New-York daily tribune., 1858-03-18
xyyy,h CONGRESS. First session.
SENATE. .wAsHr,GIo>. March 4, 1873.

M. Ber jGmin La Inc !Huei S",u ~ ~ - -,
oth er dsy that The former approved Mr. loomO OIL
Mr. Hale quoted his exact words from me h'oot'
which showed that he only approved OF certain por
| tion Of the bill
Mr.. BENJAMIN nal said that he spoke from
| memory and only in general terms.
Mr. CRIITENDEN Ky. spoke On Kansas. DE re-
terred the right of the people to govern themseeS
az the grea. principle applicable to present clreuI-
stances The President he said, has recommended
with unusual earnestness, the admission OF hansas
1t question, in his mind only of facts whether
the Ii compton Constitution comes with such author
y and sanction from the people a' oohges u'to 1ecos
niZe il as the Constitution OF Kansas.
He thought it did not and said that the evidence OF
Messrs Walker and Stanton show it to be against the
will Of an overwhelming majority OF the people.
Mr.. Cnttenden recapitulated the statements as 10
the various frauds committed at the eectons' ana
then exam med the legality Of the Lecompton Const
tuition, declaring that i. was not the Constitution OF
Kansas, but only of the Convention which framed IT,
The vote of ten housend against II, on the 4th OF
January shows that il is not the Constitution OF the
people They tell you it is particularly obnoxious to
them because it is tainted with fraud II Is one oil
series OF frauds instigated for the purpose OF getting
and keeping possession of the Government OF
Kansas. from the first election carried 6y
armed invaders from Missouri down to the
present day. Hence lie concluded that TO impose
It on kansas would be plain and pail p3be violation
Of the right Of the people to govern themselves. But
continued Mr. CIittenden the lecOmpton Constitution
carries its face the evidence of corruption. Those
who framed knew that II contained provisions winch
allowed TO vote unless sworn to support It,
Slavery provisions and ALL The six thousand votes
shown in its favor put in with the view OF exhib
tng suitable majority and IN order not to make the
fraud too mOnstrOus, they went Just beyond the
line. The fraudulent intent WAS apparent through
out. And how, he asked can gentlemen ignore
these frauds, in the fact OF internal evidence and
concurrent testimony The people OF Kansas say
that il MT their Constitution and ask US TO send
il back 10 be submitted TO q vote of the people.
Can we, he asked, refuse such request Gan Sen
ators turn from such evidence 10 legal technicates
and presumptions of law They ought TO look to
truth and principle without searching for presumpons
and precedents. Holding these principles he said he
could not put his hand TO the admission OF Kansas
into the Union under the LecomptOn Constitution.
Mr.. CriteDden then asked, what can the South gain
by the admission of Kansas under that Constitution
No Senator believes that she can he Slave State;
the laws of climate and geography forbid 1t. In sup
port Of this view he quoted the sentiments OF several
members If Congress, including Mr.. keitt.
Mr. HAMMOND-Did Mr.. keitt say 80 :
Mr. CRITTENDEN-It was reported.
Mr. HAMMOND-Mr Keitt quoted pa sage to
that effect but did not indose it.
Mr.. CRITIENDEN resumed, contending that tue
majority Of the people OF Kansas should be allowed 10
make such Constitution as they please mat, he
said is the graat American principe-tha Is the prn'
cple of the South itself. He then spoke clscursivey
on various topics He was he said according to the
terms used" Southern Democrat lie had lived
all his life in Southern climate and was ready to de-
fend his lights there but in the same resoute spirit
in which he would defend hs own rights would ne de.
fend the rights of others. he repeated that he did
not believe Kansas could be Slave State; the South
was deceived in that respect. Referring to the Missouri
Compromise, he said it would have been better
to let il stand. The South could gain nothing by 1t,
nor the North; but ii was hallOwed as bond Ot
union it, accomplishment was hailed as one OF the
greatest acts Of that great leader, Henry Clay IL
brought peace to the country, by locazing Slavery,
and it should not have been broken lie was growing
older, and less susceptible to new Impressions ana
would have been content TO have rested upon that
Compromise. Has its repeal brought us peace The
reverse of peace-it has brought us trouble Turning
TO ansas he said that he would vote for her adnis-
sion if he thought that would BRING peace out lie
did not believe il would.
Ii is said that the admission will ocallze the ques-
tOn of Slavery in that Territory. lie did not believe
it, If that question is to be debated, 1t VIII he de-
bated here; but il must be debated in the right way
There should be no excitement. Why should his
friends at the North such invectlyes, nvectves
he must say of most atrociOus kind Why should
we not live in peace and harmony As our fathers dd
We are invited in language and in blood. And yet
the great desnies of the future are forgotten, while
this petty hect Of disagreement nursed into coos'
sal proportions. Abiding to previous debates
he said that he was much gratfed IN learn
ing from them the comparative resources
of the two sections of our country The Senator from
South Carolina had detailed the resources OF the
South and the gentleman from Maine had given those
of the North; and while he was listening to them II
seemed to him that this the most natural uni On IN
the world. II either of these sections was apart II
would make nation of which any man may be proud
10 be a citizen. What magnificent Union 1t makes
when you put both together Were this dscord but
ulled what a Summers lies before US OF bound.
less prosperity In conclusion he said that he should
vote on the question Senator of the United States
of America not as a sectional man. lie owed al
egiance to no section. The course which he would
approve would be to pass law by which the Consul
tuition shall be submitted to the vote of the people
and if it be ratified he would admit Kansas into the
Union.
Mr. TRUMBULL H. then rose and after compli-
mentng Mr.. Crittendens speech, proceeded to state
ia Oh; d the IepomDtOn Constitution. tie
said: We are in the midst of great strife Pass this
bill, says one party, and there Will be cVl war. ne
ec it, says another and there will be dissolution OF
the Union. But for the Slavery question lying at the
bottom of the question, he spprehended few would be
opposed TO the admission OF Kansas under the Lecom-
ION Constitution. lie held the immediate cause Of our
present difficulties to be the passage OF the Kansas
Nebraska act. He then entered into review OF the
slavery question since ls0 previous to which. he
said the policy non.interventlon. That policy
gave peace to the country. He here quoted from
General Cas- TO show the state of the country at that
time With the repeal OF the Missouri COMPROMISE
the agitation commenced. Many who voted for that
repeal he thought, did not torsee the consequences
that have since flowed from i. But from that day TO
this the Halls of Congress have not ceased to echo
speeches n Slavery.
Mr. TrUmbull then discussed the Dred Scott decis-
ION coptroyertiDg the view of the Senator from LOUIS
lana (}epiaminl and following at great length the
cases cited By that Senator. Thence proceeding to
the general question, he denied the doctrine that the
Constitution Of the United States extends Slavery into
the Territories, contendng that the Constitution does
not itself operate over the Territories excepting by act
cf Congress which has Just much power "a the
Constitution gives it. He here quoted various decis-
IONS 10 show that Congress has sucn power TO egsae
for the Territories The sovereignty OF the Ierrto-
res be colended lies, according to these decisions IN
Congress and Congress can eglslate 10 prohiDh
Slavery in the Territories Shall the individual po
cal decisions of Judges IN the Dred Scott case over
throw these decisions, extending over period OF
nearly fifty years Congress- then, having the power
,fr,,faa nd haliar ha