Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1858-05-05
NEW SERIES-VOL. III.-NO. Is.

stood outp, si,tenly against the laws.
1t may be said, and 1t /. said, that this
constitution is not agreeable to the major
lity Of the people. Well, sir, have search
ed in vain in the complicated history Of
legislation on this subject for the instance
in which that question vs.. distinctly rsls-
ed and discussed. where 1t was claimed as
a duty on the rsrt of Congress 10 know
that majority Of the people were for the
form OF government which they sent up
to Congress. No such case could have ari.
sen az to more than half the States hereto
fore admitted whose constitutions had not
been submitted to popular vote. No such
question could have arisen in the case of
my venerable friend from Kentucky, for
that was declared in the Union a State be-
fore the form Of government was made;
not by the proclamation, believe, but by
act Of Congress. That could not have been
an ascertained fact in regard to Florida. -
No member of Congress, as | understand
the history Of that case, could have known
whether the people preferred the consti:
tuition of Florida or not. Why not?
shall show. In 1888 the people of Floris
da held a convention, and made q consti.
IL,
to the ratification of the people, and, as l
learn the history oi it, majority was on
ly found by throwing out certain districts
on the ground of intormality. That con-
stitution was sent up here. 1t was filed
away in the archives Of the Senate legisla-
tive department. There it lay, cobweb-
bed and busted over, for six long years. -
When 1t became necessary TO bring in To-
wa as State, these musty papers were
drawn from their solitude, and on them
Florida was made a State. Who would
say that the people who held that conyen.
ton and voted on the constitution. still
remained in Florida? Who would say
that in the six years which intervehed,
there was not a large accession of popula-
ton to the Territory of Florida? There
could have been no satisfactory evidence
that the people of Florida approved that
constitution no man could have known
that it embodied their will ! only pre-
sent these historical facts for the ptrpose
Of showing that the doctrine that Con-
gress must know that constitution EN-.
bodies the will of majority of the peoplS
before we have the right in propriety to
admit the State, is new doctrine.
But, Mr.. President, have spoken al.
ready much longer than ! intended to do.
rose for the purpose of confining myself
to a very 'ew points. | trust we are near
the close Of this angry debate. For one, |
am free to say to the Senate and to the
country that | am tired of this topic of
Kansas. am tired Of it in every sense.
Especially am | weary of it, because CAN
see in it an element of growing mischief
to this great, peaceful and happy country
OF ours. Why it is | know not but il
would seem to be a dispensation of Pro-
yldence that we are to have a very plague
among us in the shape ofthis slay cry aues.
tion, living and growing. as the nation
advances; spreading out yearly, over
shadowing the whole country like
some fatal upas, whose poisonous branch
es shade the very eXtremities and deal
poison and death as the seasons roll bv. |
say, sir, that we are near the close of this
debate, and with it | trust this feud will he
put to rest iorevcr-this strife which is so
certainly and so constantly poisoning The
very channels of intercourse between the
great divisions of this Union, severing the
relations of the people who ought to be
and aileCtionate, and abiding in
3 common faith. Sir, while | have nv
own notions of this measure, do not
cherish them with the tenacty that some
do. | desre, however, to make the ad.
mission Of Kansas and Minnesota an exem.
pliication Of the trutlffulness, Of the eoui:
ty and wisdom Of the democratic policy
that Congress shall no longer deal with
this vcEed question but that it shall be
left to the people of the Territories to set.
tie for themselves; and they shall quiet
ly become States, with or without slavery
rs their government may provide at the
time of admission