The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-01-01


how they are framed committee saprointed to dIaueh
resolutions they bring them forward, and because they
do not happen to expressly conflict with the sentiments
of the wise gentlemen then and there assembled iot
another purpose than to build political platform to guide
all poserity- namely to nominate K-Sdiisies or pre
dent and Vice Presidentforsoot they are TO contrui COY
ernnent and its policy from thence henceforh lr y
have objection To the Cincinnati platform on
the contrary, ] believe it 10 he admiiRble one II
recognises, in almost the language Of the Kansas m the
right Of the people to regulate their domestic institutions
in their way The people OF Kansas have exercised
that right in their wsy-a way deemed legal ; q way
the President deems legal True there is opposition to
that way and demand that their institutions shall
be regulated In another way namely by the submission
Of the constitution emanatng from what we deem ie
gal source to the popular vote when the source fren
which it emanaed not compelled by the people Ia
enacting the law calling that source into existence g
thus submit it, should be pleased 10 have il submitted
but il is my WILL but the will OF the people ci Kan
sas legally expressed which is TO control the matter
The people of Kansas frame their own laws through
Legislature look at those laws and find one calling
convention to frame constitution without requiring ts
submission 10 The people The people in act. viii
ling part with control over IT, and leave the whole mat
Ter in the hands Of the convention. can oniy know
eir will through their laws and know 10 right except
it be an arbitrary one authorizing Congress to set
aside 60 behind their laws.
The senator takes exception to What he calls nsnus
tions. Mr. President, much of his first speech was de-
voted to nsinuation, and hence it i'll becomes him 10
charge insinations others, when simply alludng
iis Ii is well known that he insnuated in his
opening remarks, that improper influences work
upon the affairs Of kansas either outside or within the
Territory which he possessed knowledge, and yet be
would not give that knowledge TO the Senate He nsn
uated, within the recollection OF every gentleman
who heard him. that kind OF influence at work
improper and unauthorized influence, to compel the
slavery clause be struck out of the constitution He
nsnuated sort OF knowledge his part that the
yturns' emphasizing the word would show great
majority for striking out that clause though there
to be second edition of the Oxford Frauds though in
opposite direction and he had knowledge of this fact
but would not communicate it, This was insnu-
alton. Upon what was it based r
Now, again, he indulges in the strain. He insn-
ates that within sixty days those agreeing with the
President in his views in relation to this matter partc
ly southern senator's will stand side by side with him.
because the slavery clause will, in all probability, be
stricken out.
Mr. DOUGLAS did not say northern OF southern
Mr. FITCH. Then those who agree with the President.
This is an insnuation that gentlemen-he says he did
not indicate southern gentlemen who have ayowed in
public and private their views and their determination
vote for this constitution, IL il here with fair
election yesterday, not interrupted by force whether the
slavery clause be left in voted ont leaving that ue
ton for the decision of the people, will change their de-
termination if that clause be stricken out.
Mr. President it was to avoid just such nsin,lution
in relation to myself because knew it would come that
determined II an opportunity offered to state the
foT my action in advance OF any possible knowleg
OF the character of the decision yesterday wa deter
mined that neither that senator others should be able
to say to me- you would have voted differently II that
clause in, OF differently if it were out
Other insinuatons are also made. One is, that some
power or person. some vague, shadowy something which
he would not or locate, subornng and buying
editors and Ieter-wrens to assail him have not the
money, If had the inclination if it intended in part
for
Another insinuation which did not think proper to
answer and an uncaled for one, was If did not msun
derstand his language yesterday that those who OPP
posed to him were in great measure, governed by
eoutlve patronage and favor. have nothing to ask of
the Executive present future, for myself and
inn COule from w When
nputatops like that are thrown abroad to influence and
prejudice the people against their representatives here it
only indicates what kind Of motive govern the
who makes them.
Mr. DOUGLAS Mr. President have a word to say
in regard to what the gentleman designates insinuaton
1t is true did intimate by form of expression hc
precise form cannot now call to mind that had not the
most implicit faith in the returns that will from
Kansas to the election held yesterday, and will tell
you why intimated that doubt. In the first place 1
that the convention took that election out from
der the existing laws of the Territory and placed it under
the direction of three commissioners to bc appointed By
the president Of the convention who should appoint the
judges and they the clerks and hold the election with
out law 1t is the first time in the history Of this
eminent so far / know that convention has
taken the election from under the existing laws Of the
land in the Territory In the other the president of
the convention has issued the writs of election to the
scris aud the other county officers who authorized
W law to conduct elections; and IL was provided that
they should be conducted and returned according To law
Here they expressly took il away from the law and thus
gave an opportunity the Judges and clerks TO make
many false returns they pleased, without violating
any law of the land. l thought il was very extIaordi
nary that convention desrous OF fair election and
honest returns should have taken out from under tho
law, thus to give unfahful clerks and judges oppi
tunity If they chose TO make false and fraudulent
turns. That was the reason why had my doubts.
looked into the constitution Of that convention aud
found my doubts strengthened by that examination 70,
found that the Oxford frauds legazed in the
sttution found that johnson county, which had only
about four hundred legal voters assigned our repre-
sentatives and two senators while Shawnee county wt
nine hundred voters assigned two representatives and
senator. The county having double the number OF
legal voters had but half the representation ain IN
formed that when that fact called 10 the attention OF
The convention by Judge Elmore who represented Shaw
nee and asked why II the answer given was 'lhe
gentleman forgets that Oxford city is in Johnson county
The adding of the thousand six hundred fraudulent
votes of Oxford city swelled the number from four hn
dred to two thousand and thus enabled them TO give
representatives and senators to johnson county
based that fraud when without the fraud it would
not have been entitled to than senator and
representative
1t appearing the face Of the constitution that the
Oxford fraud thus legazed it being asccItaned that
the fact of its being legaixed called to the attention
of the convention at the time they did tthat Oxford
fraud being alluded to Justification for doing 1t and
then it being known that the members Of the convention
almost unanimously denounced Gov Walker for having
set aside that fraud furnished presumption that there
must have been reason why they provided, by that
schedule thai the returns hereafter should not be tram
mcled by any law which would authorize anybody to
aside frauds With these facts before me, did entertain
fn wbp that should