The Washington union., 1858-02-25


Kansas by the Emgrant Aid Societies saying that,
instead of allowing Kansas " peaceably populate 1t
self they threw into Kansas cIass of who
took possession revised statutes and drove out of the
Territory all slave These had received un
den the official signature OF their great captain written
statement that If Congress consented to allow slayehod
ers to settle they never would In pursuance this feel
ing of insuborinaton the first convention met that
ever held in the Territory of Kansas, and resolution was
adopted providing that every reliable free State man
should be furnished with rifle and other weapons and
required take oath to come when called and s'cr
flee life if necessary TO themselves from the uris
dcton of the then present laws of THAT Territory TWAS
by men bound together by such ties that the Topeka
stitution WAS formed and constitution made could
not be recognised the will of the people of Kansas
And now these regulators complained that they had not
taken part in the formation of the constitution had
the constitution been referred TO them for ratification
What unblushing efrontery this, after refusing
to recognise the laws of the Territory to register
their Names to vote for delegates, and to vote for
or against the constitution, to here and demand
that Kansas shall not be admitted There could be but
one objection and that that slavery recognised
by the constitution, 1t urged that although the
charge might be true that the majority did not vote yet
the ecompton constitution decided against by the
people on the 4th of January last. This easily
overcome The territorial Legislature called by Secretary
Stanton directed that vote should be taken against the
constitution The to this that the legislature
calling a convention and clothing 1t with power might
have limited il in its action and referred the whole con
70 the people 90 80
then the convention free to act they thought prop
e and the action of after legislature could affect it.
The legislature called by Secretary Stanton could pass
any law within the scope of their jurisdiction but moth
ing more.
Mr.. GOODWIN, of New York, read a lengthy speech
in opposition TO the admission of Kansas under the lie
compton constitution He cohtendod that tho legislature
was elected by fraud at the polls and that s laws were
fraudulent that the people of Kansas by refusing TO
vote repudated the election of delegates to the constt
tional convention The Iecompon constitution brought
slavery into Kansas but 1t had been recognised
Although opposed to the repeal OF the Missouri Compro-
mise vet after the act had been DONE he yielded ready
obedience and held that it incumbent upon them to
redeem the pledges that had been made to the people of
Kansas If 1t proper and suitable in tho future to
submit constitutions to vote of the people, it was emf
nently 30 at the present time.
Mr. MIILSON, of Virginia, addressed the committee
the passage of the Kansas Nebraska act and the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise He could look back on the
events Of the past two In KaDsas and feel that
part of the responsibility rested with him and that had
his views obtained the ascendency the discomfort Of the
North would have moderated and the too hasy exulta
tion of the South would have been stayed Had Con-
gress simply repealed the act Of 1920 1t would have fixed
the condition of the Territories and left nothing to be
done He contended that the South would have been
better off the Kansas Nebraska bill had not been
passed and argued that Congress alone possessed
regulate the Territories State could not make a
constitution for Territory, could Territory make a
constitution for State The State gave power to Con-
gress where Territory received its power from Congress
Territory the creature of Congress- while Congress
was the creature of the States Congress- then not
the source of power exercised by the people in form
ing constitution but the only of power exercised
by the Territory.
The exclusion of slavery by State did not imply the
possession Of power by Congress- but the exclusion of
slavery by Territory necessarily implied the possession
of this power by Congress After alluding to the pas
sage of the Kansas act Mr. M. said If slavery ever was
abolished there it done by that bill and If it could
not be abolished by that act then it still continued II
decided the Missouri Compromise slavery
would have existed in the Territory. In conclusion he
declared that the measure new compromise 1t
the Missouri Compromise suppanted by the Kansas
Nebraska compromise and the new was more disastrous
Mr.. CHAFFEE, of Massachusetts,, next addressed the
committee arguing against the admission Of Kansas
der the Lecompon constitution the ground that it did
not mbody the will of the people, and was Illegal and
fraudulent.
Mr.. DAVIS, of Mississippi, earnestly advocated the
admission of Kansas under the Lecompton constitution
contendng that the Topeka constitution formed by
the people in unorganzed State whilst the lecomp
ton constitution made IN pursuance of law and by
the organized people of Kansas 1t absurdty that
necessary to refer constitution to the people in
order to make it valid and good could result In the
rejection of Kansas II she refused admission they
delegated her to boodshed and disorder Receive Kan
s4s into the Union and the Union would be Safe and
the pledges made by the passage of the
bill would be redeemed
Mr.. FENTON, of New York, argued in favor of free
Territories and i'm opposition to the admission Of Kansas
under the Lccompton constitution which was obnoxious
to the people He for peace not war but he would
not have peace purchased at the expense Of right and
freedom He had no of dissolution Of the Union
and did believe there twenty Thousand people
North and South who would join in bringing it about
Mr. SMITH of Tennessee obtained the floor, and the
committee
And then, at quarter to o'clock, p m, the House
adjourned.