Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1858-05-28
aooIttttuI.
FREEDOM IN KANSAS.
Closing Speech of w. II. Seward,

Closing Speech of w. II. Seward,
In the Senate Of the United States, AprH 80.
Mn PnHspHvr This debate has IN anrstly lost some
of its interest although IL rapidly approaches vet undo
iermnod conclusion. The length N time II has occupied
may account in degree for the decline of excitement
Repetition " the same topics, and oven " the same
guments, not indeed too frequent for duly cnghtonni
frequently for patient endurance here is further cause
hnk, however that something e. due also 10 the change
Of form which the subject has at last assumed We be
gan with hghsOunding themes nothing less than popu
Jar sovereignty, and speedily and Justly into IN,
region Of the rights of human nature. The question
wore this dignity when we gave 10 90 the committee OF
conference Il comes back from the conference chamber
reduced into mere artihcc-if it were respectful
should say tnck-of legislative crcrdcmain II is rs.
sumed that one or both Of two cconrahlo factions
io h deceived an that seems be lch or MS 20 discuss
or Che public 20 consider is, who is the dupo
This, Mr. President, is that kind Of debate for which
have the least taste, and, as think, the least talent
Among my oldest rccoccons Is one that person nam
cl hodhcicr put into operation u the city Of Phadc
pha, and in the ncighborhood of Congress, curious
combination of mechanism scfmoyiug machine or
perpetual motion, which supcrscde water, wind
steam, and every other motive power IL worked chcc
lively, beautifully pcrfc tly but when the public cxucc
iauon was satisfied with this great success. Congress
the Legislature Of Pcnusytana, and everybody else de-
maudcd that the machine should Immediately be- taken q
pieces Concluding justly that there was human agent
within or connected with it, they wanted 20 whether
mat living main spring concealed The upper or IL
hc neither compartment of the engine, whether iu the
chamber above in the cellar below, in adjoining
OF distant house street. fct interest iu tha
search. The machine was a very good thing ID ens
D. would he very worthless thing when the secret should
be found out
SO, also, remember that in later years a German
with invention Characteristic Of his nature and his
put into action In the city Of New York auiomator
player. u was constructed sknlly. and mys
icrinusy endowed with such intelligence, that though
creation of the human hand u would only beat
o the dismay of the vanqnshcd competitor. just s.,
soon as was asccrtancd that the machine was perfect
ALL fNH IHFNII ola D.. Ha H.N..
certain the whcreabout II the hidden intelligence vhol
mystcuousy directed tho movements of the cmhlcmaU
cal figures ON the ohcss-hoard took no interest n ha
question was satisfied with The player as IL was
and knew all the world would like less when the,
came 20 hear Of what remained 90 be known abouti H.
acted u those this principle that no one was
deceived by those Ingenious conferences but those who
wanted 90 be dupcd So 70 lis with the hill of the confer
cnce committee on Kansas. II was gotten up 70 favo
purpose OF self deception gotten mp with care, thai
it could not De cNpaincd satisfactorily by the faction
90 thc other, or even 20 itself
Mr. President. after ibis explanation, miaht pas,
over hc details Of thc bill might DO a tho NOR
reasonably because he puzzle which r presents has beer
cNpaincd sotsacorly, trumphluuy, hy The very astt
Senator from Vermont, Nj Coluner. by the honorable
senator from Ohio, Mr. Wade, always effective, at,
by a my other associtc this side of the chamber
wen by the distinguished Senators from Illinois anr
Michigan. shall therefore be very brief iu my anllys
Of the bin.
In the first place M President it makes mp and sub.
