Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-03-04
George Bancroft on the Lecomp'
ton Con titution.

siOn:-
Fellow CITIzEEs:-The proper solution
of the question before the country, which,
in soine Of its aspects, is the most momtn-
;ous that has been p Q enied since the adoP-
ton Of the Federal Constitution, * sei.-evi-
dent, but that solution has been so th"ar-
ted thsl it is made necessary 10 revert tn
first principles, and TO take counsel ct the
Peup'e, who are the source of wisdom ard
OF power. We are assembled tonight, n 1
in no, ti'i,v to the Administration. We yenI
crate the President for his age and past SER
vices, and desire to remove out OF his path
the great cbs.acle to his present usefulness.
Still lees are we at variance with the Sou h..
We have never feared to sustain the South
on any question in which the South was in
the tight, and we are justified in asking its
cooperation 10 prevent a great national
wrong which, if cOusummated, viii injure
lis friends. Far from opposing Democracy,
we come here tonight to uphold it, By
f~reshening in our minds the love OF Justice
and Freedom, without which Democracy is
a delLsion.
We are assembled to protest against for
cling the Lecompton Constitution upon
the pc pie OF Kansas against their will.
Bear with me, tellow-c tzPns, ii, in the
:ewest possible words, ! speak 20 The facts in
the case, to the right, and to the means Of
~retress.
AS 10 the facts Of the case, the Lecomp-
ton Constitution was authorized in advance
BY no one Lrinch of the General Govern
ment. Tie Senate of the United States
passed a bill for a Convention in Kansas,
havirg in view a very different mode OF pro-
cedure. The House, by a decided vote, de.
clared itself wiling to accept he cal and
tru. opinion of the majority oil Kansas, how
ever i! might be expressed.
The President, through his agent, the
Governor Of the Territory, vetoed the bill
for the Convention. The Senate, the House,
the President of the United States, are all
i%nnoceIt OF the Lecompton Convention.
The people of the Territory never elected
that Convention, and never had an oppor
tuniiy TO do SO. The isis OF voters were
made cut by p~ar,izan officers, who acted
under no penalties for neglect of duty. FIJI
teen counties, by l O fault of their own, had
no possible opportunity to vote at all. The
Convention, therefore, never had even a
pretext for binding the people. Before the
Convention did its work q new election CT a
Kansas Legislature took pace and. thanks
TO Walker and Stanton, false, fraudulent
and forged rrturns weres rejected, and a
legislature was formed OF unqu STONED le-
galitr. The Convention, knowing the true
VIII OF the people, in defiance OF that Wi /,
refused 10 refer the Cnnslitu' on 10 the pee.
PIE, sequsstP,eiti cir inalienah e rights, and
made themselves masters. They acknpwl-
ed ICED that such a reference should have
been made at least on The Slavery clause,
and then they framed a schedule which
nlde no true reference even of that clause,
but di~sfranchised all cxrept those who
would acknow edgt their 's,rpation. and
wer willing to lake test o,ths TO support il.
The Convention further assumed most ex-
traordinary powtr, and sought in advance 10
nulliiy and render,void the acts Of the newly
elected Legislature. They did what they
could to show appreciation % the fraudG ent
vnte which Walker and Stanton, with the
approval il is TO be hoped, OF the President,
had rejected. Moreover, it ordered an cleo
lion OF State officers, under their unratIfed
Constitution, without requiring an oath OF
the election officers, afixing a penalty on
fraudulent voting or forged returns; and
they, moreover, directed returns t. be MADE,
not to the Governor or the legal Legisia
ture, but % one man acne, the President o.
rhe:r Convention; a MN holding a most
lucrative office a"d a large patronage under
The General Governments; clothed with
power to Judge at his discretion of all re
turns o a Legislature befnre which he might
become a candidate FOR Office: bOuni by no
oath TO fidelity. and exposed to no legal
penalty for the abuse of his trust. We hold,
then, thai the Convention has no claim to
the sovereignty in Kansas but by usurpa-
ton. that it had in no wise the sanction OF
Congress, nor O the President, nor of the
people OF Kansas, and was but a cunning
device to defrand that people of its sover-
eighty.
INV S1tbiIal YIN oH "UlGu tHc ETPdl
question turns is this: Is the Lecompton
Constitution the choice and will Of the
people of Kansas say it is not. and | shat |
prove it. The first witness is the Conven-
tiUn Itself; they were urged to refer the
matter to the people; the President in his
high Office pledged himself over and over,
and over again, to the appreciation of that
course, and by the authority and with the
knowledge OF the President. the Governor,
and officers Of the Pres dents appointment,
quie;ed the disconteDts of the people of
Kansas BY advocating the necessity of such
claim any validity. And yet the Convention
refused TO submit its do ngs to the people:
thus coniessing its consciousness that its
work would be rejected.
The second witness is the newspaper
press OF Kansas; shat is against the
Constitution by a maJora teven or eight
to ene.
Next: Kansas, by act of Congress, has a
right TO a delegate in Congress, charged
with the duty 10 speak for its people. They
have now a delegate who is undoubtedly the
choice of the people, and is the first K1usas
delegate ever chosen by the people He is
my third witness
Next: ask the line of Governors apnointei
by Presidents themselves. Gearv: Walker,
formerly Sen7tor from Mississippi, and
recently proposed for a place in the present
Presidents Cabinet, and highly commended
by the Prrsiden' himself: Stanton, 50 lately
member OF Congress from Tenne sea. ali
agree. And would not fear TO ask Den
yer, the present incumbent; he will certify
that even a fraction Of the party againsi the
LecOmpton Constitution is more numerous
than the whole of its friends.
Fifth: The people of Kansas now happily,
thanks to Walker and Stanton. have a
Legislature indisPuiably representing that
people, and. SD soon as they cOuId Eff nm