The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-06-12

stature of Territory. Sir. your bill does
indeed say that in the future-God knows
how far in the future is may be-if the
people of Kansas, shall now reject the Le-
compton Constitution, may make con-
stitution for themselves, and send it here
for your consideration but it shall not
be done until they shall have largely
augmented population. Sir, this post
ponement is mockery! When the peo-
pie of Kansas shall come here with free
Constitution, years hence, they viii do
only what they did two years ago. You
refused them then. When they come
here with a Constitution making them
free State, and submit it to you, they
will have Constitution that contains Just
what they had in the Missouri prohibition
,of Slavery, thirty eight years ago; and you
struck that prohibition from the statute
book. When they come, years hence, be
they few or many, and ask to be admitted
a free Sate, they viii be just exactly in
the same attitude they maintain now, and
demanding then only what they demand
now, and what you refuse them.
Sir, you are only asking us to wager
against chances, backed by device and
fraud. Here is a piece of silver, of the
coin of the United States. On this side
is the eagle; on the other, the figure en-
blematical of Liberty. You cover it with
your hand, and say to Kansas, wager
whether the Eagle" or Liberty" is
uppermost Say " Eagle" and you have
Slavery say Liberty" and still Sla-
very" wins the wager. Sir, this bill is no
new piece of music. Il is Lecompton
over again, only with new variation; but
the abhorrent air of fraud pervades the
whole arrangement of the composition.
beg now to say most distinctly that
this bill must in both Houses owe its pas
sage to the votes of representatives of the
free States of the North and West. ]
beg, therefore, to ask the honorable Sena-
tor from Pennsylvania, Mr.. Bigler, him.
self representative of the first State in
this Union, that afterthe Revolution moved
for universal Freedom, what the people oI
Kansas have done, that they shall moi
be INDUCED at least in an equal choice
between Liberty and Slavery? l ask my
venerable and esteemed friend from Rhode
Island, Mr.. Allen, the land of Roger
Williams, how he supposes that he car
reconcile that proud and patriotic free
State, that one which was earliest and
most completely free of all the States il
this Union, to this bill, which gives State
power and prestige and dowry of land:
to Kansas if she will choose Slavery, anc
gives her provincial degradation and de
basement, with poverty, if she elects
Freedom? ask my excellent friend from
Iowa, Mr.. Jones, he who represents
State carved out of that rich and beautiful
domain which, having been acquired by
purchase from France, was dedicated t
Freedom by the Missouri Compromise
the same great act which originally guar
antied Freedom to Kansas, but whicl
guaranty was broken TO Kansas, though
preserved to Iowa. ask him what answe
he viii give to that gallant people, for hav
ing planted on their border State which
was denied the liberty to choose on equa
terms between Freedom and Slavery?
will not ask the honorable Senator from
! California, Mr.. Gwin, whose State wa
saved to Freedom by efforts other thar
his own, but who knows that, by that yer,
salvation, there was saved to Californi
resources Of wealth, and strength ant
power, which secure her control over th
Pacific coast of this continent, and rende
her self-sustaining and almost defiant
will not ask him for an explanation.
said, when California was admitted, tha
the slave States need not fear her; tha
though settled by a population chief,
from the free States, California, owing t
a disastrous conjunction of parties at tn
time, would prove for years to come tn
| strongest slave State in the Union.
will not ask the honorable Senator from
Ohio, Mr.. Pugh, for l have already in
terpreted, according to my humble ability
the views by which he reconciles thi
measure to the Judgment of his great con
stituency. would, indeed, ask the hon
orable Senators from Indiana, but the,
may have that question to settle at hom
speedily, without being interrogated here
| Ny honorable friend from Vermont
! [Mr. Foot, reminds me that / have for
gotten New Jersey. Sir, will speak 70
New jersey myself. The blood of me-
who hazarded life, fame. and fortune, fo
Freedom, in the 81 erseys," courses through
my own veins. | know the blue hills O
the Jerseys well. They are mingled will
all the fond recollections of my childhood
| will answer, that the votes which ar
| given here for this Lecompton bill are tn
last votes which in ten years will be givel
for Slavery by representatives of New
Jersey.
Mr.. President, | have shown that thi
bill gives to the people of Kansas onl.
the show of choice between Freedom ant
Slavery. l have next to show that it pro
vides for overriding, counteracting, ant
defeating this very shadow of choice,
itshail be in favor of Freedom. The bill
provides, not that the people of Kansas o
| their Legislature, or their authorities shall
appoint the commissioners under whom
the contemplated election shall be hel'
and its results ascertained, but board, t
consist of FIVE persons: and, while it allow
two to be named by the people of kansa;
it asks three for the President of tn
United States. Now, sir, there hav
been FIVE agents appointed already by tn
President of the United States and hi
predecessor, to hold elections and returl
results in the Territory of Kansas, AM
every one of them has been repudiated
dishonored, and disgraced, for havini
struggled to prevent fraud, and to ascer
tain and certify the truth about thes
elections. The ghosts on the banks o
the Styx constitute cloud scareel.
more dense than the spirits of the de
parted Governors of Kansas, wandering il
exile and sorrow for having certified tn
truth against falsehood in regard to tn
elections between Freedom and Slavery il
Kansas.
Sir, 1 am accustomed to measure m.
words, when Ispeak of other men. even 0
! public men. Knowing how liable | an
to err myself, I think I have 50 much o
charity as induces favorable judgment Q
an adversary, to the full measure that
ask and expect it for myself But thougl
it is with pain, and shame and mortifca