The Tiffin tribune. [volume] (Tiffin, Ohio) 1848-1859, 1858-06-04
TIFFfN, OHIO, FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 1853.

ness, then there would be equelity.
appeal to my friend from Virgiaia to
know whether he, as = Southern man. de
sires TO see tho principle Of congressional
Intervention to control and influence the
voting Of the pooplo carried out hereafter
in the admission Of new States? The
time may come when the case will be re.
versed. The time may come when there
will DO an and.slayery majority in both
Houses Of Congress. Whom that time
comes, IL may 50 happen that bill may
be brought forward with land grant Of
ton millions Of acres for free State, and
Eve million for 4 slave State, or allowing
free State 10 come in with a population
LOT forty thousand, and providing that a
slave State shall not come in without
NINETY thousand, Would our Southern
friends regard that as being fair inter.
pretotion OF the principles Of popular SOW
ereign,yY Would they not say that was
the most dangerous and unconstitutional
system Of Intervention ever devised. when
the Federal Government steps into tho
Territories, aud by us bouulies on Que
side, and its penalties on the other, at.
tompts to influence aud control the action
Of the people,
l do not regard this as a matter Of
much consequence to Kansas; l do not
believe there is enough in this bounty, or
enough in this penalty, to exercise any
material influence upon the people Of Kan
sas in this election, but il involves the
great fundamental principle. il involves
the principle Of freedom of election, and
il involves the great princlple Of selr.goy-
ernment, upon which our institutions rest.
with all the anxiety chat have had to be
able to arrive to a conclusion in haromny
with the overwhelming majority Of my
political friends in Congress, l could not
bring my judgment or cousciepOo to the
conclusion that this was a fair, impartial,
aud equal application Of the principe.
There is another objection to this prop
osition, one that looks badly upon It's Gaoe.
| take il for granted that it was intended
TO be fair and just, but il gives cause for
apprehension, and will generate suspicion
among the people that the election under
il will not be, and cannot be, fair. / al.
lude to the provision as to the board Of
commissioners.
BY the bill framed by the eminent SEN
ator from Kentucky, and passed by the
House of Representatives, there was to
be board of four commissioners to su-
perutend the election on the constitution;
two representing the people Of the Terri.
tory, being the presiding officers of the
two branches Of the Legislature; the 9th
or two representing the Federal Govern.
meut, being the Governor and Secretary
appointed by the President and Senate -
In that way, two commissioners would
necessarily be of one class Of politics, and
the other two Of another class of Of poll
tics. Under that state of the case, Il is
not probable that unfairuess would have
been perpetrated in the election. Under
that board, as prescribed by the Senator
from Kentucky, you would have the assu-
rauca from the law itself that one-hall OF
tha judges Of election would belong to
one party, and one-half to the other; aud
chat o1e-half OF the clerks would belong
to one, and one.half TO the other.
But how is it when you add a 9th
member TO the board and provide that
the board shall consist of five, the two
presiding officers Of the lie 5islature, aud
then the Governor, Secretary, and tho
District Attorney, making three United
States officers, and declare that three
shall constitute tho bolr? Is il not clear
that if these three gentlemen choose, they
can have all the judges Of the election
an all the clerks Of election aud all the
returning officers Of one class OF pililical
Saith, the same as Mr.. Cilhoun did at the
elections which took place on the 2Ist Of
December and the first Monday Of Jauu-
ary? Does not the chqnge in this respect
give ground for apprehension that you
may have the Oxford, the Shawnee, and
the Delaware Crossing and Kickapoo
frauds re-enacte1 at this election?
should have been better satisfied if il
had been left as the House bill left il,
With the four commissioners, two from
each political party in Kansas, two repro-
senting the Federal Government, two
representing the people Of the Territory,
requiring three 10 be a quorum, thus rem
dering itimpo isible for partisan politics 10
kghtA!A bAN hbtAbA Va klld u0Hlus 4 no NbI1
fact that it was deemed necessary or wise
to change this feature, is to me serious
objection 10 this proposition.
Then, sir. what is my duty upon this
question, under this STATE Of ,he case? /
have but one line Of duty, and that is "a
vote against the bill; because, IN my opin,
ion, there is not fait submission 10 the
people Under such circumstances as to in,
sure a. unbiased election and fair returns
| have indicated two amendments, which,
il they had been made, would have ena,
bled me to support this bill, notwithsaud.
ing other defects ia IT, l will indicate
another am willing to subscribe TO the
principle that a Territory shall contain
the requisite population for member OF
Congress before admission provided il Is
made a general law. The Senator from
Ohio { Mr.. Pugh. yesterday cited me a,
authority for that provision Of this bill
He referred to my report, as Chairman
Of the Committee on Territories, and the
bill accompanying il, in 85G, in which
then provided that Kansas might proceed
to form a constitution when she had the
requisite population. to- witt ninety .thre,