The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-03-13
Hon. } OH n n ELSO n,
Nt1p Dnr.,,,.,,.

.
President.
Hon. JOHN NELSON.
VICE PRESIDENTS
Hon. j. V. L. Mcmahon, Hon. b. C, FRESHMAN.
| g Jas. ~ Buchanan Solomon Hillen, Jr.
2no. =; brune, Esq, Jno. 5. Williams, Esq,
Jesse hunt: " Chas. F. Mayer, g
| Chas. HI. Pitts, " Peter NOVEL; :.
Genus Barnum, :" VIM. Devries
- - Slingluh, " Cornelius Mclean "
| =. d: NJ heyser, - Henry SNYDER,
HugI b1iton, }. b. Seidenstrcker, %
Jas. Fields, g Mendez |. Cohen
SECRETARIES
w WIN. r; Giles, Dr., Esq, Geo. W. Yellott, Esq,
Chas. II. hey, 50 Richard Lilly, g"
The President on taking the chair delivered the
| following remarks:
FELLOW CITIzENs:-I sincaralv and nrofoundl,,
thank YOU for this manifestation of YOUR kindness
assume the duties of the station to which YOU have
called me, notonly with cheerfuness but with pleas
ure. The purpose for which we have assembled is
one with which | am proud to identify mvself II
mas the unqualified approval of my most deliberate
Judgment, and of my whole heart
IL Is not often that the people have been called on
to give expression to opinions upon measures in
volvng issues of such magnitude in principle and
OF such fearful import in their results as are those
| winch now engage the attention of Congress. 1t
may indeed, with truth, be affirmed that, in the
! whole history of our Federal Union few questions
have been presented that have addressed themselves
more anxousy to the hearts and socitudes of all
lovers OF our Institutions, than those which have
| sprung out or the Kansas controversy.
We have it is true, annually recurring cleo
tons and the excitement produced by them. In the
CONNECTS OF party, our passions often inlamed.
ana these struggles for ascendancy and power some
tunes lead to violence and excess-the natural and.
perhaps, inevitable attributes of our free forms of
government. But the effects of these conflicts are
Tor the most part transient, and pass away with the
occasions that produce them.
Aet we are not without instances in the history
OF our country's progress, when no elections were
pending or at hand, when the whole people of this
| great nation have BEEN they now are, conyul-
syely agitated by questions cardinal in their ma
| ture and upon the right determination of which
| depended our most vital interests Memorable
amongst these, which most of us are old enouub IN
remember, was the fearful struggle between the
privileged monopolies and the political power. dur
ing the administration of General jackson, when,
through the lnstrumentality of financial panic eff
forts were made to bury the most sacred princples
OF the Constitution under the ruins of the democrat
ic party. And we all remember how victory was
achieved by the hrmness of the chieftan, whose
tame long since established, is vet FRIGHTENING more
and more, day by day, as our common experience
testlies to his unerring sagacity and his profound
political wisdom.
rejoice in the belief, my fellow citizens, that the
spirit OF the Hermitage has been regenerated in the
mind and heart of the Statesman of FheaHond who
with an unmstakeable manliness, in the present
emergency, is vindcating the great principles upon
which he was elected-holding out bold defiance
to open foes, and administering a chasteninp rebuke
to protesting but tathless friends. Are we ready
to sustain him in this great struggle?
GU need now to be told what that struggle is
snail Kansas be received into the Union as a sove
reign State, under the Constitution adopted by he1
people or shall she be RENTED to her territorial
condition, to become again the bloody battle fielG
OF opposing factions, to the disturbance of the
Unions tranquility, and at the hazard of destruc
ton to the most beautiful fabric of government ever
constructed by the wisdom of man?
vi the Imperative obligation of the people to sus
tam the President upon this question do not now
doubt, and have not doubted from the beginning
have patiently and anxiOusly investigated il anc
have clear conviction that as we'll upon princnl,
and ofrght as of expediency, no time should be los
in recognizing the Lecompton Constitution. and ad
hitting Kansas into the Union.
