The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-01

That is a very sound doctrine, in my jude
ment it is an appeal to that higher law which
has been so much traduced. The poet has
divine right to the inspiration of his genius ant
the products of his mind; the inventor of
machine has q God-g given right to the use OF hi
| discovery. Does not the honorable Senate
see, that if these rights are from God, abov,
human law, no Constitution and no law cal
take them away? And how much more has
man q right to his own body and to his owl
soul, than he can be said to have to his ow,
productions? How could the gentleman fail Il
see that, if the poet and the inventor had thi
divine right, the STAKEHOLDER could not claim
the right of ownership over another man
Would not that man have the game God -giver
right that he claims for the poet and the dis
| coverer? Most sssuredly he would. This ad
mission stultifed his whole case. He admits
then, that Slavery would be impossible. 1t il
not matter of right. No, sir he might Q,
well admit at the outset that Slavery is not Q
matter of right. 1t is matter of positive law
II is q matter of force. 1t is matter of fraud
1t is not matter of right; aud the moment
the slave gets beyond the power to enforce tbs
mandate, he is as free as his master. Has GLd
Almighty Pot any mark on him, by which Nr
can say, when he gets into q foreign jurisdic
ton, which is the slave and which the master
The slave might as we'll claim right to the
master, as the master to the slave, the moment
he passes beyond the jurisdiction.
THE GREAT FRAUD
Now, Mr.. President, with regard to the Kan
| sss question, shall treat it very briefly.
contended here, four years ago, that the abro
CATION of the Missouri restriction would be
attended by the same train of circumstances
that has taken place. / contended then that
you were opening this Territory to strife and TO
contention; that you were putting it ND to a
vepdue, to make it q theatre where the most
selfish and outrageous passions would contend
for the mastery; that you were begetting state
of civil war. You claimed that it was going to
be sll peace that it was done for the purpose
of Withdrawing this terrible controversy from
the Halls of Congress to your Territories. Do
you gain anything by it? Agitation begins in
your Territories. Is it not sure to find its way
into these Halls?
The House of Representatives sent into that
Territory commission Of the most honorable
men, notion one side of politics, but on BOTH there
to investigate the charges that were made
against the FIRST Legislature. / have its report
before me. l have read more than ninety OF
the dispositions that were taken, of men who
are not impeached, men who were partisans,
many of them against the side of the question
which advocate. Here are their deposi,ions.
Perhaps had better read some of them. They
go to show you that even before this law was
passed, there were organized upon the borders
of Missouri divers lodges, under different
names, for the sole and only purpose of carry.
ing Slavery into that Territory at all hazards.
That was the object of their organization. They
had all the parsphernalia of g secret society.
They had their grips their passwords, the ir
modes of recognition of one another; and be-
fore the day of election they went over there en-
boiled in military array, in vast NUMBER, with
their colors flying and their drums beating.
with guns, cannon, pistols, and bowie knives.
They disseminated themselves through all the
Territory, took possession of all the polls but
one, and frequently removed the judges, giving
them certain time to deliver the poll books
few minutes-holding watch in hand, and
pointing pistols at the heads of the election
judges. They drove them off with force and
fraud. This is undenisble. The volume be-
fore me proves it. 1t will go down to the latest
posterity, that these nefsrious acts are proved.
They are part of the records of your legisla-
ton. They never shall be gainsayed.
know the Senator from South Carolira, and
a good many other Senators, have been willing
TO divide the odum of this transaction with ma,
He thought there were disgraceful frauds on
both sides" disgraceful," said be, "to the
country" and he has not sought to investigate
them. He saga it is a disagreeable subject
and he has no doubt both siios are guilty. Sir
it was not on both sides. 1t was only on one
side. You took possession of those polls. You
elected your own men, members of FOREIGN
State, who came in there to control the desti
MES of this Territory, which 1t was especially
said should be ruled as its own citizens pleased.
do not want to detain the Senate by read.
ing the pages which have turned down in this
document, unless some gentlemen wishes to hear
them. They are long, but they are all pert
nent. All go to show the facts have stated.
and there is nobody to deny or contradict them.
Now, you say We do not prove them. Did
not we ask you for commission to exam
inc them during the last Congress- We
made charges; we said they were true; we had
letters and communications imploring us to in
yestigats the stste of things that was prevailing
there; out ss often as ve asked you to give US a
commission, you refused it. Standing on that
refusal, you turn round and deny the weight of
the authorities we produce. Sir, that will not
go down. Now, at q later day, when your can
de box frauds, your forgeries most disgraceful,
are coming to Eght-when they are known of
all men-we ask you for commission to invest
igate this matter; and as often as we ask it,
you turn round cooily and vote us down, and
then deny that there is any such thing Sir,
the country will take cognizance of thai.
The fraud BY which the election of March so,
1855, was carried, 10 established. | know you
undertake to estop Us by saying that Governor
heeder gave certificates to q majority OF the
members. 30 he did but that did not cure
the usurpstion. think the Governor allowed
but four days to receive protests contesting the
seats of the members elect The people, scat.
tered as they were, could not prepare their me-
MORALS 70 the Governor and get them there in
time. In every instance where it was done, the
election was set aside for most palpable frauds
but the setting them aside ayailed nothing.
There were your blue lodges, your usurpees, N
power. They ware taking their seats by q usurp
alton; they were not to be turned aside by
anything like this. New elections we're ordered
IN several of the districts, and in every instance
the zee State men were returned bat. on the
very hrst day OF the meeting of the Legislature
Sithout investigation, without referring to a
comEAieess they Just turned every Free STATE
| man rignt ont o. the Legislature. What good
would AZ 90 to give certiGcates9 But is a mar
10 De estopped On . gross us4rpatiop like this
ls an Amer can citizen to be cheated ont OF Ii.
rights under forms of law2 ask saS bonors
| bic gentleman on the other side, would YOU sub
| NIT 20 it5 No, sir, you would not. Would yo1
submit 70 be governed by gang of usurpers
who, without right, sud in defiance of right
had taken possession Of your bsllot boxes, de
fested your election, turned your eOsntrynel
out, and foreigners usurped your placer Woult
technicalities avail? No, sir have too higl
an opinion of you TO believe that.
1t would be idle, mere miserable pettifoggng
to come in and say, oh, you have certificate
from the Governor, and that cures everything
and we cannot be admitted to prove that it wa
a usurpation. Sir, there was not man VIII
received his certificate as having been electe,
on thai day, who had any more title TO. a sea