The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-03-24
Speech of Hon. L NJ. Keitt.

Tuesday, in the Committee Of The Whole,
Hon. l.. NJ. keitt. Of tins State, sand
lie should limit himself in discussiro
the admission of Kansas under the JS
compton. Constitution to two questions:
rhrst, thecons:itutonality Of Tie application
and second, the expediency of her admis-
sion. The first proposition naturally came
under two heads first, the power of Con
gress III the premises and, second, the
character OF the proceedings in kansas.-
Whatever power Congress possessed must
be derived from the Constitution. The
Constitution Of the United States was a
compact or treaty between States, delepa-
ting certain powers to agents created or ap.
pointed by themse Ives for q certain pur.
pose. It was different from the Cous,i
tuition within The limits ola State, because
the State constitution was prohibition
upon the exercise OF power, and Congress
cou!d not exercise any power except that
which was strictly within the stipGa,ions
OF the organic act or federal compact.-
There coulI no exercise Implied pow
er by Congress except under powers del
egated specifically. Ii it WAS true, then,
that the federal constitution WAS a com
pact between sovereign and independent
States, and true that they could exercise
none but powers specified, the Question
came back to the power Congress had in
the premlses-that wasin the cons,i,u
uon. No power was granted over this
Pu Ject except in these words, New States
may be admitted by Congress into the
Union. What was q Statel II Was a
political frm representing two ideas-a
certain amount Of land laid of on the sur
face OF the earth, and population, not in
the sense OF mere individuals, but in the
sense OF people who could no, die, peope
perpetnated generation after reueratInn
The absorption Of these two ideas. the
blending Of the spiritual with ihe corrore
Al Ia the concrete form Of political society
was State. II WAS State such as
were tho Old thirteen, that declared their
independence and maintained it by fore.
or arms, and tie power To admit a new
stale was the power 10 treat with an
equal. This clause did no, enLow Cen.
GrS&s VIZ! power to rear, and tram up.
ana 'ofth q State, nor 10 mauluulate "A
territory INTO tne maturity Ola State bat
IL gave 1t only power 10 treat with an
equal, and when they treated with .Isnsas
they treated with an equal. The neA;
clause was that the United States should
guaranty to every State republican
form OF government and that meant any
form OF government which correSpondri
win the government OF any one Of the
orgna! thirteen States. They were not
lett to nice distinctions 1t was the par
ht'on OF power into the grea, departments
OF legislative, executive and judicial
wee 10 all powers divided und
the constitution of Kansas between tn,
legislative executive and judicial depart
maniS, aud was not that renuLiiran p
Under the constitution, the pow c. of Con-
gress was exhausted, When i. hal ia.pec.
ted the form Of government.
lie came next to the proceedings 10
Kansas. The federal government being
Itself founded 10y political societies could
know nothing but political society,"
All interior matters, all municipal affairs
were absolutely within the scope and com
pass OF State jurisdiction. A SAFE con
stitution sprung from mass of men, but
the federal constitution sprung from or
gan,zed political societies "a State might
therefore know individuals, but the ftd.
raj constitution must know only political
society. The Kansas bi!! Organized a
government of course perpetuarcd itself,
and nothing could be known exGept what
came through it. Tie on,y aHthGrrty OK
isl'ng IN Kansas, the only organized polit-
ical society, through their necessary kTms,
called npon the people to know whether
or not they would have convention and |
form constitution. They said they
would. That convention was formed, and |
was the incarnation and embodiment of
me peopIe-the essence OF sovereigntv.-
fhey could only know the spirit Of the |
government through its form, and govern
!nent Itself was nothing but higher form
through which society lived aud was ex
pressed. The ratification of he constilu
zion was reversing the march of mankind
and biottlng out the experience of ages.
Gould society live without law aud order.
and without form, and could it have these
with the individual put above socety, and
society elevated above the government
lie concurred with his colleague in the
Senate. Mr. Hammond. that constitutions
were made hy the minority. 1t was true
there were two great Objects in all goy.
ernments-personal rights and property.
In government like ours the same per
sonaI rights were possessed 10y each man,
and they were safe, Bat property was
in BE hands Of the minority, arc was
constantly in danger Of aggression.
In .his opinion, the people could not
change their constitution before 1854.-
Society itself was but the accretion OF IN
divlduals, the government but the nsru
ment by Which society was kept together.
He admitted that the sovereignty Of tie
people did reside in the original conyen
hon' and admitted that one sovereignty
could not bind another; but the sovereign. !
ty OF to day could put checks in fhe way
Of invoking the sovereignty Of to morrow.