| legal existence.
But it is claimed that even il the territorial
legislature was legal body, still it had no pow
er under tie organic act to provide for the call.
ing of a contention 10 adopt State constitution
This is the position assumed by the distinguish
ed democratic senator ircm Illinois, ard thost
democrats who act with him upon this question
| Upon what substantial ground this argument Is
iased, must confess have been unable 10 dis
cover. Certainly not upon pre- client, not upor
any clause of the Constitution Of the United
States, neither upon any prohibltory provisions
in the organic act. The Kansas and Nebraska
dill, so far from denying any such authority t.
the territorial legislature, in my judgment, ex
pressly coniels that power in PLAIN and unnis
taxable language. In section 22d of that ac
| it is provided THAT the legislative power and
authority o. a Territory shall be vested in the
governor and legislative assembly, and ir
section "a it is provided that the Legislative
power OF the Territory shall extend TO all the
riehtful subjects Of legislation. consistent witt
he Constitution OF the United States and the
provisions ofthis act" The former section pro.
yides by whom the legislative power shall b.
exercised, and the latter section provides how
far that power shall extend. The power grant
ed is general and extends to all rIghtiul sub.
ects OF legislation not Inconsistent with the con
stitution, or withthe actit>ef Viii it be pre-.
tended that this pewer ofthe legislature is mi
led to those subjects which are specifically men
toned in the organic act, and can extend no
| (urthel? The idea is absurd. Yet this Is the
ground which gentlemen must take, inorder TO
deprive tie legislature otaushoritS to Gala con-
ven len for 70 ming aSate consultation. Up
ON the iden the terrilotial legislature would be