The Kanzas news., 1858-03-06
Lecompton in the Senate---Interestin
Debate


United States Senate on the 4th inst, on a
motion to refer the Presidents message on
kanzas affairs to the Committee on Terrific
mes. Most of the Senators participated in
the debate, which was a very spirited one.
Mr.. WILSON, of Mass, in the course of his
remarks said:
| The Convention which framed the Le-
compton Constitution was elected in June
lt met and adjourned to period after the
October election. When they saw that the
Territory was taken possession of by the
Free State men, they changed their tactics.
It IS true, meetings were got up, asking
Calhoun and his associates not to submit
the constitution to the people. Calhoun
and those men had pledged themselves to do
! it. On the demand of the President, on
| the promise of Gov. Walker, and the de-
clarations of the Washington Union, they
had promised the people of Kanzas that
they would submit the Constitution to the
people. They provided for its submission
in such a way that Gov. Walker could not
correct frauds as he had done in the case of
Oxford and McGee county, and so that
Calhoun could have the matter in his hands
"a man who would not only permit the
frauds, but, if necessary, make the frauds
himself. He was just the man to do it /;
for God never allowed to walk the green
earth any man who more richly deserves to
die a traitors death, and leave traitors
name, than John Calhoun.
Mr.. Green, of Mo. Say it to his face.
Mr. Wilson. have said it here, and it
goes on the record. / have no fear of the
tools of Border Ruffanism in Washington
or in Kanzas. I am able to take care of
myself. 1 will try to do so, at any rate
Sir, this John Calhoun has cheated and de-
frauded the people of Kanzas out of their
sacred rights. He has committed a crime
against the liberties of the people which
will associate his name with tyranny and
tyrants while the history of Kanzas shall
be read and remembered by mankind.
The Senator from Mississippi justifes the
refusal to submit the Constitution. Why,
sir, it has been the policy to ascertain the
popular will. These men knew that if
they submitted the Constitution to the peo-
pie it would be voted down, four Or five to
one. The President says they would have
voted it down because they did not like it.
What business was it to John Calhoun, or
to that Convention, Or to the President of
the United States, whether the people of
Kanzas would vote down the Constitution
or not? That was their business. 1t does
not belong to the President or his Cabinet
to pronounce on their motives for doing it.
1t is an insult to free people to talk to
them in this language, whether it comes
from the Executive mansion or that class of
men who formed the Convention that as
sembled in Kanzas.
The vote was taken on that provision of
the Constitution, whether Kanzas should be
slave State with the slave trade, or wheth-
er Kanzas should be slave State without
the slave trade. That was the whole of it.
Kangas was to be slave State anyhow
In order to make it a slave State without the
slave trade, the voter had to vote for the
Constitution. No one could vote against it.
1t was one of the most stupendous insults
to free people that a body of usurpers
ever offered. They took their votes. They
have returned six thousand seven hundred
votes at that election-thirteen hundred
down at this little township of Oxford
The town of Kickapoo gave nearly eleven
hundred votes-a town that cannot have
legally more than four hundred voters
Four or five towns make up three thou
sand fraudulent votes given on that
day. No man who knows anything of Kan
zas believes that there were more than twen-
ty-fve hundred, at the utmost, legal votes
given in Kanzas on that Constitution. The
Legislature have sent commission to Kick
apoo to examine into the frauds.
The st. Louis Republican publishes
letter in regard to this investigation; and l
wish to call the attention of Senators to it,
oil tla no
ST. Louis Democrat makes an abstract of
this correspondence
'On the original poll-book of the vote the
Constitution, December 81, 1857, which book IS
now on file in the County Recorders office in Lea
venworth it was discovered that James Buchanan,
President of the United States, east the two hun
dred and SEVENTEEN vote.
Mr.. Seward. What day was that =?
Mr. Wilson. On the 21st of December.
Mr.. Green. For or against slavery
Mr. Wilson. "For the Constitution with
slavery" of course. The Senator need give
himself no anxiety what vote James Bu-
chanan would give in Kanzas or out OF 1t
I wish the President would go to Kanzas.
| He has sent out his Governors there, and
they went as men sent out of old to curse
the people, and they came back blessing the
people. If the President was there few
weeks he would become wiser and better
man. Instead of denouncing these people
as rebels, think he would come back and
say that he found people loving liberty,
| law and order, who had been oppressed by
class of corrupt and unprincipled officials.
Next on the list of distinguished names ap-
pears as the two hundred and seventy sixth voter,
| William II. Seward, of New York" Laughter
They do not say how William H. Seward
voted on that dav, but we ali know how
William H. Seward would have voted if he
had been there.
"323d, Thomas F. Marshall, OF Ky. 7l4th,
/ George ". Brown, Editor Herald Of Freedo1H-
Then, s59th, John c. Fremont" fLAughter.l
Mr.. Green. How did he vote