The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-07-13

SPEECH OF HON. A. .BURLINGAME,
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Delivered In tho Ho use u Repr ,sn n ,ss

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Delivered in shsouss q aentssiyss, x.ssn q,
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: It has been shown.
the g.eat debate which We have had, tbs
the people Of Kansas never Authorized n
LccomPton Constitution; that thcv ncve
made 1t; that they never ratified il: tba
It does not reflect their will. It has bee
shown that the first Legislature was fraud
that the second Was fraud; that tcss oath
and gag laws were put upon the pcopIo
30 that they could not vote; that the
they were held responsiI 10 for the crime
OF those that did; that when they wcr
persuaded to vote, they were cheated
that when nobody voted, returns wer
made as if from populaus regions. It ha
been shown that tho honesty of the officer
of the Government, who tried To stav IN,
hahd OF these frauds. was considered nj
offence to the Government. It has beer
shown that the people have been menced il
their property and their lives; that armies
were sent their to vote them down, or tc
shoot them down, and without authority
OF law. 1t has appeared, that the men
who did those things were held dear by the
Government, and they are the officers to.
day. 1t has been shown that, through all
this time, that devoted people has held il.
sell IN such an attitude as to win not only
tho respect Of the people of the Unite'l
States but the respect of the officers of
the Government who have been sent.
from time 10 time, to pursuade or to sub.
due them to the policy of the Government.
But, M;. Chairman, it is my purpose
here to-day to go over the history of Kan
sas affairs; that has been done, as The gen.
tleman from South Carolina GMr. MrLEsl
has just now we'll said. sufficiently. Every
fact has been stated every principle has been
argued. Day by day, we have urged our
cause with all the zeal of men who know
they are right. Every fact has been met
on the outer side, by some daring and in
solent assumption; every argument, with
scornful disdain, sneers, which no man can
answer When we have offered to prove
facts, the will of the people of the United
States, as reflected by the Representatives
upon this floor, ha. been baffied by parlia.
mentary tactics. Yes. you who belong to
the party that went behind the great seal
OF New Jersey, rs my eloquent friend from
Indiana Mr.. Colfax very truly said, you
who 60 behind tho certificates of the Gov.
ernors of Ohio and Maryland, when the
interests Of a whole people arc at stake,
and frand is charged, you say you cannot
go behind the record; you say that you
are estopped; you say "it is so nominated
in the bond;" You refuse to investigate.
ard propose speedily to forcc upon the
people Of Kansas constitution never made
by them. Yes YOU who say, with us, that
the people are the source Of power; you,
who say that power should flow forth
from tho people into practical government
on the llne Of their desires; you, who
shouted your great radical rule of Democ
racy in the cars Of the country-Buchan
an at your head--to be this. that mas
much as the people are sovereign, inasmuch
rs that sovereignty cannot be alienaied bv
hem IN snch manner that it cannot be
resumed when tho safety of the people
hall require it, therefore it is for them to
determine at what time and in what man
ler they will change their fundamental
aw; that was your radical rule of Democ.
acy. 1t is now pronounced Dorrism by
he Democracy on this floor. You plan.
ed your rule in opposition to the rule of
he other grcatschool of the country, which
ule was stated most clearly by Mr.. Web.
ter in tho Rhode Island case, to be this:
lie said that the will of the minority must
govern; that 1t was as potent rs tho will
f the Gar Of Muscevy, when it was legal
y ascertained. But haw will you ascertain
t, said he; it must be ascertained by
ONO rule prescribed by previous law.
That rule, the fierce Democracy denounced
s the rule Of tyrany.
Well, sir, here wo have tho case where
ven the roquirments of that rule have
'een met 10y the people of Kansas. There
'ill was collected legally. by legal Leg
Stature; and it appears that their will, BY
o,o00 majority, is against your Lecomp-
on Constitution; and yet, in the face of
hat declaration, you come forward as q
arty, and propose to force that Consttu-
lon, in defiance Of your own rule of Do.
iocracy, in difancc of your own rule Of
democracy, in defiance of the Federal rule,
pom that people; aye, sir, worse than
,at-you declare, through tho lips of your
oldest and ab est leader, through the lips
the distinguished Senator from Georgia,
Mr.. Toombs, through the lips ct men up.
n this floor, through the lips Of tho gen.
eman who has just taken his scat, if un-
erstood him, that il Involves q question
union or disunion. / agree with the
entleman from South Carolina, TMr.
lilies, who said wo might as well meet
lis question now. /, for my part, am
ally to meet it now. I accept the issue
hich is rendered. accept tho more ea
'rly, in the presence Of this menace. A
preventative of the people would be era .
N, did ho shrink from his duty in the
essence of such threat as that. What,
'u desolve this Union because you can.
1t have your own wild will! You dis.
I've this Union because the Lecompton
born of fraud and violence, [
legally voted down in this House! Has {
'ur nationality no better quality than
att How will you do itl Whose hand
ready to strike the first blowi Where {
your army chcstl Where your battal.
ms, to cope with the people of this coun-
" You cannot do it. II would be ,
ronQ TO do IL IL would not ha Iaoul II ,