The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-01

and trembled under that aspect of the case.
They went to drumming up their men, and they
hardly got q quorum, because they saw that the
sceptre had departed from this Judah, and it
had got into the hands of honest men. Your
Lecomptonites did not like to brave public
opinion, and enact this famous Lecompton
Constitution. believe they never did get Q
quorum there. The fact is, that every man
who had the least sense of dscency or shame
about him, never appeared in the Convention
at all but a minority appeared, and they con-
jured up Constitution. We have it here, sir.
We have it sent to us for ratification by the
President of the United States; and when he
sent it, he was in full possession of these meta
rious facts. Instead of sending it to us, he
should have trampled it under his heel as
spurious thing, disgracefulto all who gave assent
to it. They made their Constitution, and they
provided for submitting part of it to the peo-
pie. How? 1t is sometimes contended on
this floor that it was understood when this Con.
vention met that they we're to be clothed with
plenary, sovereign, irrevocsble power, to make
just such Government for that people as they
pleased; that their doings, under no circum-
stances, were ever to be submitted to the peo-
pie. There is plausibility in that, because you
recollect that the act calling the Convention
was vetoed by the Governor because it did not
contain a clause submitting the Constitution to
the people but it was passed over the head of
your Governor by a two-thirds vote of these
patriots. SO it was premeditated malice. 1t
was deliberated upon; and fraud was medta-
ted by them. They knew very well they could
not make mistake about it, that the people
who had just returned Legislature against
them, by more than three to one, would nullify
this beautiful Constitution of theirs mighty
quick, if it were submitted to them and hence
they were going to steal a Constitution, and
fasten it on the necks of their fellow citizens
behind their backs and against their will. The
President has aided and abetted this fraud.
Now, sir, after the Lecompton Convention
made this Constitution, even if there had been
any legality about it, before it became binding
on the people, the Legislature whom the people
had just chosen took the subject under consid.
GRAFTON, and they sent forth their edict of more
than ten to one, flor they represented more
than ten to one of the people of the Territory
that this Constitution should be submitted to the
popular vote. But Mr.. Buchanan saws, "ah
it was little too late" Good God, sir When
man lets Judgment go against him BY default.
know OF no court that will not permit him to
pay the costs, open the default, and try the case
on Its merits; but when the great cause of hu.
man liberty and right, when the great cause of
the American citizen is concerned, when the
question is, shall the American citizen have a
voice and vote as to the Constitution under
which he and his posterity are to live, perhaps
forever, ali ] then he is debarred, he has no
power to set it aside He is foreclosed, iust as
the people were foreclosed, because they would
not go and vote at your Peter Funk election
for Convention.
THE PLEA OF THE UsURPERs.
There was default Who wac to take ad-
vantage of their default? That would be a
material inquiry, it strikes me- They were too
late, says President Buchanan. Too late for
whomE Were they not making q Constitution
for the people of the Territory of Kansas
Who had right to interfere? Were they to
lose their right by laches, if they committed
lsches by suffering default2 To whose ben.
eft was it to inure p? What tyrant is there that
is ready, wher the people make default to claim
that NEED of liberty which should have be.
longed to them? Why, sir, in an adversary
suit, understand that if man will not take
care of his rights, judgment will pass against
him; and, after all the provisions of the law
have been complied with, he may forfeit his
rights to his adversary; but here there is no
adversary. 1t is the people themselves asking
to make a Constitution for themselves and
President Buchanan and many Senator'S here
llkened it to some adversary suit, in which there
is party that has some right to take advan
tsge of any want of compliance with the law.
Is this your new tangled popular sovereignty?
Who is to take advantage of itP Why, sir, it
Is as much slave State, says the President, as
Georgia or South Carolina. Was it to inure to
their benefit, if the people should lose a day in
asserting their rights2 Was any other Slate
to gain what they lost If there ever was q
tissue of legal nonsense dished up and sent to
the Senate Of the United States, it is such
message as the President has sent here. Ihate
to use harsh terms, but have a reason for
them. If it is new in the history of this Gov.
eminent, the things l comment On are new.
The people lose their own rights they are
day too late I; the tyrant has bestrode their
necks; the Constitution is framed; and Mr..
Buchanan says, sab, you are too late to re.
trieve your rights; somebody has got hold of
them; do not know who, but you have lost
them. You ought to have been on the alert;
you have lost day, and your liberties are gone
forever" Why, sir, even in the good old Nor.
man days they said the dignity of q freeman
was such, that even their highest courts could
not force him to come in under ten days. First,
they must go TO him, and invite him to come in
like gentleman, tell him what the business
was for which he was wanted, because it was
beneath the dignity of a free citizen in England,
a mandatory form that he must obey it in a
moment 1t seemed to be a mark of servitude
that our sturdy ancestors would not submit to.
1t is not so now, however In one day, your
Liberties may be gone. In one day, YOU may
become slave, and be denied all chance of
liberty.
Why do you say these men are rebels and
traitors? You have had an army of two thou.
sand men In Kansas, and all the paraphernalia
OF war, for what purpose? To compel that
people to conduct their domestic concerns in
their own vsyl Laughter They would not
DO 1t. Did you ever hear of so perverse race
as there is in that Territory? Two thousand
soldiers, with all the paraphernalia of war, are
required to force people to do Just as they
please. Laughter. Governor Walker wrote
to the President, over and over again, before
he got the hang of these men, The first per-
sons he met in the Territory, when he got there,
we're those busy Border Rufiaus, always in
communication With the President, who seem
to have mesmerized him and entranced him.
The Governor; no doubt, took letters of intro.
duetion TO some of the first Border Rufians
in the Territory; and they seemed to have OBJ
tanned their knowledge at first from that source
They wrote ferocious letters for about a month.
Governor Walker, however, finally took it upon
himself to act the missionary. He Numbered
forth his proclamation. First, he told the peo-
pie he would enforce those Border Rnffian
usurped lays upon them; but he had the grace
to say, that when the Constitution came 70 be
acted upon, all of them should have fair CD.
portunity to vote. He said, "such are my in
structions from the President, such is my will;
and in that respect you shall not be thwsrted."
He went amongst the people; he found them
uneasy about the Government which was ruling
them. He wrote to the President, over and
over again, that there was reason to fear there