Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-02-11


followed in the Of his conquest, peace
We were assured the other day. by lh
Court Journal, that "all is quiet 10 Kansas.
Sir, il there be quiet in that distant Ter
ritory, it is not the quiet Of conteptmeut
it is not the calm reroso Of a people Sc
cure in their rights and happy in the en-
joyment Of them; It is the fitful lull whicl
proceeds the storm. Look to Il, We war
ders Of the Union and the Constitution
that by your act the freeme1 Of Kansas ar
not driven 70 that point at which forbesr
ance ceasest 10 be virtue, nay, becomes
crime, and submission the basest cowsrdic
and treason. | was paiued,sir, to hear th,
gentleman from Arkansas Mr.. WARNER
say in this debate "that the people Of Kan
las had not the manliness to assert aed deien,
their rights as free men, and to form thei
own Government" and yet be was read
ito vote now to admit the State of Kansa
under the Lecompton Constitution" Tn,
first Of these assertions, sir, whether 81
intended or not, is, in my judgment, {
cAlumuy upon that injured people, and tht
last is q concession that the Constitution
which that gentleman is ready to vote fol
and sanction was not formed by the people
Of Kansas. While thank the gentleman
for this honest concession that the Lecomp
ton Constitution was not framed by the
people, / beg leave to say to him, and tC
all who think with him upon this floor,
that, notwithstanding bis assertion of their
want of manliness, Notwithstanding he
questions their yalor, Kansas is peopled
with freemen who know their rights, and
knowing, dare MAINTAIN them. They have
the fortitude to endure; they have learned
wisdom in the lair of oppression; and to.
day, by their defiant "a itude, bear witness
that tue fires of persecution through which
they have walked are not wholly impo.
tent for good, but may elevate ard purify
as we'll as consume. | say, as did the gen.
tleman from Georgia, [Mr, GARTRELL,
addressed the House tbs morning, II am
no alarmist." l would scorn to invoke
any mans fears; | would scorn to appeal
to any mau's predjudices; l would .corn
TO anticipate consequences, however immi,
nent or perilous, By way Of apology, or
colhrable apology, for infideity to duty.
| say it deliberately, as the conviction Of
my MUD, that our oaths and our honor,
and the peace and prosperity ofour whole
country, alike demand that as Represen.
tatives Of the American people, we should,
careless Of all consequences, spurn this LIE.
compton Constisntion fiom US. An hon.
est man fears no act of bis life so much as
duty unperforned, or wrong purposeIy com.
mitted.
I repeat it: look to it, ye Representa-.
tives of the people, We men who keep ward
and watch over the Constitution and the
Union, that the freemen of Kansas are not,
by your act, driven to the dread election
of submission and dishonor, or resistance
unto blood. ! tell you, notwithstanding
their alleged want of manliness, Kansas
has hosts of citizens, good men and true,
who will never stoop to be your abject
slaves,
awhile heaven has light or earth has graves!"
Sanction this Constitution, conceived in
sin and brought forth in iniquity, and you
can only maintain il by the Federal arm
and the Federal bayonet; it can never re-
ceive the voluntary support of free peo-
pie. Sanction this constitution, and with
it sanction, as it sanctions, that code of
denominations which the invaders of Kan
sas enacted, and you compel resistance
Resistance to such legislation would be du-
ty, not crime; patriotism, not treason.-
The resistants, or insurgents, or REBELs,if
you please, could point you, in vindication
Of their rebellion, to the fact that the his
tory of Federal intervention in Kansas,
ever since the day of its organization, is
but history of repeated injuries and usur,
pations. .....
In vindcation of their rebellion, they
could point you to the fact, that by your
organic act you solemnly pledged the ma,
lions faith that the people of Kansas
should be left perfectly free to form and
regulate their domestic institutions in their
own way, subject only to the Constitution
of the United States" In vindication of
their rebellion, they could point you to
The glowing words ofthe great Declaration,
that "all men are created equal, and endow
ed by their Creator with the rights of life
and lberty;" and that to secure these
rights, Governments are instituted among
men, deriving their Just powers from tie
consent of the governed" These words
Of the Declaration still live; ike the words
Of Luther, they are half battles; they pos
sess vitality; they we're accredited in the
day Of our pation's peril as the law and
Lhe voice Of God; to-day they announce
The great right of selfgovQrnment, upon
which rests the beautiful fabric of our free
Institutions. Let the wronged men OF Kan
sas, in protest against your proposed act
Of tyranny-your violation Of their natural
and guaranteed right Of self government
but appeal to the whole people of Ameri,
ca in the living and immortal words Of
The Declaration, and their appeal will not
be MADE in vain; it will stir the American
heart like the blast of a trumpet.
Mr. CLEMENS. Will the gentleman
from Ohio allow me to ask him a question 7
Mr. BINGHAM. Yes, sir.
Mr. CLEMENS. You have cited the
language Of the Declaration of Iudepend-
ence, that all Governments derive their
just powers from the consent of the govrn.
ed. Will you be kind enough to tell me
whether, according to the popular system
Of government the people can act ex.
cept under law and by law, or whether