The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-11
NO. $50.

criticism OF the ffeslOenC 8 special message.
he denied that the Presidents statement of
Kansas affairs was either complete or accurate.
Considered as q history of events in Kansas, il
was about as accurate as the bulletins of Ma.
poleon, detailing the progress of the grand army
when in full retreat from Moscow.
Mr.. Wilson then specified in detail the Incl.
dents which, as he thought, were of public no.
toriety. in respect to the civil annals of this
distracted Territory, whose Government, in the
first instance, had been usurped by an invasion
of nearly FIVE Thousand Missourians. The peo.
ple of Kansas had sought to relieve themselves
from this great outrage by the voluntary forma.
ton of the Topeka Constitution, but they had
never sought to enforce any enactments passed
under that organization, and were therefore
not Justly chargeabe with rebellion against the
Federal Government. Selfrespect, however,
demanded that they should refuse to recognise
laws enacted by an usurping Legislature, forced
upon them by the votes of an armed mob.
The speaker proceeded IN review the history
of the late Constitutional Convention, and ex.
pressed surprise that the President should have
cited only such portions of Governor Walkers
dispatches as served to incriminate the Free
State party, while the other statements and re-
ports of this chosen witness are either wholly
unnotced or discredited. The Administration
had quailed before the muttered wrath of the
South, excited by the conduct of Governor
Walker, who had been assailed by public men
and by public presses in that section, for an
act so msnifestly just and proper as the re-
lection of the Johnson and MCGEE county
frauds.
He denied that the people of Kansas had
had an opportunity, as stated by the President,
to vote upon Slavery. The Lscompton Consti.
tuition, with the Slavery article inserted was
less Objectionable to Anti-Slavery men than
the same instrument with that article stricken
OUT for, in this latter case, Slavery was placed
BY the schedule forever beyond the civil author
ity of the people. The President, by his state
ment on this point, had insulted the intelligence
of Congress and of the country.
Mr.. Wilson expressed surprise at the quib-
bling technicalities employed to gloss over the
total absence of that popular support which,
under institutions like ours, constitutes the
substance of republican government And
this WAS done in the face of protests from Gov
ernor Reeder, Governor Geary, Governor Walk
er, and Secretary Stanton-men who. from
their personal knowledge of Kansas affairs, one
would suppose competent, even in the Presi-
dents judgment, to give advice on the question
of fact involved in the new issue now before
Congress. AT any rate, it was left to the Senate
to decide, by vote upon bis motion, whether it
would examine or not into the frauds charged by
Government officials to have been perpetrated
at the late elections III Kansas; and, from the
decision arrived at by the Senate upon this
question, the country would be enabled to
Judge between those who coveted and those
who opposed an investigation of the facts in
yolved in the case.
Mr.. Brown, expressed his cordial concurrence
with the special message of the President. 1t
was rarely that be could find so much with
which to agree in paper of equal length.
he designed to address himself chiefly to his
political confederates, with the view of ascer.
tanning their duty in the present exigency. 1t
had been understood, at the passage Of the
Kansas N Nebraska act, that the friends of that
measure were pledged to vote for the Omission
of Kansas either as a free or slave State, as
the people might decide. This pledge had been
reafirmed at Cincinnati, in the platform of the
Democratic party, and it now remained to be
seen whether the contract was to be kept or
broken.
Slavery, he said, as everybody knows, lies
at the bottom of the pending difficulty. Free
States had always been admitted without con-
test. 1t was only slave States which encounter
ed opposition, as was seen in the case of Mis-.
souri,, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, and now of
Kansas. Slavery had broken down the old
Wing party, and had scattered the " American y
almost before it was formed. The same causes
which had worked the ruin of these political
organizations were now threatening the dissolu-
ton of the Democracy-a result which would
array the North aud the South in compact ar
ray the one against the other. How long the
Union would survive such division of parties,
it needed no prophetic vision to predict.
Mr.. Brown reviewed the various attempts
which had been made TO compromise upon this
exciting topic, IS seen in 1920, 1850, and 1854.
The compromises had all proved Intellectual
sedatives to the Anti-Slavery excitement for
now, less than three years since the last soda
tive was administered, the body polite is again
attacked with similar mslady. For himself,
he was opposed to all further compromises.
He stood by the Kansas Nebraska law as il is
written, and only asked of its pledged support.
ers to stand by their contract, without quib-
bling and without evasion.
He admitted there had been disturbances in
Kansas, but they had been created by the
threats and aggressions of the emissaries sent
out by the New England Emigrant Aid So
ciety, who had sought, by a bold coup de main,
to possess themselves of the Territory.
The people of the Territory had instructed
their representatives to call a Convention for
the formation of a State Constitution, and the
was as fair as could have been devised.
The Convention met aud formed Constitu-
ton. which, as ratified by the people, establish
es Slavery. AT this point it is that the author
of the Kansas Nebraska bill interposes an OBJ
lection to the admission of Kansas under the
Lecompton instrument. And on what grounds ?
Because majority of the people of Kansas
have not voted upon it, when, as everybody
knows, they refused to vote at the times and
places prescribed by law. If is because GER
tain delegates violated their pledges to submit
the Constitution to the people, it lie sufficient
to say that this is matter which lies between
the delegate and his constituent. If it is be-.
cause it was required of voters on the Coustitu-
ton to swear when challeuged) to support the
Constitution, it only remains to say that the re-
quIrement was not only just, but necessary, in
view of the rebellious character of the Free
State party.
AT this point, Mr.. Brown gave way for mo-
ton to adjourn.
HOUSE
Reports were made from various commit
tees. Amongst them was bill frora the Com.
mttee of Ways and Means, making appro.
priahons for the support of the army also, a
report from the Committee on Naval Affairs,
dlsapproving the conduct Of Com. Pauding,
and declaring that in the capture of Walker be
exceeded his instructions. A minority report
was made, approving of his conduct. A bill
was reported, from the Committee on Invalid
Pensions, providing for the payment of pen
SONS to the officers and soldiers of the war OF
1872, and of certain Indian wars of the same
period. Considerable discussion occurred on
this subject, incidentally. in the effort of the
chairman to fix a day for its consideration.
One member wished to impress upon the House
The Importance and magnitude of this meas
ure, by stating that it would require annually
the sum of at least ten millions of dollars. An