The Tiffin tribune. [volume] (Tiffin, Ohio) 1848-1859, 1858-06-04

uunufeu anu twenty tnousauut ~ Is ln
tervention with inducements to coutro
the result IL is Intervention with a
bounty on The one side and penalty on
the other. ask, are We prepared "a
ooustrue the great principle Of popular
sovereignty IN such manner as will rec
ognize the right Of Congress to intervene
and control the decision that the people
may make on this question.
The great principle for which we have
all contended, in the language Of the Kan
sas-Nebraska act, is 10 leave 'the people
perfectly free to form aud regulate their
domestic institutions IN their own way,
subject only TO the Constitution Of the
United States" II you hold out large
grants, and pecuniary inducements, to
influence the affirmative vote, and the ter.
ror Of staying out OF the Union TO influ-
enoe the negative vote, submit the ques-
ton, whether that people are left perfect
/ ly free to form and regulate their institu.
tons or not? insist that where there
are inducements on one side, and penal.
ties on the other, there is no freedom Of
election. The election must be free. The
electors must be left unbiased by the ao-
tiop Of the government, II you are going
to have fair elections, and fair decision
For these reasons l do not think that
this bill brings the question within that
principle which / have held dear and in
defence Of which l have stood here for
the last FIVE months, battling against the
large majority Of my political friends,
and ia defense Of which intend to stand
as long as / have any association or con-
nection with the politics Of the country,
| must repeat. sir, that do not think
this brings IL within the principle thus
laid down, nor do the Democracy Of Illi-
uois think this bill comes within that
principle
Public meetings were held in ninety
eight Of the one hundred and odd coun
ties. In ninety-seven Of these counties
resolutions were passed endorsing the
course Of the delegation in Congress upon
this question. In one county the oppo-
site policy you see sustained, That was
the county Of Lake, a county where the
Republicans have an overwhelming ma
jority- perhaps ten or twenty to one over
he Democrats, and where there were
just Democrats enough to hold the post
Office and the custom house, and 10 FIJI
the lighthouses. That one county was
carried by the Lecompton men, twenty
seven of them in number. think; the
other ninety seven counties were being
carried by the AntiLeeompton men, and
in nearly all Of them by unanimous vote.
That convention representing the entire
State, embodied more Of the eminent and
distinguished men-men of weight, OF
character, moral, political and social, than
any convention ever assembled in the
State.
| have had appeals made to me from
political friends, whom respect aud es
TEEN. imploring me to yield this great
principle on this question in consideration
Of so many concessions being made on
the other side. Some of that glorious
band Of Democrats, who have been act.
ing with me on this question during the
session, have felt il their duty thus to
yield, believing, as they think. that they
have secured substantial triumph in this
great contest. Sir, l desire no personal
triumph. / have not stood hero for fve
months in conflict with men with whom
have acted whole lifetime, struggling
for a personal triumph. Hence, because
they have made concessions, that fact
ought not to change my course unless
those concessions are of such a nature as
to give me the principles for which l con-
tend.
If the object was to prove that the lie.
compton men had backed down, and
abandoned their original ground, l could
parade the fact that at the opening Of this
session we were told that Kansas must
come in uLder the Lecompton oonstitu-
tion Internationally, or else Aat four
States would seUede from the Union. II
was then to be an unconditional admis-
sion. After while, upon reflection, up
on investigation, the conclusion was dr.
rived at that it was Wise TO put clause
IN the bill in some way recognizing the
right Of the people of that State to change
their constitution before 1864, although,
according to my construction Of its terms,
It prohibited any change Until that period
Here was concession made. a great con
cessioh, a concession which never could
have made, on whichever side Of the
question may have been, for the reason
that / do not believe that Congress- have
any right to alter or oonstrue asthorita'
lively State constitution
1t was not satisfactory to me 10 have
! Congress, IN pursuance Of the reeommen-
dalton Of the President; intervene and
recognize, by any implication, the right
Of tie people to change their State Con
! stitdtion id manner different from that
. prescribed 10 the instrument itself. de-
ny the rightof Congress to exercise any
such power. deny the right Of Con
gress To intervene aud authoritatively
construe the Constitution Of State. /
the Constitution was their act and deed
! il it embodied their will it was sacred
and il ought not TO be touched by Con
gress in any respect whatever, except Il
/ receive it Internationally, or raiect il un
condidoually. That concession was made
A but still it did not reach the point wbicl
: l had felt it my duty TO make. IL di'
not come to my principle. do not CLAIM
: that Senator's are undet any more obliga