Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1858-04-22

not he worth dime to you, but instead
of being blessing, as you now con-
slider them, they would prove your
greatest curse; from being Your sub
missive, obedient servants. thev would
become the instruments OF mischief in
the hands of your enemies. and the
general desolation that would follow.
might serve not only to remind US Of
the proud state from which we had
fallen. but would allow the tyrants of
the Old World to point at us as an
other evidence of the iucapability of
the people to govern themsclves.-
Broken to peices by our own madness.
we would be fit objects Of universal
scon.
Mr.. Chairman, you say, in the
South, that you have important inter
ests. We raise cotton. say you-so
you do eraise sugar--so You do;
and we rejoice in the North. when we
hear that there are good crops Of sugar
aud cotton; and we regret II, when
there is failure of either. We rejoice
when you rejoice, and mourn when you
mourn. We receive the raw material
of your producers. and by our skill and
hanywork. aided by our machinery.
transform it into fabrics useful and or
namental. Your sugar we need. il
is, If not a necessary, at least luxury
of life that we are not willing TO dis
pense with. Sir, as an evidence of our
liberality towards you, even while your
men were denouncing the doctrine of
protection, when we wished to aid and
protect Northern interests, and you re-
fused it, we by our votes aided in Civ
ing your sugar protection by tariff
that caused the consumers of that arti-
Gle to pay in the form of duties, during
the last year, nearly thirteen million
dollars. Thus, when called upon, we
have ever been ready to protect your
interests, even when you have refused
to aid us in protecting Northern manu-
facturers and Northern interest. And
now. simply because we refuse to Join
you in crusade against the rights OF
the people of Kanzas, we were pro-
nounced sectional and unjust TO the
South. Sir, you ask too much at
our hands. We have given you pro-
lection. and you offer to pay us by OPP
preston.
Mr. Chairman, | believe that if we
admit Kanzas under the present cir
cumstances. it will be violation of the
rights of the people. | do believe that
if we protect the rights of the people,
they will always protect the rights of
the States. There will be no danger,
if their rights be guarded and protec-
ted; but when you deny them the right
to the enjoyment of life and property,
and the right of self-government SO far
as concerns the Institution under which
they live; when you attempt to force
an organic act upon them against their
will. simply because you have the pow
er to do SO, it is not 10 be expected
that they will respect those who have
done them this wrong. You may have
the power, by executive influence and
aid, to consumate this outrage. Blu,
what will it profit you? Nothing. ab-
solutely nothing The laurels will
wither in their winning; the spoils viii
not be worth possessing. while you
may set an example-not worthy in
deed of imitation, or to be cited as
precedent-but which, at no distant
day, may be thus cited and initiated to
your serious harm.
But it comes in due form Of law,
say gentlemen; and, as a gentleman
said the other day, that is all there is
Of it. Il has the form without the
substance. AS good and as valid a
constitution might have been gotten
up by this John Calhoun, and Hender-
son, and these other fugitives from JUS
tice In this city, in some grocery in
Missouri, which SO far as forms are
concerned, would have been as cor
rect an expression Of the will Of the
people of Kanzas ms that contained in
the constitution which they have al
ready presented.
j speak of these gentlemen as fugi-
tives from justice. / understand that
they are officers of Kanzas, and ought
to be there; but am inclined to think
that they have been led to believe that
this is the the safest place for them;
for there is marine force here that
was called upon to shoot down citizens
in the streets, and which may be called
out to protect them from the indigna-
tion of an outraged people.
But we have the forms of law, say
they. Well. sir, there a,e some peculiar
forms which have been required in ref
erence to this constitution. Ny worthy
friend from Oregon Mr.. Lane rose in
his place in this House, and said,
Mr.. Speaker, | present to You the
constitution Of the people Of Oregon"
There was no excitement about it-no
difficulty, and no one objected. Has
there been three months discussion
over it? No. Kanzas had her Dele
gate on the floor, on this side Of the
House Why was it that that gentle
man was not permitted to speak for
Kanzas? Why was he not permitted
to get up and announce that he presen-
ted to this House he constitution Of
Kanzas? Who shall speak for the
people of Kanzas, when they do not
speak for themselves, but their repre-
tentative here? Oregon comes here Of
her own free viii, with constitution
endorsed by her people, submitted to
them in every form and shape for their
determination. How comes Kanzas?
Kanzas, covered all over with violence,
is driven in here against her will
She comes here with her robes soiled;
she comes here by force and violence,
and IN heconnas naeexsarv that tho o.