Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-05-11
RIack Republican Interpretation of
the Kansas Conference BflI---Mr.
Stewards Speech.

There are a multiplicity of interpretations
of the Kansas Conference Bill extant. pro-
mnlged by the politicians and the newspapers.
1t is by turns cloud simply, then a camel a
church, a weasel, whale. 1t is a trick an
artiice, a bride, a threat, hocus-pocus, leger-
denain. 1t is a concession of everything to
the freesoilers it comedies to them nothing;
it gives the South the shadow and the North
the substance; it gives the North the shadow
and the South the substance; it is re-sub-
mission of the Lecompton constitution; 1t Is
not a re-submission at all it is complete
backing down of the Lecomptonites it is
Lecompton over again; it is a settlement OF
the Kansas question; it re0pens and slaves
off the question indefinitely it is a triumph
of freesoil fanaticism; it is triumph of
slavery propagandism it is nothing; or it is
anything; or it is everything. 1t is sort of
quintuple Janus, with about dozen faces.
These constructionists are all sincere and
honest-to say otherwise would be, at least,
ungenerous-and for the present we call them
30. But after all, the milk in the cocoa-nut
is slavery and anti-slavery. Kansas was en-
stitution as a slave State, because that instru-
ment was formed by convention embodying
the sovereignty of the people and by it the
people were bound. But she was not so adj
mitted, and it was ascertained that she never
could be upon the direct application. The
conference proposed a new scheme, whereby
there was another chance offered to attain
that result. 1t was opposed upon the same
radical and anti-slavery grounds, by the ma
jority OF its opponents, to-wit, the black re-
publicans, in both Houses of Congress. They
were willing to admit Kansas under the TOpe-
ka constitution without it's submission to the
people, because. it was violently anti slavery;
they were willing to admit Kansas under the
Lecompton constitution, provided it could be
done SO as to transform Kansas Immediately
into free State; they were and are willing
to vote in any form, on any principle, pro-
rided slavery shall thereby be circumventcd
and weakened. From this standpoint we
have viewed this entire controversy. And
though we have opposed the whole Kansas
administration of Mr.. Buchanan and his pre-
decessor; and though we might have preferred
different policy by the LccomptOn cOnven-
ton; and though dissatisfied with the confer
ence bill, we could not lend ourselves for
moment to the views of the black republicans.
or to be party by accident or otherwise to
q deliberate and systematic attempt TO deprive
the South of rights which she claims under
the Federal constitution the regular opera
ton of the territorial laws of Kansas.
More to preserve a clear and connected re-
cord than for any present practical good, we
subjoin a few extracts from the speech of Mr..
SEWARD, in the Senate on the 30th April,
pending the conference bill These disclose
the true ground on which he and his party
associates have resisted the admission of Kan
sas, and verify the correctness of our views:
"Mr Presidnet, the use of equivocation, or
the double eHtendye, is an act of immortality in
legislation, deserving of severe consure.
What respect, what submission, what obedi-
ence can you expect from the citizen, if legis-
lators resort TO such practice in making
their laws? There are worse consequences
beyond this immortality. The measure before
Congress ScW drdU after IL, not only the IN
trance of Kansas into he Union Stare
State, bit all the consequences ,0hich ,c1u
Jolloc from tie establishment Of Stare State
utc celttTe OF ms continent on inc ulSH-
way between the Atlantic and Pacific north |
of 80 deg. 80 NINA slave State that are, |
for our present purpose, to consider is to be |
perpetual and immortal. You have only, by |
this or by any other course of action, direct |
or indirect, TO Introduce slavery there, and |
extend il across our whole domain from |
North to South, to raise a barrier between the |
East and the West between the Atlantic and
Pacific portions of the Republic was going
tnec 4 will
n 1untable that the..rdges of the Rocky Noun
t.,Ins or the snow-capped range of the Sierra
Nevada.
"Sir, il amuses me much when | hear pat
riotic and sagacious men pretending the
removal of this capital from the falls of the
Potomac to the junction of the Allegheny and
the Monongahela, or sometimes, with broa-
der forecast, to Cincinnati, the queen city of
Ohio, or further on to st. Louis, and so set
Ting the centre of Federal power in the valley
of the Mississippi. Sir, if you will only con-
fine this institution of slavery within its pre-
sent boundaries, give it no further room nor
verge, the capital of this country may remain
where it is, but the centre of the Union VIII
be nearer the valley of Mexico than the valley
of the Mississippi. Then that power will
grasp the equator on the one side and the |
northern pole on the other. But no such |
hope awaits the Republic if you separate |
the free Atlantic States from the free Pacific |
coast.
sir, while this bill ignores the real question
il suppresses with double care, the great, |
leading, actual political fact which lies every
where just beneath the surface OF the whole |
debate II Kansas comes into his Union IN
der the Lecompton Constellation, she as
a sldue STATE. If she comes under any other |
constitution, il is hoped, by those who advo-
cate freedom, that she will come as free |
State This bill gives Kansas the choice of |
being slave State, and only that choice. |
You have already induced the Supreme Court |
of the United States 10 eXpound your Consti- |
tuition so that the President, ON their authori- |
ty, declares that Kansas, so long as she re-
mains Territory, is a slave State as much as
South Carolina. The change you offer her is, |
that if she will accept the Lecompton Consti- |
tuition she shall be recognized in form, as well |
as in fact, slave State. Sir, your bill |
gives no alternative but this. ltdoes indeed !
saw that in the future-God knows how far |
of it may be-if slavery be now recognized |
there the people of Kansas may make anoih- |
er constitution, and send IL to you here for !
your consideration. Sir, the postponement Is |
a mockery. When they come here with a free |
constitution, they will do only what they did |
two years ago; you refused them then. They |
will only have in that constitution what they |
had in the Missouri prohibition, thirty-eight |
years ago; and you struck that prohibition |
frCm the statetc Dooh. lney WIZ olliy ttptnt
what they demand now, To be admitted as |
free State; you refuse now to admit them in |
this character. Sir. il is offering wager |
against chance, backed by device and fraud.
Here is piece of silver Of the coinage of the |
United States. On the one side is the eagle, |
on the reverse Is the emblem of liberty; you
say TO Kansas choose, wager, whether the /
eagle of liberty is uppermost; still slavery
wins the wager. Sr utis btH Is nothing bta lie. |
compton orv again. Leoo"yton rhh nae varia-
ton, but the abhorrent air pervades the entire |
Arrangement of this composition.
. Upon what grounds IL this bill, thus shown |
IN he so sieeply objectionable recommended |