The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-02-17


Mr.. BIGLER. That feature is in
the new constitution of Kasas
Mr. GREEN. tits the constitu-
tion of Kabsas.
Mr. GWIN. And of California.
Mr.. GREEN If the natter were in
vestigated, think it wou dbe found that
the same provision exists ip many other
States. The object is 10 prevent .'lag
preston of the people or their representa-
t yes when they pass j dgement on any
subject. You may put together IN an
Improvement appropriation bill many
items, neither one OF whids has suff lent
intrinsic merit to receive the assent of
Congress; bu, tie them .kogsthter, AID
perhaps you can pass all II the slave
question had bcen-tied to the suffrage
question the governors qualification
question; the taxation question the bank
question; a. if had been scltizen of Kan
sas should have be- en- compel ed, in
order to vote for holding negroes in Kan
sas. to swallow all the objectionable fea-
ture in every other branch of the consti-
tuition. To submit single question is
the only fair way, the only just way, the
only simple, certain method of collecting
the public will There Is uncertainty in
all human proceedings The people may
not come to the polls the Representatives
may not do their duty ,but We proceed
on t idea that there ia just principle
involved ; and if the principle be just, and
the peopla have an opportunity TO carry
it out, and do not carry il nut, but forfeit
their rights, it is their misfortune, not
ours; and our sympathies are blunted when
we consider that their passions were the
sole cause OF the grievances of which they
complain.
The constitution is not submitted to
the people of Kansas. I know the Sena-
tor undertook to prove that the people
were placed under coercion, that they
were compelled to go to the polls aud vote,
and that before they could vote on the
slave question, they were compelled to
vote for the constitution If the whole
constitution had been submitted before
they could vote for or against slavery,
they would have been compelled to vote
in the manner which the Senator repre-
sented as objectionabl bic. wkict he ahi,nad-
verted upon, which he cehsured and con-
demed If the whole constitution had
been submitted, the voter, in ordor to
vote for slavery, would hare beer compei-
ell TO indorse every feature of the eonsti.
tuti n and, in order 10 vote against il,
@onid have been competsesi-to vol q NJ aims.
the other features Of ibe, constitution, an
thus leave him without S ate govern.
'aent. Ine anxiety to get ate gov
erpment might be strong enough to in
iuce him tn forego his objections to other
branches of the Constitution, aud hence
/ { l. 4, tIo l., of
mission adopted by the convention was
the ouly sim,le, fair, aud just method ci
coliectirg -the popular will upon the sla-
yer question. In the coisvention of Cal
flor, ia, a propo sition was usade to submit
the sla' cry qnestiou to seperate vote oi
he people. The comvention was auxions
uot to end anger the admission ofthe Sta te
irro the Union They did not believe a
aud therefore they did not submit it as
seperate question, but they submitted the
whole constitution to a vote of the people
of California 1t came up here, and we
all know there was great doal of com-
plant on the part Of northern as well as
southern Senators and members in cease
quence of the non submission of the sla-
very question.
BY an examination of schedule
framed by the Kansas convention. it viii
be seen that the constitution itself-is mol
submitted. Ths Senator is mistaker
when he says that he constituionsis sui,
mittei. and that the people are r quirec
votefor it He SAYS the constitution re
ce.ves It's viality aud axes ffeet rosil j
ratifcat on. Tbs Senator is eptlreiy mlssa
ken Itnever does take effect until Kansai
shall be adnitted into the Union by on
gress. But, says the Senator, +" the
schedule says the constitution is to be sub
lnitted to the people Yes. For what
purpose For ratification. What II
the meaning of :. to ratify ?'' It is to set
tie. TO fix. There is part of the consti
tuition not settled, not fixed. and that must
be ratified That question is TO be pas
sed upon by the people, when they say al
the polls whether they will retain pro
vision sanctioning African slavery, or vii
strike it out. They are to settle, fix, ra.
tify that unsettled, unfixed, unrati6ec
part. That is all the article provides for
We are not toetake mere expression
but must take the purport of the Who'll,
article. II a. iogiciau, or a judge, or
sta esman, unertakes t. constr .he mean
ing of that article, he takes the whole o.
it together, aud SO taking it, what doe,
he ind ? That nothing is to be ratified
fixed, settled; but theunrati6ed. un6xed
unsettled part which is whether slavery
shall be retained in the constitution OIL
not. There is no decision GU any part OF
the constitution, except that which relates
to slavery.
The Senator from Illinois, however,
seems to think that. each voter must FIRST
vote for the constitutions, before he eau
vote for or against slavery. That is an
other mistake. Tue voter does not vote
for or against ths constitutions. He sim
ply votes a ballot which is to be counted
for or against slavery If he votes the
ballot containing he words" !" constitution
with slavery" it is TO be counted in favor
of slavery but if he votes .'cousiitutior
with no slavery" il is to be counted ID
favor of striking out the article in the
constitution providing for slavery. The
oniy question submitted is, Will you, oil
will you not, have in the constitution o
Kansas clause sanctieuing slavery II
the writing of the word s.consitution" or