Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-04-10
SPEECH
THE ADMISSION OF KANSAS
UNDER THE
LECOMPTON CONSTITUTION.
REPRESENTATIVES MARcH o 1858


The House having admit State Kansas into
the uni0pMr HENRY WINTER DAVIS of Maryland said; VI HI
Mr. CHARAN The earlier explorers high Northern at
tudes pelexed at behoding great cebegs mysteou
making their way TO the north and wind and tide
Philosophers in the closet OWNED from the strange phenomenon
the existence Of under running Of the
Chairman Of the course Of this debate ignorant of our history for
four years. and Of who holds the helm would find himself
similarly peplexed and perhaps he might similar
luton. -,f
That which processes to be the godfather Of
tuition to the popular that administration which is
name Democratic should propose impose upon the majority
BY the South against the will Of the North should urge
shortest accomplish the making Kansas
on which Processes anxiety preserve the peace the
try should say that the shortest way the broken peace
Of constitution guaranteed by united power Of the
country that hateful ogarchy upon people whose neck
gs could at moment alleviate that these methods should
be taken accomplish these well puzzle the pecu
y to what apparent reasonhe ordinary method of guiding the
Commonwealth the ordinary propeng powers Of the govern
might very solving problem he were to as
that the question is not much how to accomplish the
of oar sovereign or to secure the right Of the people to
form their domestic institutions in their way which
a and So n e ose
sons prevent the Administration which boasted itself the
the termination of the first session of its first Congress-
lick the dust before the will of that majority which defyng
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the will of that
people the United States against which Mr. Buchanan ascend
ed the Presidential chair and amid the rreconciabe dvers
es e q n Ssr s Mr.
brought face facecan no longer coesce the policy he
We are debating the recognition of an independent State
The Administration produce piece of parchment with form
of government written and certificate of John Cal
houn that is the constitution adopted Lecompon by
venon of the people of Kansas and this evidence the Pes
dent and his friends demand the recognition of the State of
respectfully for the proof that the piece parchment
contains the will of the people of Kansas ...a
told the Territorial Legislature took law the sense
of the peope-and 2670 voted call conventions that 22O0
persons voted a for the members of the convention that
the convention whose here has seen voted the
constitution; that it submitted the people their
ratification and that the vote of the 4h of January 10000
against it. is of no legal relevancy to the question before
On this of facts Mr. Chairman besought be-
half of the Administration for the admission
under the Lecompon constitution for the sake principle
involved Sir confess myself the of principle
speculy ask gentlemen what principle they ask sanctions
that minority in territory constitute the people, and so
make their will the law the majorty9 So respect
fully dissent from the principle ..".. ..n-
it that the people of territory with without previous
thoy of Congress- have legal right themselves to take the
initiative and to lay upon your table constitution which they
entitled to demand at hands that shall accept If
then respectfully dissent from the principle. ..
it. the part of Southern friends that any constitution
which may be laid upon our table containing no matter how put
there clause sanctonng slavery shut eye to every
other circumstance connected with it, and to drive the ad
is in the constitutional fso, then respectfully dissent from the
Il that they mean that gentlemen NAV look into the contu
ton for the purpose of seeing that slavery there when
they find there bound to for the admssionG So
then the gentlemen upon the other side of the House. by exactly
the look into that constitution that slavery
is there and they think it the logical conclusion may
vote refuse admission that ground But
desand the gentlemen the other side admit the latter alter
native fit to be embraced they will indulge in elog
cal consequence of regarding the former proper consde
ration weigh at all with the question that is before
the House.
That slavery embraced in that constitution certainly, Mr.
Chairman my opinion, ground at all for the reectonno
ground at all for any difficulty about admission put there by
the will of the people, ought not to weigh with the weight Of
the dust in the balance the question for allow that be
ground exclusion while it would be within the Legislative
discretion Of Congress- would be- in my Judgment unwse tend
ing directly consequences that all of anxious
avoid and would exhibit unocal disposition in behalf Of the
majority which might to such conclusion which, whether
ghuy wronguy the past history of the nation teaches
only well will lead nothing but disastrous civil collisions
which, in their result if not Immediately will first undermine
and then bring down in uin the whole fabric of liberties
Then these be not the principles which ought to commend
themselves to the judgment of rghtudgng there any
oer9 that because the Territory has proceeded under
law of Territorial Legislature with all the regularity and for
may the President tells that any territory has pro-
ceedd bound accept what they send bndy and
without looking beyond it Ia it the principle Of this Govern