The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-05-04

d
the darkness of the night does not permit me 10 se
you, rejoice at your presence for have met ectua-
ted by common sympathy 10 rejoice In the triumph Of
this great measure II shows that you have good feel
ing towards the who will work for principle and not
for se--not for James Buchanan, good, glorious, and
powerful he isnot for the party overwhelming
as its influence is hut for the good Of
try. But huvc said enough, and will bid you good
night. stChcers *t
MR. KNeIIslIs srEEciI
GEkTIENsN thank you kindly for the compliment
which you have paid me upon this OCCASION and come
forward cheerlly in response 10 your call yet not with
out fear that at this late hour and after the able speeches
you have heard shall be unable to interest and enter
tain YOU. l claim TO be Of action rather than of
words but yet usually able upon proper occasions,
10 give for the faith that is in me | am always
glad to meet my friends, and confess not to be nder
cnt to their good opinion. gratifed to meet you
here tonight because hail you friends, and feel that
you sympahixe with me- and rejoice at the action which
has recently taken place in the Congress OF the United
States have not given any open demonstrations OF re-
oicng but must confess to YOU fellow citizens that
have several occasions since the passage of that bill
felt impulse to cry out Glory! Haeluah r.
Cheers Why should we not rejoice at that action 7
What is Ka,,s that she should have caused all this tur-
moil and confusion throughout the land for the last
years What is Kansas that she should during the last
four months, have obstuced the general business of the
country What Is Kansas that she should endanger the
peace and happiness of this great and glorious confeder
acy of Better far better that the foot of the white
these things should be- Appause Yes felIowcitizens
Fit would be better that white should be allowed to
enter Kansas, and that it should be turned forever
to the wild beasts and the savagcs of the
that the earth should Open and that the whole Territory
from boundary to the other should be swallowed up in
eternal oblivion than that the peace and harmony of this
country should he endangered or its best interests i'm
periled! Voices "Thats SOL! Then fellow citizens
have cause for rejoicing that something has been done
to settle this question The which has Just
passed ought to peace and restore harmony among
the different sections of the confedeacy do not say
that it will do it. for there bad who for evil pur
poses and for selfish ends will oppose the wscst and best
measures In order to accomplish their designs and they
may act thus in reference to this they have in refer
to other just that have passed the Con-
grcss of the United States -Four years ago great
enacted by Congress which recognised principle
that ought to be dear to the heart of every American c
zen, because it is principle that underles all repub
lcan insttutions-a principle which is God given the
right Of man to fgovernment And yet this import
ant act which, If it had been carried into execution faith
fully according to its terms would have secured peace
the country the question Of slavery, has been seized
upon by mad fanatics who for political purposes have
raised the shout Of " bleeding Kansas " and have kept
this whole country in turmoil and confusion since
Fellow citizens hope the act which has Just been passed
may be the means OF restoring peace and harmony To the
Union. shall rejoice iftlat be the result hope and
believe that such will be the result but whether it be
not the effort which has been made is praise
worthy and let all indulge the hope that from yester
day may date of good feeling in this country
which may long continue to bless our happy land Zap
plause
But gentlemen, have still another cause for rejoc-
ing. The passage Of this measure will not only tend to
restore peace and harmony among the different sections
Of the confceracy but twill tend to restore peace and
harmony in the bosom of the good old-fashioned demo
cratic party God bless her [tireat applause.
And have also personal reasons for rejoicing in this mat
ter There those who knew little Of for time
to suppose that had affinity with the back-repub
lican party but never more mistaken They
deceived themselves, and without my giving them the
slightest occasion for it, was born in the good old
democratic faith it was the party Of my father before
me, and never have on any occasion departed from it,
IChces The truth s fellow citizens the black -repub
licas deceived themselves They dug pit for others to
fall into and unfortunately for Them fell into it them
selves. They may have supposed they going to
catch me well some others They ought TO have
remembered the old story their grandmothcrs told
them when they took fancy to catch particular
bird, that if they could only sprinkle little salt
It's tail they would be to get 1t, and how
delighted they until the truth dawned upon
their infantlc minds that the trouble to get
enough to sprinkle the salt IGrcat laughter and
applause They have been laborng under similar de-
lusion recently The truth is they have got into bad
fix and are long ways off from water. Iaughtcr How
inconsistent has been their course At home they have
poessed eternal hostility to the extension Of the instit
ton OF slaverythat Kansas should be free State,
though every man, woman and child therein wished it
to be otherwise and TINT under circumstances
ary slave States to be admitted into the Union.
That was substantially tho platform upon which they
stood in my country and throughout tho northern
States But what have recently? For mere
party purposes have them stutiy themselves by
voting to admit Kansas slave State provided the
people interested should decide in favor Of IT, How diff
feren this from the position they have claimed occupy
before the peopc Who believe in their snccri.
tyf Are to understand that they have abandoned
their former position, their late act pot-
cal ascp i suspect the latter ! fear they are actu-
ated by higher motives than the accomplishment
of political and party ends object not to the act they
have done only refer TO 1t to show their inconsistency
and that they ready to do anything in their power 10
emhrass aud Diurc the democratic party No wonder
they feel exasperatcd No wonder they are ready
abuse and msreprescnt know that in for full
share, but nothing for IT, regard il as little
do the passing breeze. There il aprospcct of the
tys having little quiet and rest from slavery agitation
and hence they alarmed for that is, of all things,
what they do not want Agitation discord and conf,i-
sion is their clement Give the country peace and they
languish and die. They will make spasmodc struggle
to keep up disturbance. Already they misrepre-
senng the bill. and il Is remarkable fact, that almost
every objection they make il answered by their own
record Does it atmita slave State condition They
voted Themselves Does the preamble recognise that
the people of Kansas through their delegates Lecomp
ton framed constitution which i republican in form
The House b for which they all voted, did exactly the
thing. SO did the Senate b The Language In that
respect IL the in all of them DO they say that the
bill offers brbc in lands to the people of Kansas to
ccpt the Iecomptm constitutions So then did the Crit
amount given Is tho in EACH and is no more than
usually given to States and which every body knows
Kansas will get whether she in with this
stitution hereafter under ether. Have they
confidence IN the intelligence of the American people, that
they resort to these cxpedents 10 get up prejudice