The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-11-10

Nie hansaS ana nebraska Oil. i should
myself have been willing to rest there.
aud let Kansas rest also. Whatever
there was Of principle or honor in the
matter was secured by the votes already
given. The ENGLISH bill, however, came
up IN due course, and voted for it cheer
fully, believing that it was better caIcula.
ted than any that had been offered to
close up this miserable business, which
has furnished much the most disgraceful
chapter, so far, in our history.
But it is said chat in submitting this
land ordinance to vote of the people
OF Kansas, Congress submitted also the
Lecompton Constitution with its pro slave
ry clause. If SO, the passage in which it
was done can surely be pointed Out
Badly drawn up as the bill is, should
like TO see the clause or the words that
would justify such an assertion. If there
was such clause, why did not Judge
Douglas and his friends vote for it Why
did rot the black republicans and all who
voted for The Critteuden substitute which
submitted the constitution, vote for this
bill 1t WAS the very point they made,
yet to man they voted against it. That
| think should be conclusive.
But, then, it is said it was a virtual
submission Of the constitution to the peo-
pie, because, if they refuse TO ra,ify the
modified land ordinance, the admission of
Kansas under the Lecompton constitution
was defeated. Well, the facts are so;
cannot and DO not deny them. But
should like to know how that could bv
any possibility have been avoided or rem
edIed. Suppose Congress had admitted
Kansas without modifying ANYTHING, yiel.
ding even to her enormous "lund crab. "
which embraced many more acres than
there are in all South Carolina. should
like to know if the Lecompton constitu
ton would not still have been submitted
To the people as virtually as it vas bv the
English bill: that is, not submitted at all
but left with them; an inc table neces
sity. Congress could not do no more
no less, no other way. The constitution
belonged to the people Of Kansas. Con.
gress could not withhold it from them Il
moment nor could it make them organ.
lze under it-assemb!ed their Legislature,
assume the POSITION Of u State, and send
Senators and Representatives to Congress
against their own will. Can Congress
coerce State into the Union Then
Congress can c0erce u State 10 remain i'm
the Mon, or drive a State out Of it,
Congress is omnipotent. But where are
then the rights of the States? Foru
natr!y for us, the constitution of every
State aad OF every Territory asking to be
State, is not only virtually but actu.
ally in the hands ofits people at all times
and under all circumstances, and they
canot be diveSted Of that control with
out the utter distraction of the constitu
ton and an entire revolution. The whole
power of Congress in the premises is ex
hausted when it accepts the constitution
without condition.
There are some whogo sill further AMI
assert that, although there might be no
way to avoid control of the people Of
Is msas, yet that the conference bill was
compromise OF principle. inasmuch as it
specifically required them TO act, and il
made for them the definite opportunity
TO defeat the cOnstllutian AS well as the
ordinance. Now This is true, as a fact,
yet the Inference is absurd upon its very
face. II Congress could not take the Le-
compton constitution out Of the hands of
the people OF Kansas, what difference did
it make whether they voted on the ordi
nance in August, under the direction Of
Congress, Or any other time, whether fix
ed 10y Congress or themselves August
was agreed upon, because it was very
well 10 seta time and let things end
But from August to August, again and
forever, this constitution was in The hands
OF the people of Kansas, and :hey could
do with it what they pleased. True, Con
gress might have avoided that specific
occasion and August vote, bv swallow
ing the land ordinance and all, and ask
ing no security for the remainder Of the
public lands; but still Kansas could ha, e
refused 10 organize as u State, and no
power under our constitution could have
interfered. Ii is all words and nothing
more. Congress was charged with bril-
bing Kansas to become slave State
But tie bF6e vas by the conference bill!
four millions Of acres Of land, instead OF
twenly-ihree millions. If we had given
her the whole twenty three millions for
her useless slavery clause, there might
have been some ground for ;he charge
Yet it would have been Of no avail, for
Kansas could, under no bribe or coercion
known to our government, have been com.
PEELED TO accept the constitution or ordi.
nance, or become State against her will
at any period whatever. | will not pre-.
snme that any one is less proficient in
constitutional lore, or is less conyersant
with the history of congressional pro.
ceedings in the admission OF new States
than myself. But will say that | am
incapable o: comprehending them at all
il in this conference bill there was any
compromise" of southern principles; OF
interests; any concession whatever by the
South; any departure from the strictest
construction ofs the constitution; or any
material deviation from the usual practice
OF the government.
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