The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-03-04
SPEECH OF Mr.. FESSENDEN.
OF MAINE,
On the Message Of the President transmitting
the Lscompton Constitution.

compton Constitution, being under consideration
and MIR. DOUGLAS having intimated desire TO
take up resolution of inquiry relative to certain
proceedings in Kansas, which motion was object
ed to and waived
Mr.. FESSENDEN said In times past. we have
been accustomed to receive these messages ard
to believe the author in sending them to Congress-
intended to perform that part ofhis constitutional
duty which enjoins on him from time to time 10
give to the Congress information of the state of
| the Union" message from the President of
| the United States should import absolute verify;
and heretofore, whatever else we may say about
them, we have been accustomed to believe that
Presidents OF the United States in communica-
ting message to Congress, in undertaking 20
give information to Congress, would at least tell
the truth at any rate, that they would not set
at defiance known and recorded facts nor make
an argement all on one side; ignoring facts
quite notorious with reference to one position
and stating that which was not supported bf fact
In regard to the other. And yet, sir, with all the
| respect which entertain for the officer who oc-
cupies so eminent position, and notwithstsnd
ing all the impressions l have with reference to
| MS constitutional duty when making a commu-
nlcatlon to Congress am compelled to saw, IN
der the circumstances, that the President has
been guilty in this message not only of ignoring
well-known facts, but of stating as facts matters
winch he must have known, if he examined the
documents, could not be true What excuse he has
for this before the country, it is not for ne to cav
have to remark next in regard to the tona IF
this message. The tone of a message from the
Chlef Magistrate of the Union, to accord with his
character and position, should, in my Judgment
be dignihed, plain, and impartial; it should not
De denunciatory yet, from the beginning TO the
END OF this message, we hear from the Chief Mag
istrate Oh the United States strong denunciations
Inn -
majority OF the people of the Territory of Kan
sas while he has not one word to say-notbing
save excuse and palliaton--not even that, buf
rather appreciation, implied approbation-fCr all
tnat mas taken place there in opposing the efforts
OF the people of Kansas to obtain a Free State
Constitution. l think the language of the mes
sage In that particular is unworthy n man who
mas been chosen by the suffrages of his fellow
citizens to fill one OF the few great nIaces of The
world.
It is little, singular, too, when we consider
MS education, that, with reference to this con-
troversy, he has no sympathy whatever for the
ohlect which the people of Kansas, those whom
he admits to be a majority, declare themselves to
| have in view. He was born and educated in a
Tree State. He has seen all the advantages of
free institutions. He has seen his native State
OF Pennsylvania grow to be one of the very first
In rank In the Union, and to retain that rank: to
be one of the FIRST in wealth, one of the first in
power, stretching out its arms on every side, to-
wards commerce, and manufactures, and agri-
culture growing with q rapidity Unprecedented
its people enjoying ALL not only of the comforts
but OF the elegances of life simply from the fact
that its people have been left to labor. to carry
out the cardinal doctrine on which our institu-
tons were founded that the capital of the coun-
try is the labor and employment of the free peo-
pie OF the country. Notwithstanding all that
and Notwithstanding all that he has witnessed
OF the enormous growth of the free States under
free institutions, we have not one word in the
message, from the beginning to the end. except
denunciation of those who arc attempting to ex-
tend the benefit of the came institutions to the
Territory of Kansas. There is no sympathy for
them. de exults, his tone is that of exultation.
When he speaks of the fact that the Territory Of
Kansas which he calls a State, although it il not
yet state is now as much slave State "a
georgia or South Carolina. His tone is that of
gratlhcation, that instead of being free State
ike his own, and instead of joining the sisterbood
OF the great free States of this Union, it has
placed itself on the very different level of the
save states OF this Union, and is bound from
TINS time henceforward as he thinks, TO the car
OF Slavery. The tone in which he speaks of this
is TO my mind incomprehensible, and it shows
cnat, Tor some reason or other he has chosen to
forget the land of his birth and education, with
all Its manifold advantages and blessings
Dir, he treats the question as of no importance
10 any except the slave States of the Onion. 1t
Is OF trihing Importance he says-not precisely in
those words, for do not undertake to quote hi
ianguage-but it is of little Importance compar-
atlvely to the few thousands in Kansas as ifthe
institutions Under which they are to live were of
no consequence to them Who should be inter-
ested but the thousands who are to live there to
receive the benefit or suffer the evils which are
10 now from the institutions established there
IL Is OF consequence to the slave States of
the Union, he says Is it none to the free
states He does not intimate that it is It
is OF no comparative Importance, he thinks. be-
cause there ara but a few thousand people in
Kansas, forgetting, as he does, the many thou
sands and hundreds of thousands who may be
there IN very short period of time, covering its
plains, ana tilling its valleys until they smile 1t
is not enough to say that the question is of very
little comparative Importance as connected with
them, ont 1t is of great Importance to the slave
States OF the Union. They have much feeling
about it; they are to be consulted about it; but
ne does not intimate that the free States. the
millions OF people who live undOr Constitutions
unlike those which have been forced upon Kan
sas, can feel any interest in a question whether
mat great Territory is to be opened to them and
thelr descendants freed from a competition with
that kind of labor which, in my judgment has
cursed so large-yes, the largest portion of the
area OF the States of this Union Sir, these re-
MARKS, this tone, this want of sympathy. this
exultation, this entire forgetfuness of the oreat
and much the largest portion of the people of
TINS country, in the Presidents message. are to
me mysterious, coming from a man horn and
educated, as the President has been, under in
stitutions like those with which he is so famil-
lar
Again, the President very clearly intmates
mat difficulties must arise, in case refuse to
admit Kansas a State under the Lecompton
Constitution. He warns US, in covert but very
clear terms, that the people of the slave States
will be excited on the subject that they will not
be willing to submit to it and that, therefore
with a view to check all the agitation which NAV
arise from the rejection of the Constitution which
has thus been submitted, he counsels that for
peace sake, we should adopt it. Sir, should
have expected from the Chief Magistrate of this
Union, sworn to support the Constitution and
execute the laws, that at the time when he stated
the danger that there might be excitement he
would have intimated an opinion, wish, that
such excitement should not arise that he would
have warned the people of the slave as well as
OF the free States, against dsobeying the laws of
the country. What is the proper tribunal
should like to know, to settle this question Is
It not Congress? II Congress chooses to settle
the question adversely to the views Of the Presi-
dent, and say that Kansas shall not be admitted
under the Lecompton Constitution, beg to know
why he should not counsel the people OF the
slave States to submit to the majority, who have
the constitutional right to decide, and have de-
cidedf Why does he warn us that we must pay
regard to these threats of overturning the Con-
stitution, of dissolving the Union, and avoid ag-
SIZE FOURTH PACE.