Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-11-13

magniiied and exaggerated by orators and
newspapers into great Southern victory,
led the South into the delusion that Kan
sas might be made slave State, and indu
ced it to join in false and useless issue,
which has kept the whole country in tur-
moil for the last four years, and gave frosh
life md yigor to the abolition party.
Through the most disgusting, as we'll as
e nome. ses of fraudtEAd force, the Terri
you have Snsas at last came before Congress
Tor Admission as a State, with what is known
as the Lecompton Constitution, embodyine
slavery among its provisions. But at the
same time, the convention, by an ordinance.
demanded of the United States some TWEEN
ty-three millions of acres of land, instead of
the four millions usually allowed to new
States containing public lands. 1t was al
most certain that majority of the people
OF Kansas were opposed to this constitu-
tion, but would not vote on it; and this
additional nineteen millions, which, if al
lowed, would probably have kept them
again from the recent polls, was what the
South was expected to pay for that worth
less slavery clause, which would have been
annulled us soon as Kansas was admitted
| confess my opinion was that the South
herself should kick that constitution out of
Congress. But the South thought other
wise. When the bill for its adoption was
framed, with what was called the Green
Provlso, L strenuously objected to it, and
felt very much disposed to vote against the
whole, but again gave up to the South,
which accepted it by acclamation. If that
proyiso meant nothing, and SO interpreted
1T, 1T was nonsense aud had no business
there, being without precedent fit could
be made to mean anything, it must have
been something wrong and dangerous
But, as said, the South took that bill far
and wide. The House rejected it. They
then passed the Crittenden substitute,
which proposed to submit the Lccompton
Constitution to vote of the people of Kan
sas and to accept of it, if ratified by them.
The Senate had previously refused that
substitute, and did SO second time. 1t
then asked committee of conference
That committee reported what is called the
English Bill" BY that bill Congress ac-
cepted the J4ccompton Constitution pure
and simple without proviso. The Land
Ordinance of the Lecompton Constitution,
which was in no wise part of the consti-
titlon, but a separate measure, demanded,
as have said, as donation of some TWEEN.
/ ty-thrce millions of acres ofland, being nine
teen millions more than had been given to
any other land State
| The English Bill cut this down to the
usual amount of four millions of acres, and
required thatthe people of Kansas should
ratify this modification, aud surrender all
claims to the remainder of the lands, as the
condition of her final admission Such a
rc1ulsitlon has been made upon every new
State carved out of the public lands, that
has been admitted into this Union-somc
times in the enabling act, and where there
was not one, always after accepting the con.
stitution. Go to the statutes of Congress
and you will find it in every one of them
1t is the custom, it is necessary, and this
feature in the English Bill was in accord
ance with strict precedent. The only diff,
ference is this: that usually the Legisla
ture of the State has been required to ac
cept this compact by an irreyocable act
but IN this case it was referred to the peo
! ! pie of Kansas directly. LIN this there was
no sacrifice of principle Whatever, nor was
! it without precedent altogether, for in the
case of the State last before admitted, Iowa,
l'this question had been submitted to the
Legislature or the people, as Iowa might
prefer. This is the whole sum and sub.
stunce of this English bill, except that it
further declared that unless the people of
Kansas accepted this modified ordinance,
they should not be admitted MS State un-
til they had Q population that would enti-
tie them to one representative under the
federal appointment. voted for this bill;
L.yotod properly; voted no compromise ;
sacrificed no particle of principle or
Southern interest 1T is true its phrassol-
oey is halting and bungling, Itwas drawn
up hastily and ingreat excitement. OBJ
jected to the wording ot it in several pas
saages, but | assured myself that nothing
sinister was designed, and voted for it,
leaving its authors responsible for its die
tation on the statute book / thought it
preferable to inc fSt ts l;l! .hc Senate pass
ed, and voted for it more willingly 1t is
true some Northern Democrats who voted
against the Senate bill voted for this, and
thus it was carried. But was that reason
why should not vote for it2 Docs that
prove that l sacrificed any principle p
They found themselves wrong, and perhaps
wanted some excuse to retrace their steps.
] was happy to assist in giving it to them
without cost to ourselves, was particu-
larly pleased to get rid of the mysterious
proviso of the first bill, and to require a
solemn compact in regard to the public
lands, which had not been properly provid-
ed for in that bill.
The only principle involved in this whole