The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-05-06

with Slavery "-is much less Questionable than
the Constitution with the seventh section
stricken out. which is the effect of the ballot
endorsed, "Constitution with no Slavery"
| But desire to look a little further still into
| the practical operation OF this Lecompton Con-
| vention swindle. / use this term Intentionally
and deliberately, as the most appropriate and
significant which can be applied to this device for
| submitting the Constitution to the people. The
President, in his special message of the ID of
| February, says, Kansas, therefore, at this mo-
| ment, is as much q slave State as Georgia or
| South Carolina" Now, then, according to this
| assumption and this mode of submission, If
every voter in Kansas had cast the ballot, "Con-
stitution with no Slavery" it would have still
left Slavery there just as it is now, under that
clause which declares that "the right of property
| in slaves now in the Territory shall in no man.
ner be nterfered with - and which, according to
Mr.. Buchanan's statement, would have still left
it just as much slave State as Georgia or South
Carolina. So that, by no possibility, under this
mode of submission, could any man vote for ma.
king Kansas any less slave Stats than it now is
and of necessity, he could by no possibility vote
| for making Kansas any less slave State than
| Georgia or South Carolina. There is no escape
| from this conclusion. And this is Just what
was designed by this mode of submission. This
was fair submission of the Slavery question,
was it?
| Sir, no question was submitted to the people
of Kansas, whether it should be slave State
| or not And yet the President of the United
| States sffronts the intelligence and the common
sense Of the American people, when he says, in
| his special message, that this presented a fair
opportunity to the people of Kansas to decide
| this exciting question in their own way" but
that "they refused to exercise this right" Sir,
| ha ant kuN hova E,aox
every man of common intelligence in the coun-
| try knows, not only that the Constitution was
| in no manner or form submitted to the people
for ratification or rejection, but that the question
of Sl0Uery itself was not submitted to them. The
mode of submission did not admit of any vote
against the Constitution, nor of any vote against
SIaoeyy in the State, just as it exists there now
| and where the President says it exists Just as
much as it does in Georgia or South Carolina
Whoever asserts that the Slavery question was
fairly submitted to the people of Kansas, or that
the question, whether it should be a slave State
or free State, was submitted to them at all
to use the mildest form of expression entirely
mistakes the fact, and, though he may be de-
| ceived himself, he makes quite too large draft
| upon the credulity or the ignorance of the
| public.
There was no mode, therefore, in which the
Free-State people could testify their disapproval
and their adherence of the whole thing, ex.
cept by refusing 70 vote at all on the 2lst of
| December. They were not allowed to vote
against it; they could not, in conscience vote
| for it; there wac, therefore, no other course
left for them, but to decline voting altogether
on that occasion. In this way they manifested
their most emphatic condemnation of it, and
of the insolent chicanery, by which bald, ma
ked pretence that the Slavery question was fairly
submitted, is set up, when, in truth, even that
partial submission was never made. And now
this piece of jugglery is claimed, and is espe-
cially plead, as q fulilment of the most sacred
pledges ever given BY men in high life or in
low life, that the Lecompton Constitution
| should be submitted to fair vote of the peo-
pie. Sir, no wonder the people of Kansas
feel indignant and outraged at so base be-
trayal. No wonder the people all over the
country are aroused to Indignation, and are
gathering together in vast assemblages to give
utterance to their indignant protests, in thun.
der tones, against the contamination of this
great wrong and treschery toward the people
OF Kansas. Sir, the earthquake voice of an
indignant and insulted nations stern rebuke is
already beginning to break upon your ears, and
is pealing at the very doors of the Capitol A
fearful account awaits those who shall disre
gard these popular appeals. They come forth
from the deepswelling heart of an incensed
people.
But, Mr.. President, Notwithstanding all the
duphcity and the treachery which have been
practiced upon the people of Kansas; not
withstanding the Convention refused to submit
the Constitution, or any part of it, to direct
vote of the people notwithstanding all efforts
to suppress any and all expression of the public
voice upon it, we are not left in the dark upon
this subject. We are not left to doubt or con.
lecture in regard to the judgment and will Of
the people of Kansas upon this Lecompton
Constitution. That judgment and will have
been recently expressed upon it in a most en-
phatic manner on two occasions-once, indi- |
recly, at the last October Territorial election,
and once, directly, upon the Constitution Itself,
on the 4th of January last. At the October |
election, the people of Kansas, for the first |
time, through the agency and influence of
Governor Walker, were suffered to 90 to the |
polls and vote, without serious hindrance or |
molestation. That election resulted in the |
signal success of the Free State party, by |
about four to one, in spirited canvass, in |
which the Pro Slavery party turned out in full |
strength, and polled their entire vote; and |
when they attempted to return about three |
times the number of votes they actually cast |
You all remember the Oxford returns, contain. |
ing some sixteen hundred names, copied from |
the Cincinnati Directory And you all know |
the sequel. The result of this election-the |
only one in which the relative strength of the |
two parties had been tested at the polls--was |
considered, both in Kansas and throughout the |
country, as decisive of the issue between them,
whether Kansas should be free or slave |
State The result of this election was every. |
where considered as virtually settling that ques.
ton All men, of all parties, at the North, and |
many at the South, said that the question was |
now settled that Kansas had spoken for her. |
self; that large majority of her people were |
in favor Of free State that it would be III |
vain, and worse than in vain, to attempt to re. |
sist her will that she would and must be |
free State. This was the language of the peo- |
pie everywhere; and great credit was claimed, |
as due to the policy of Mr.. Buchanans Ad. |
ministrstion, for this suspicious result, by the
entire Democratic party and the Democratic |
press throughout the free States.
So decisive was this expression of the popu- |
lar sentiment in Kansas, that many of the del |
egates-all being Pro-Slavery men-refused to |
attend thu adjourned meeting of the Conven. |
ton, SO that but quorum of the number were |
ever reassembled. The impression very gen.
orally prevailed that they would now abandon |
the attempt to frame Constitution. The Con- |
vention was entirely Pro Slavery, and would |
not frame a Free.State Constitution; while, to |
frame ProSlavery Constitution, was only to |
subject it To certain rejection by the people, If
understanding and promise. 1t was generally |
supposed, for while at least, that under these |
circumstances they would frame no Constitu- |
ton, and thus about half yield to so clear and |
decisive an expression Of the popular judgment.
But, despite this manifestation of the popular |
sentiment in Kansas, and of the prevalent opin- |
ion in the country, this bare quorum of the |