The reasons upon which this conviction is based i
is neither my province normy appropriate PRIVILEGE
the position occupy, to discuss. The task will b
committed to ADLER hands. | content myself there
lore with saying that hold it to be demonstrably
That the passage of the Kansas Nebraska act ant
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise was an au
thorised constitutional exercise of power BY Con
| gress-
That its main and leading purpose was to recog
nize in the people of Kansas the power of organiz
ing their political and domestic institutions in the
own way, and free from the intervention of thu
Federal Government
That the Territorial Legislature of 1855 was duh
and legally constituted in pursuance of the act O
Congress
That said Legislature duly submitted to the peopl,
elect convention to form a constitution prepara
tory to their admission a State into the Union
That upon that question the sense of the peopl,
was unequivocally and athrmatively expressed
That to carry out this expressed will of the neo
pie, the Territorial Legislature, the 18th day o
February, 1857, passed law providing for the cleo
ton of delegates to the convention to form Stat
Constitution
That in passing that law the Legislature Will
the question distinctly presented to them by the vet
OF the Governor, refused to insert in it a require
ment that when the constitution should be formed
1t should be submitted for the approval of the PEG
ple thus leaving it to the discretion of the conven
ton to prescribe the mode of its Authorization
That elections were held in the Territory in pur
suance of the act of the 10Th of February 1857 anC
members duly elected to the convention NV whcI
the Lecompton Constitution was adopted
That said constitution, in the only provision abou
which there then existed or exists any know
or declared difference of opinion in the territory
having been submitted to the vote of the people anc
by them, at regular election, approved, has beer
fully authenticated-and that it is Republican il
torn, and consistent in its provisions with the con
sttution of the United States
These propositions being true, it is resistlessl,
clear that Kansas is entitled to take her place in til,
contederacy as sovereign State.
have not time to consider the abstract anC
lncomprehensible theories upon which men hith
erto acting with the Democratic party seek t,
excuse their present alliance with its ancient en-
emies, nor to show what | think is demonstrable
that the opposition to the admission of Kansas into
the Union by the great body of its adversarics il
suggested by the fell spirit of fanaticism which ha
so long warred against Southern institutions ane
habitually arrayed itself against the authority
OF the laws enacted by Congress and sanctioned by
the judgment of the Courts.
Throughout the delivery of his address this oan
tleman was frequently interrupted with warm, and
in many instances, enthusiastic and prolonged an
plause
Hon. Joshua Vansant, the chairman of the com
mlttee ON resolutions, here submitted the annexed
preamble and resolutions and they were adopted b,
reclamation:
WHEREAS, the legally constituted and duly recoo
nlzed territorial Legislature of Kansas, at its ses
sion of 1882 passed law for taking the sense of thu
people OF that Territory upon the expediencv of call
ing convention to form State constitution, witt
view to its admission into the Federal Union anC
the consequent adaptation of its institutions to thu
wants of the people; and whereas this law was sub
mitted to the people at general election held il
October, 1856, by whom it declared to be exnedi
ent that such convention should be called and il
pursuance OF this decision the Territorial eoislatur,
did by an act of February, 1857 pass law for tn,
election of delegates, to be chosen on the third Mon
day in June thereafter, to frame State constitu
ton; and whereas the bona tide residents of Kansas
citizens of the United States, who had acquired re
sidence OF three months in that Territory RESPONDED
to the act OF February, 1857 in the only way know,
to our laws and selected delegates who assembled
In convention at Lecompton, which duly adopted ;
constitution, under which they are now asking r.
be admitted as State into the Union; and wherea,
that constitution is republican in its form and con
sistent with the constitution of the United States
therefore,
Resolced, That we recognize in the action Of ON,
feowcitizens of Kansas the true and legitimate
exercise of the principle which asserts the right Of
the people of State, or of the Territories of the
United States, to fr their own organic law and
to incorporate therein such provisions as their iudo
ment may suggest most likely to advance The
prosperity and promote the happiness of those who
are to be subject to its rule.
Resolred That we have no faith in the sonndno..
of the theory which, with such illtimed zeal is in
voked in opposition to the admission of Kansas un
der the Lecompton Constitution, upon the ground
that portion of the people of Territory has fail
ed or refused to participate IN the election herein
before referred to- because if such doctrines as these
to prevail either in the formation or adontior
of the organic law it will be impractcabe to decide
when the public voice has recorded its edicts But
we prefer to adopt the sounder theory of the nro
found and natIintic statesman Lar,.il.-