The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-01-02
Important Debate between Douglas
and Bigler In the U. s. Senate.

w.
the 2lst inst between Senator BGLER of
Pa, evidently speaking for Mr.. BUCHANAN
and the administration, and Senator DoU-
CLAs, speaking for himself and Carrying the
war home against his assailants. How wary
yet firm, how cautious yet brilliantly daring,
does he fight ! Though we have scant con-
fidence in the mans honesty of purpose, or
with his being imbued with high principles in
the course he has taken, we cannot but ad-
mile the manner in which he bears himself
in this battle with the power of the Admin
istration. 1t will he noticed, that with BIG.
LER the cry is not for the country, nor for
principle, but the 'party,' right or wrong
This last discussion, however, leaves him but
"dead cock in the pit" and BUCHANAN had
better find another leader in the Senate
... ...-.... ..t.,. WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.
SENATE.-The Senate adopted Joint reso-
luton, by vote of 80 to IL, providing that
when the House adjourned on Wednesday,
it be to the 4th of January r 'e'
Mr.. Wilson introduced bill granting a
million acres of land for the benefit of pub
lie schools in the District Of Columbia.
Mr.. Bigler made long speech in viLdica-
tion of the Presidents policy in Kansas as Civ
en- in his message. In his option, the great
speech of the Senator from Illinois was, after
| all, meagre structure, resting upon very
unsound foundation. He could not understand
| why the Senator should have shown so much
willingness to weaken the public confidence in
the policy of the men of his own party whom
be had assisted to place in power. He could
discover no purpose of public policy, the at
| tainment of which required the Senator to
do these things, or to deal in an ungenerous
ma ner with the President. The allegation
| that that venerable statesman had fallen into
fundamental error as to the meaning of the
Karsas- Nebraska bill, because he was out of
the country at the time of its passage, was not
worthy of the Senator what did the Senator
mean by assuming that the Kansas policy of
the message was not an administration meas
! ure Did he mean thai the Cabinet did no a.
gree with the President He (Mr. Bigler)
understood differently. Did he mean that
the administration, having laid down its Kan
sas policy, will not hold that those who as
| sail and denounce that policy do not oppose
| the Administration. There was certainly no
room for misunderstanding on that point. If
| he meant that he does rot see clearly what
that policy is. Mr.. Bigler could tell him,
| and ON this occasion he did not doubt the ac-
| curacy of the explanation The Admins
tration having, from the beginning, maintain
ed the territorial laws of Kansas, having
| sanctioned the authority of the Territorial
Legislature to call Convention of delegates
to make Constitution and State Govern
ment, it would be improper to PREJUDICE and
discard the doings of the Convention before
| it had been fully developed. Further, that
when Kansas shall have presented herself
for admission into the Union her Constitu-
ton being Republican, and the people, hav-
ing had fair opportunity of making it free
or slave State, as indicated in the organic act.
1t will not be considered sufficient occa-
sion to object to the admission of that State;
that the ordinary forms of the Constitution.
aoout Which there was no dispute and which
may be changed at any time the people may
desire, were not submitted to a popular vote;
the people of Kansas had right to do this
in their own way. The way it has been done
| is their own, but if in this or in any other
particular the delegates have acted in bad
faith, or have abused the powers delegated
to them, they are responsible to the people,
not to Congress nor to the administ ration
The Senator assumed the other day that
whenever the law is silent on the subject, the
inference is in favor of submission, but a full
| examination of the precedents bearing on
that part had shown him that tha converse
proposition had the weight OF authority and
| that which he had laid down as the rule of
precedent had never happened in single in
stance. Mr.. Bigler proceeded to sustain the
legality of the Lecompton movement.
Mr.. Douglas replied, saying he had no fault
to find with the Senator from Pa, for making
a series of attacks on his consistency while
| omitting to answer his arguments. Some
persons had furnished him with the record
Of the votes of the Senators on tie Wilmot
| proviso and some former speeches relative to
Kansas matters. He knew not whether they
were true or false, but what they had to do
with the question now presented. He did
not understand the motives for ransaoking
the public records and newspapers, and pick
ing up every little scrap to sec what his
course had been for IL years past on the sub
ect of slavery, supposed it was true that in
1840 he was in favor of extending the Mis-
| sCuri Compromise line to the Pacific ocean,
| as recommended by Mr.. Buchanan in the let
ters ? And we will suppose it was true, that
in 1851 he introduced bill for the repeal
| of that compromise, of which the President
says he now approves. All these things are
not material to the argument True the issue
whether Popular Sovereignty. to which the
| President aud himself were pledged, should
| be violated in Kansas. He thought the Sena-
| tor from Pennsylvania showed want of can
dor and fairness in quoting from his Spring
| field speech, omiting to quote what he said
on the same subject the other day, which was
proof certainly of harmony with his previous
ly expressed opinions He thought Governor
Walker was authorized to say what he did
| in his inaugural address, by the instructions
of the President and his Cabinet, to demand
| that the Constitution should be submitted
and unless fairly submitted that it should be
regarded null and void. He was not aware
that Gov. Walker had interfered in the
slightest degree, except in pursuance Of those
| instructions. He never supposed that the
agent was to be denounced for obeying in
structions and, the principal applauded for
giving them. He admired the manliness of
the President in assuming the responsibility
| to give them, and only regretted that the
President proposed, from motives of expe-
diency, to accept the Constitution without
ratification by the people, although lie ad-
mitted that it ought to be submitted. If it
| is right to submit it, let it be submitted. Let
policy and expedency take care of them
selves. He com mplained that the Senator from
Pennsylvania seemed disposed to put him in
false position. The true test is the Con-
stitution shall be rejected. The only true
way of ascertaining whether the Constitu-
ton is acceptable or not, is to submit to the
people, .r
Mr.. Bigler explained that he did not say
that Mr.. Douglas maintained playground, that
| an enabling act was necessary in all cases,but
that he had taken the ground, that it was