Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-02-04
MIR. Hickman's Speech.

Kansas queStloHs u ieW udgo shNS'
Honse, by Mr.. Hickman (Democrat) of Penn
and shows pretty clearly the feeling Of the De-
mocracy in Mr.. Buchanan's own State =:
Mr.. Hickman said that he was compelled to
dissent from the view Of the President on the
Kansas question, and his opposition to the
Presidents treatment but Kansas affairs "a
mot arise from an objection to Slavery, out
was based on a foundation more plainly under
stood, namely: 0 violation OF a decia:eu
principle in the Kansas Nebraska Act to ask
him to support the LecSmpton Constitution
would be to insnlt MIN by casting suspicion on
his INTEGRITY. He might stand alone, but he
would not part with his free thoughts Tor a
throne. He knew that different motives
would be attributed to him il his conduct bear
ing Immediately or remotely on Southern IN
situations. should subject him to the anathemas
Of his Southern friends, so be it. He should
not conceal his sentiments in order to obtain a
charactable Constitution. The attempt made
to force the Lecompton Constitution on an ul-
willing people, by force or fraud, would induce
him to resist it. He would grant to bis bretil'
rem what he claimed for himself, namely the
exercise of rights in their ~fullness conferred by
pure law and liberty. This was the golden
and constitutional rnle-sound alike both for
individuals and States. He strongly denounc-
ed the frauds and impositions on the people OF
Kansas. Slavery having been fastened on them
lin bold defiance Of their sacl&d rights. He
kcould not lendshimseif to any &Npemsast 10 uA-
dermine the pledges made by democrats to the
people of of the country. In abiding to the
Presidents Message, he said he always knew
that Slavery was a peculiar institution, but
never knew before it embraced all the domes-
tic institutions in which, by the Kansas-Ne-
braska law, the people were perfectly free to
act in their own way. This doctrine Of popu-
lar sovereignty is not so popular as i was
1t was formerly supposed to mean something
giving the people power over all their domes-
tic institutions, but now, as thought by the
President, it is to be sweated down toathe con-
temptible dimensions as to whether they shall
hold a negro in bonds or not. This is all the
extent of popular sovereignty. The case, how
ever, is worse-it is false pretense. The ques-
ton of Slavery could not be voted on because
of a proviso in the Lecompton Constitution
rendering it impossible, as it is declsfed that
Slavery shall not be interfered with, as it now
exists in Kansas just as firmly as IN South
Carolina. This was the first time Ihe had
i iCdlu liz bltdb ~ W uof u utlC AZ -
and their issue can be held as slaves, and where
| the institution shall not he distRHbedk Were.
Democrats bound to support the 1eeompton
Constitution simply because it was Executive
appreciation. He should as soon admits bast-
ard to be a lawful heir, as that Constitution
to be the representative Of the sovereign will
of Kansas. 1t has no lawful body, and hence
the acts emanating from it were Illegal. Ruff
ianism has there held sway from the beginning
to the present time, and, in order to conceal
this from everybody, efforts had been made to
conceal the fact. How had it occurred that
no Democratic officials had been found strong
enough to stand the atmosphere of Kansas
Flour Democratic Governors were successive
ly. sent hither, and all returned telling the
same story in nearly the same words, that SOW
ereignty was crushed out of Kansas. The
reply to the question what is to be done with
those who vote against the Lecompton Cons.i-
tuition, was given in Southern newspapers +;
they are to be branded, have their ears slit,
and then read out Of the Democratic party, but
care must be taken that too many men of the
North are not read out of that organization
He thought he had PRETTY distiHct reck3fection
ofythe necessity which existed for strenuous
efforts to secure the vote of Pennsylvania for
Buchanan, and remembered, too, what kind of
feeling the South had lest the Presidency
should fall on a sectional party. Might he
not then imagine why the soldiers in that corr
test should be slaughtered SO unceremoniously
to support the Lecompton Constitution p
Wa he to support that begotten in fraud and
brought forth in iniquity ? He scorned the
recommendation to admit Kansas on the
ground Of expediency, in the absence of right
1t was in direct violation and contempt of
pledges which had been made to the people,
and ~violative Of the title by which Mr.. Blu
chanan holds bis present position. Had the
Presidents Annual Message been read before
the election ofa56 there is no telling how large
a majority would have been returned against
him. Let Kansas be forced into the Union
with the Leeompton Constitution and there
will be an end of national platforms and the
beginning Of sectional Presidents.
Mr.. Sherman recapitulated the history Of
Kansas, and said that the Free-StHte men
there have done more by their courage TO Sc
cure our institutions there against fraud and
violence, than any other people since the found
alton of the Government. If all endeavor is
made to force the Lecompton Constitution
there it must be by the strength Of arms, for
every aspiration Of liberty will be against such
an attempt.