The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1858-04-03

alone disturb it by making this subject .
slavery the cause Of this discussion. Of th'
diSScnSion itself it is not so mnch the cause
! for we seldom come to q question that call
upon rs to act on the subject, Now, If W.
were through with this petty Kansas affair
what a summer sea Of houndlaSs cXpanse lies
b, fore us, where there is nothing but rcpose
! There is no other territory that you can dis
| putc about i'll my lifetime, cr the lifetime OF
any man here. This is the last point on
which a controversy can probably be made
! We went through many difficulties on tins
subject before the Missouri compromise, but,
on other occasions, the question has present
| cd itself with practical consequences. Now
we have reached the last Oft, the least of it.
Let US settle this matter in peace !; let us SET
| tic 1t in good temper and see nothing be-
| Fore US bat long period of repoSe. and.
hope, of mutual conciliati,a.. OF one thing
am certain that elimination and rccrimina-
nation between the North and the South the
getting up and maintaining Of sectional feel,
lng, sectional passion, sectional preiud:ces,
can do no good to any section; and there is
not one Senator here who dos not recognize
and feel all this as much as do. am GER
tain Of it.
My vote on this subject. sir, has nothing
sectional in it. The difficulty have really
in voting is, that this is regarded by some
as sectional question: and am on one
side Of that section, and am voting for the
other side Of il, if we divide on it as a sec.
tional question. Now, do not regard it as
sectional question, My allegiance is not
10 any particular section. do not want to
know any such .hing as a section in my con.
duct here. | want 10 he governed by a con-
stilutional spirit, and a constitutional and
a just principle, in all TO, no matter whcth-
or it relates to the North or to the South. |
d. not want to increase the scctonality
whl.h exists in the country by placing my
sell or my vote upon it 80 .ar as regards This
| question. | want to wipe out that sectional
ism. wish that no one here would vote up
on 1t as sectional question. | do not. |
vote uporsit as a Senator Of the United States
OF America. That Is my country, and my
great country. The Constitution Of the Uni
tel StatcS intended to wipe out all th, Sc lines
OF divisions and scciona!iSm. 1t is we that
disturb our own MON. 1t is we that make
sectional lines to divide and district the coun-
try, whose Constitution, whisc present i'll
teEest, whose future hopes, all tend TO unite
| uS
There are some doctrines which have been
aFanccd here with which disagree. and
| upon which will briefly express my views.
some gentlemen have argued, and they have
| the hIsh authority OF the President to sustain
them, that the Kansas Nebraska act gave all
authority that is usually conferred by what
| Is called an enabling act on the people Of the
territory l never considered 1t so. | do
no! believe it is TO be considered So Some
| gentlemen. on the other hand maintain that
uNdeT The Kansas NrbraSNa,act, the conven'
non were bound to submit the constitution
20 't'c reorI for popular suffrage; indeed,
'hat II Is the rl&ht OF the people to have every
convention submit every constitution 10 them.
90 not agree to That doctrine. The people
are AT, 100 sovereign to lie required to do that.
lhcy can confer upon convention the
| power 20 make constitution that shall
nc Sood without reference to any other power.
ne sovereignty over the Territory is IN tins
government 1t belongs to the people OF the
| Cm'tn states one and all The people OF
'hc States own 1t; and they are the real
SoVeFc'ShS OF 'Ae territory, ana VIC are their
| representatives. lhty have no more power
III the Territory than we give. They have
no government but what We give 1t is not
in the nature OF things that they should have.
| ~ 'S'~ w. . ''''N .
OF all sorts VANISH before the sovereignty OF
the peol lie OF the United States.
| But lie PRESIDENT says, IN reference to this
| Kansas constitution, mat, although 1t con-
tains provision that alter lSO4 convcn-
uon may be called to change 1T. the people,
| can, nevertheless, change 1t before that time.
| nat is to say, the people, 10y tIer irresistible
| power, can at any time notwithstanding the
| Prov slons OF ther constitution to the contra
! ~, change IL as thev please Sir, this is very
| high authority the President Of the United
States bus 1t Is, IN, my humble Judgement,
very dangerous doctrine and very untrue
one. The people cannot bind themselves by
constitution though that was one of the
great virtues and purposes of constitution.
| We admit them to be sovereign. Why can
not they make what sort Of constitution
they please The constitution which soycr-
elgnly makes, in oil its parts and in all its
purposes, must be the rule ofconduct for all
| 1t cannot be abolished except in the manner
| prescribed and pointed out i'll the consttu-
ton itself, if any manner is prescribed.
II the Presidents doctrine on this subject
be true, what becomes OF the Constitution Of
the United States Instead Of following the
mode CT amendment prescribed in the Con-
stliution the people by their irresistible
power, may IN any other manner at any time
change the whole frame Of our government.
There is not State constitution in the Union
that does not impose some restraint as to the
| manner of change. What would a constltu-