The Washington union., 1858-02-19

Justice had been done by that comonise and seeing NO
other way of escaping the difficulty, favored dssolu
ton of the Union The struggle for supremacy between
these parties bitter and caused political and personal
prejudices which time had not even yet fully eInoved
The people of Georgia called convention, and decided
that they would not recede from the Union Tor the then
existing Causes but at the same time they declared to the
world that upon the happening OF certain events spe-
cicalIy enumerated she would favor dissolution OF the
UnonupoE the refusal Of Congress at any time there
after to admit State because OF the existence Of slavery
in her constitution The southern States all a unit
upon what was known the Georgia PLATFORM and stood
to day side by side with Georgia, pledged to dissolu
ton of the Union at the refusal by Congress to admit
Kansas slave State because OF the existence Of sla
very in her constitution When the Kansas bill was
passed ii founded upon the principle that Kansas
should have the right of admission into this Union
sovereign State with without slavery in her constitu
ton, according to the expressed Will OF the majority
Kansas to day presented herself with constitution and
demanded admission. Examine that constitution and
they would find it republican in its form 1t had been
legally adopted Why, then, was this fierce opposition
10 il manifested 1t because that constitution
cognsed slavery of its domestic institutions They
had power to investigate further than simply to in
qure whether not the constitution republican in
its form, and whether or not it legally adopted OBJ
ections had been mtcrpOsed by the blackr0publican
party and by portion of the northern national demo-
cratic party The plea of the latter special onc
and they did not pretend TO base their opposition because
Of the institution of slavery but looking to the past his
tory of the country he not at all surprised at the
manifestation When Missouri offered herself for adms
sion it opposed by the freeso party not because its
constitution tolerated slavery, but because it was con-
tended that it not republican in its form inasnuch
il conferred the power upon the State to prevent the mm
grafton within her borders of free negroes He contend
ed that Congress had right to remand Kansas back to
the condition of Territory They could reject her
sttutop, but when the deed was done the important
question would arise whether Kansas was not an indie
pendent sovereign State outside of this Union, and he
eontended that she would be.
Mr. TOMPKINS of Ohio, next addressed the commit
tee upon the subject He said the people of the
North had submitted quietly to the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise, and never would he The contest
was begun and he would exclam with the gentleman
who had preceded him
Iayo on, Macdun;
Aud damned be he who first cries hold enough"
He was opposed the admission Kansas under the I
compton constitution and the paramount that
the constitution established the existence of slavery He
stopped not to inquire whether it met with the ap-
probation of the people of that Territory and cared
not whether it had been submitted to the people of
that Territory for their sanction The time had been
when he felt justified in voting for the admission of a
slave State but he held that the repeal OF the Missouri
Compromise had removed all national obligations and he
felt himself free to vote his conscience should dictate
the question of the admission of any State into this
Union Every had been made free by the repeal of
the Missouri Compromise gtws
Mr. CLEMENS, of Virginia, said, representing larger
white population than any other member of Virginia. and
recognising amongst his most immediate constituents
southern who had built up manufactures for the ad
vancement of his native town. he professed to speak
all questions without particle of acrimOnY but at the
time with the emphasis due to the occasion. He
defended the of the President saying that he had
been surrounded at the outset Of his administration by
difficulties almost nsumountabe. He reviewed the for
nation Of the Lecompon constitution COntendng that Con-
gress bound to admit Kansas aState under it, Com
pairing the Lecompton constitution with that formed at
Topeka, he said they had, the one hand constitu
ton framed in pursuance of law republican in form, and
granting all the rights and privileges which the people
could desire and the other hand, q constitution
made in defiance of all law, fraud upon the rights
of the citizens 1t was, according to- the principles of
our government, the majority of the votes given
which must determine the result, and not the ma
orty of the votes withheld If this were otherwise,
the constitutions of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia
adopted by minority of the votes Of those States,
compared with the votes cast at the general elections
The whole theory of government depended upon the
will of the majority legally expressed Under the opera
ton of this principle, system became harmonious.
The idea of eBnbmson OF the Kansas constitution to
the people for approval rejection not the idea of
the fathers of the revolution Should the House the
country depart from the example set them by their fore
fathers in framing and adopting the federal conttuton
Mr. c. in the of his remarks, cited numerous
peceden all tending to show that Kansas should be ad
mted as a sovereign State into this Union under the
Iccompton constitution In conclusion he declared that
the President occupied position which had tested the
whole heroism of his character. If for single mo-
ment he had faltered they should at this moment
be at the mercy of mob. The President had
bIy done his duty. In all the States where con-
sttutions had not been submitted to the people the
organic act did not require it, He appealed to the
democracy of the North to do their duty. The power
was in their hands, how would they use itY Oregon,
Minnesota Nebraska and Utah theirs and Kansas
must be theirs. While he spoke their advancing popua
ton filing around the Rocky mountains, and plant
ing in the wilderness empires For the South there
was only meagrc principle and barren sceptrc. They
should learn to foster union their empire would
be broken to pieces If they were wise the republic would
be permanent.
Mr. BURROUGHS, Of New York, obtained the floor,
when the committee
Mr. BRYAN, Of Texas presented joint resolutions of
the legislature of that State relative to the impeachment
of Judge Watrous which referred to the Commit
tee on the Judiciary and ordered to be printed
And then, motion of Mr.. STEPHENS, Of Georgia,
at 10 minutes to clock m, the House adjourned