The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-03-31

tored peace to the. country again. Had
that Missouri line been extended to the
Pacific, slavery agitation would have been
closed forever, and emigration would have
sought one side of the line or the other,
according as they preferred.
He thought if there had been any ad.
vantage to one section over another, it |
would have accrued to the South, for |
Southern men voted for it almost to man |
while Northern men not only went against |
it, but proposed instead a law to prevent
Slavery in the territories.
These compromise measures, said Mr..
D., arc familiar TO the Senate and the
country. Congress eventually decided that
new Territories should choose their domes-
tic policy for themselves. For want Of
power to carry out his own measures, he
argued with this new line of policy, with
the view Of healing sectional strife, and
restoring peace 10 the country. His OBJ
ject was to localize, not nationalze, slave
ry. But the measure caused great excite
ment and Indignation, and he felt it ncces-
sary to go before the people, and he made
speech at Chicago, defining as he did
now, his position.
The people of Illinois, on sober refec-
ton, approved his course, and the Legis-
lature, with great unanimity, passed reso-
lutions to that effect. Subsequently, as
Senator of that State, and member of the
Democratic party, he felt it his duty, to
apply to the Kansas-Nebraska bill the
principle which had been substituted for
the geographical line. The Wing party
adopted that policy in their platform, in
1852, and the Democrats did the same
and elected Gen. Pierce. Hence, 10th
parties were pledged to it,
The exact words Of that principle are
that it is not intended TO legislate slave
ry into any territory, but to ltave the peo-
pie to regulate their own affairs. Now,
said MIR. Douglas, the question ARISES, is
the Lecompton Constitution in accordance
with the principles of the Compromise of
1850, and in accordance with the organic
act? Have the people of Kansas been
left to manage their own affairs in their
own way, subject only to the Constitution
of the United States
Does the Lecompton Constitution Gun.
body the will of the people of Kansas
IF it does, you have the right to admit her
into the Union, and to waive any irregu-
larity that may have occurred in the mi.
nor details. The whole action of this
House turns on this whether or not they
have free expression of their will in that
act But what evidence have we that it
is so. He would refrain from going into
any report of how many votes were fraud.
ulent but supposing them all legal, how
can we accept it as the will of the people,
when they could only vote for and not
against it and at the subsequent election
against it there were ten thousand.
This was evidence, to his mind, that L.
compton is not the expression of the will
of the people. 1t has been said that the
election of Dec 81 was Legal, and that on
January 4 was not legal. Where do you
find the law that legalized the election of
Dec. 81. Only under the law of the LIE.
compton Constitution, which, if it posses
sed any legislative power, only possessed
as much as it received from the Legisla.
ture, and if so, the Legislature possessed
as much power on Jan. as Dec. 81, and
on Feb. 20.
The Convention was bound to conduct
all its proceedings in accordance with the
laws Of the Legislature, and when it acted
otherwise than in accordance with the au-
thority of the Legislature, it committed an
act of rebellion. If you judge this Con-
stituton by the technical forms of law, it
was voted down and Jet you are called on
now to give it, validity. But if you ap-
proach it in the spirit of statemanship you
find it was not the embodiment of the will
of the people.
We are told that there are large nrm-
Der of free sellers and aboltionist who
would have voted it down if they had got
a chance. Sir, this is an admission that
it is not an expression Of the will Of the
people Where is your right to force a
Constitution on an unwilling people?
Mr.. Stuart, of Michigan, here made an
appeal to the House to preserve order.
Mr.. Douglas resumed. On the Dist Of
Dec. severe struggle took place between
two parties in the territory. 1t Was the
fairest election and yet the Legislature
came together and told you the Lecomp-
ton Const tuition was not the will of the
people and he (Douglas) would hazard
the prediction, that if you ask Gov Den
yer to-day, he will tell you it is mock.
cry and delusion.
Consult the poll books-the high gov
eminent officials in the Territory-private
citizens-and they will all tell you it does
not embody the will of the people. Hence
they deny your right to make it the Or
ganic law, and if it becomes so, it will be
by the act of Congress, and not by the will
of the peoples
We are told that the constitution may
be changed, that it is small matter but
the principle is the same.
Mr.. Stuart again appealed to the Presi-
dent to send an officer to keep quiet in the
galleries.
FEDERAL OFFICE HOLDERS IN VERMONT.
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