The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1858-06-19
Poiitieai.
SPEECH
HON. r. p. STANTON.

pointed to be held in this Territory on the
I'd day of August next, you will be called
upon to determine whether you will accept
or reject the Lecompton constitution
whether you will enter the Union as a
State under that organization, or whether
YOU will remain ont of it, until it shall
please Congress to admit you with a con-
stitution of your own adoption, and upon
terms which you shall deem to be consis-
tent with your rights and your honor.
That l have truly stated the question,
gentlemen, as it viii be presented to the
people at the coming election, does not
seem to me to admit of any doubt. But,
because am aware that an effort has been
made, and will continue to be made, to
deceive the people, by persuading them
that in accepting the terms offered by the
act of Congress, they do not accept and
endorse the Lecompton constitution, l
deem it necessary, in the beginning, to
settle this point beyond controversy, and
to show the precise character of the law
BY reference to its own specific provisions.
The very title Of the act, taken in con-
neetion with the preamble, is conclusive.
1t is "An act for the admission of the State
of Kansas into the Union," and the pre-
amble recites, that the people of the Ter
ritory of Kansas did, by a convention of
delegates assembled at Lecompton on the
7th day of November, 1857, for that pur-
pose, and form for themselves constitu-
ton and State government, which consti-
tuition is republican" After further re-
citing the ordinance adopted by the con-
ventioD, and its rejection by Congress, the
law proceeds to state its object, thus: "It
is desirable to ascertain whether the peo-
pie of Kansas concur in the changes in
said ordinance hereinafter stated, and de-
sire admission into the Union as State as
herein proposed therefore, Be 1T enacted,
that the State of Kansas be and is hereby
admitted into the Union on an equal foot
ing with the original States in all respects
whatever, but upon this fundamental con-
dition precedent, namely, that the ques-
ton Of admission with the following prop
Osition, in lieu of the ordinance framed at
Lecompton, be submitted to a vote of the
people of Kansas, &C." Then, after stat
ing the land proposition, in detail, the 1st
section of the law continues:
"At the said election the voting shall
be by ballot, and by endorsing on his bal
lot, as each voter may please, " Proposition
accepted" or Proposition rejected."-
Should a majority of the votes be cast for
Proposition accepted" the President OF
the United States, as soon as the fact is
duly made known to him. shall announce
the same by proclamation; and thereafter,
and without any further proceedings On
the part of Congress, the admission of the
State of Kansas into the Union upon an
equal footing with the original States in all
respects whatever shall be complete and
absolute, and said State shall be entitled
to one member in the House of Represen-
tatives in the Congress Of the United States
until the next census be taken by the Fed
eral Government. But should majority
OF the votes be cast for Proposition re-
jected," IL shall be deemed and held that the
people Of Kansas do not desire admission into
the Union NTH said constitution under the
conditions set forth tn the said proposition. +"
Now, fellow-citizens, l hold it to be
plain, beyond all cavil, that in substance
and effect, these provisions of the law do
submit to the people of Kansas the ques-
ton of admission into the Union under the
Lecompton constitution. No other con-
struction can be fairly placed upon it. In
no less than three places-with unequiy-
ocal clauses three times repeated-the law
directly authorizes the people to adopt or
reject the Lecompton government. First,
having falsely stated that the people of
Kansas did form for themselves a ccnsti-
tuition and State government, it proposes
to ascertain whether the people desire ad-
mission into the Union as .State-meaning,
OF course, the State asserted to have been
formed at Lecompton. Secondly, it de-
elares that the question Of admission, with
the following proposition, &C., shall be
submitted to the people," And finally, to
make the conclusion absolutely certain and
free from all shadow of doubt, it enacts
what shall be the effect of vote of the
majority against the proposition. In that
case, " 1t shall be deensed and held that the
people Of Kansas do not desire admission
into the Union soih said constitution"
do not disguise either to myself, or to
you, gentlemen, that there are connected
with the proposition thus submitted to the
people, certain other consequences and
conditions, of most extraordinary char
aeter, most disreputable to the party which
forced them upon Congress, and most un-
just and humiliating to the people of Kan
sas l shall speak of these features of the
law directly. At present, 1 look at the
law aostractly, for the purpose of demon
slratlns that, essentially, in its legal effect
ana operation, whatever other question it
may ostensibly submit, it does virtually
allow the people Of the Territory to deter
mine whether they will, or will not have
tue Lecompton constitution. You may
say, II you please, that is not the question
intended to be submitted, and will freely
grant that the authors of the law did not
Wlsa to be understood as submitting any
suen question-at least they did not wish
70 oe So understood by one particular party
n the country. But whatever they may
Iase intended to place upon the surface Of
do-: asSfCi SiuSo tHcl may nav
tSd Seslred to give it. gliding the pill fol
themselves or Others, it nevertheless con-
rA ,a.ls TIE nauseous physic which they de-
Oance even while they swallow it.
inat was an illustration given, believe
~ ~ mat gallant Southerner, Humphrey
,astsnaii, ms.., of Kentucky, when he said il
n;.a ma.'e5ed not what question might be sub
.Iuea n words-even the question
sL Jne1ner the moon was made of greer
- ..Iaeese-if the proper effect were given te
r. r.. vote on the one side and on the other
i we people of Kansas vote that the moon
/. I made OF green cheese, then they shall
aeld and deemed to desire admission
.ao the Union" under the Lecomptor
nus.lIutlon. If they vote down the pro-
tsn SsOs.l'on as TO the constitution of the moon
AZ sn the opposite result shall follow. and
% people shall not be forced to submit tc
e, 1ssitution which they have not made
a. 81 themselves. This might be consid-
t;;e oa very silly and absurd mode of get.
- d the question but while it would