mits 10 the people Of Kansas, and Ia the country for
c-n' fictitious, false issue. in place Of the true
The true issue Is the question whether the people
Kansas shall, or shall not, condition OF coming into
the Union, have right 10 accept reject the Iocomp
tom Constitution. Now. be it understood that Congress
gives 90 State when IL comes into tho Iuon
doFry taken from the public lands within It's borders
Every state rcreiycs IL in every Practically
speaking question ever raised in Congress upon
hc subject of giving such d0wry, upon the extent
the duwry tn De assigned Tho Lccompt1n Convention
sent 10 ms application demand for dowry much
larger than is usually granted Tho Senate passed bill
20 admit Kansas into the Union which left the subject Of
the dowry outslc. and postponed to future day, and
cnufCunl themselves with barely lisrIuuin
to the demand which the Locompton Convention had
made
The House Of Representatives treated the matter sub
sautiay in the same way. They turned to the Mime
sofa l. and copied from it into their Kansas bill which
they sent - the Senate, provision by which Kansa
should receive doUry exactly equal to that assigned tC
Minnesota. The Senate raised special objection "a
that part NJ the House bill Indeed, from the beginning
of the debate until the appointment Of the committee o
dowry was ever heard Of in either House. Each was
ready ~ acqucscc with tho other ON this point When
Che bill came back from Che conference chamber, We
found recital n 10 10 the effect that there is difference
between Congress and the people Of Kansas about tho
amount Of the dowry upon which Congress desires u
submit proposition TO that people. The bill proceeds
therefore TO submit that proposition. The reporter tells
m0 that thc debates u This Congress. published IN the
Congressional Globe fin up eighteen hundred quartc
has been poured here, and Is flowing in rivers
over this broad land nine hundred pages occupied
with the subject of Kansas. Now. sir will listen, with
respect and kindness, TO any Senator who will show me
in the debates of either House word TO say
page that audcs TO the dispute concerning dowry
which the conference committee have assumed per
pcxing Congress, and which they propose to us tc
refer to the people Of Kansas for settlement.
This dispute about the dowry is therefore eigncd IS
sue fabricated issue false issue, substituted for the
true and real II is resort In legislation to prac-
uce OF the lawyers in The times Of backetter learning
When an honest, straightforward mnn, who the
owner " freehold, turned with violence they
wnuld not let him bring actions IN his nlmt
nrain.t the intruder, but would ohligc him to copy ou
from the book Of forms summons in the name o.
james Jackson an imaginary who it pretended
had hecn in possession Of the premises under fictitious
lease from the real owncr and represented To have
been expelled thcrerou by imaginary intruder, cact
a casual cicctor, think, and named John Stiles Tho
lawyer made up the ISSUE in due form, between thes'
two imaginary gants upon this groundlcss statement
9f cs and so the honest man iricd his title TO his ree
hold not against the actual trcsposser but against
the name ui man OF nay ochcve mat al the states
of The Union have abolished these miserable arfccs
which aneenty figured in the conduct Of legal proceed
nes What earthly necessity is there for resorng "a
them in legislation Sir, have patience with such
devices here. Though man generally OF gentle dspo
sitilns, some good nature and much endurance, feel
when such false issue this put into the place
of true one in the Of our legislation very much
like the chvarous Virginia gentleman, who happening
10 be abroad in his noigborhood when the sheriff
through IT, serving summons In eectment in the name OF
James Jackson against John Stiles everywhere and
leaving them there with their ominous mysteries, "a
disturb many good and quiet frecmcn, pursued and
that ugious Jaucs Jackson lived because II he could
only find ou his place Of residence he would send him
show the Senate, next second false ISSUE an issu,
concerning the actual amount Of the population I'm Kan
The conference committee has found out that tho
population is just large enough 10 make slave State
and hy no means large enough 10 make free State
There just enough people warrant their admission
into the Union as a Stale il they will accept the LcromT
ton Constitution, and by no means enough, not hall
enough TO their admission under any other Con
stuton. When did this new question Of numbers arise
in This dcbate just that day, and precisely at that
hour that moment when the report Of the committee
Of conference was brought into the Senate and Rcpresen-
htivcs' Chambers.
would not dwell on this false ISSUE il had not evil
dencc that it is effective here II seems to be carrying
with IL the vote Of the honorable Senator from Ohio who
has spoken this morning. Mr.. Pughl. At least, can
find no other explanation of his this bill That
honorable senator under instructions Of his Legislature
voted against the Senate bill because 1t did not submit
the Lccompon Constitution TO the people. II tells MS
now that this new bill does not submit the Lccompion
Constitution to the people, and yet he votes for it.
Mr.. PunH ! should like 10 ask the Senator where
his authority is for stating that that the foi
my going against il
Mr.. SEWARD ! am arguing. sir.
Mr.. PuGu That was not the instruction. The in
struction was not based on that ground
Mr.. SEWARD. As the honorable gentleman has lcft
his obscure cndcavorng % arrive AZ results
by such lights shine along our way. hope to do him
no injustice | infer that he votes for this bill the
ground that Kansas has got Just numbers enough to
make slave State and not numbers enough to make a
free State The honorable Senator has taken pains
10 refer to the spooches that have made in the Senate
heretofore, than took for myself lc has pre-
sented remarks taken from these speeches 10 imply
that IN 1886 stood upon the ground that there were
votes enough to make State IN Kansas and II there
tVqrn NOT fhnrp ba