Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-03-24
THlRTY-FlFTH CoSGR 9sS.
WASHINGTON, Monday, March %.
SENATE-CONTINUED
Conclusion of the SvnoPais Of Mr.. Gong.
lass Speech.

=
We that it is so: He would refrain from 90
ing mo a report Of how many votes were
fraudulent; but suppOsiag them all legal,
how can we accept 1t as the will Of the peo-
pie, when they could ouly vote for and NOT
against u and at the subsequent election,
against it there were ten thousand. This
was evidence to his mind, that Lecompton is
not the expression Of the will Of the people.
1t has been said that the election of Deem
Der 2lst was legal, and that on January 4th,
was not legal. Where do you find the law
that lesalized the election Of December Dist
Only under the law of the Lecompton Con-
stitution, which if it poss sssed any legislative
power, only possessed as much as it received
from the Legislature; and ii so, the Legisls-
ture possessed as much power on January 4th,
as on December Dist, and on February both
The convention was bound to conduct all
its proceedings in accordance with the laws
OF the Legislature, and when it acted other
wise than IN accordance with the authority OF
the Legislature, it committed an act Of rebel
lion. Ii you judge this Constitution by the
technical forms of law, it was voted down,
and yet you are called on now to give it vail
dity. But if you approach it in the spirit of
craftsmanship, you find it was not the en-
bodiment of the will of the people.
We are told that there are larger number
OF free solers and aoolltlonlsts VINO would
have voted it down if they had got chance.
Sir, this is an admission that it is not an ex-
preston of the will Of the people. Where is
your right to force Constitution on an un-
willing people
Mr.. Stuart Of Michigan here made an ap-
peal to the house to preserve order.
Mr.. Douglas resumed-On the Dist of De-
cember, a severe struggle took place between
t"o pa't'es l" 'Ie leIi''ory' u was Vhs IaF-
es. elec.io9, ana ye' me LEGISLATURE came TO-
ee'neI anu 'oiu you tne heconp'on |ohsVllu-
l ion was nov me WIN OF tne people ana ne
lDousiasl ~ouIu na1d'u 'ne preoic''ol Vhag
" YOU asa 0o'' DenVer souay' ne "ilI zen
~ ~ 20 =" h0oHe'y ail0 ueiusloh' O VI
tne DooNS-'e h'sl government o,lcia's
IA rHe neii''oiy Pil'a'e c'1 %eis-a"o tuey
". WI 'e'' you ~ uoes "o' e'n'ouy 'he WIN u
ene peop'e, hence they ue'y your IlSne 10
uaHe !. '.e oIsal'o IaS' anu Il II oeco'hes
50 1t WI! Oe oy 'he ac' u Congress ana NOT
oy 're WIZ u '"e people !" are Vola thAI
the constitution may De changed that II Is
su1alI mater Out the Princlpie Is the same
MI stuart again appeared 10 Inc PRESIDENT
10 SEND an ofhcer to keep quiet IN the gale
mes
MI Dougias reSuthed-1he prlhclple is the
same "nen you SET an example OF violating
Vhe principles Oh Tree government tor day,
as lot year, ana give prededents to unscru-
PuIous men, Fnrther' 1t Is sad the people
may change tneir constitution when they
VIII thaI they nave no rlght 10 Tie their own
hanus unul 4oo4'
Iie ala not agree tnat the people cannot tie
'heir own hands. II the constitution is So
cial compact not only nave they light, but
II Is wise tnlng mat they should have some
sIaoil.y' ana that 1undamentaI law should
not nc De lieole 10 every nuctnation and passion.
ne heiu II as Iair interpretation, that when
1t prescribed one Inode OF chahge' 1t piecIuded
any otheT node, ana could not De altered TIL
loo4' ana ne heIa II a wise provision and
Thought that tha' people was not NJ Tor self
5o'einihe mt VINO couio not oind themselves
oy constitution Tor ten years
!, ne ulu not ooJect to 1t because 1t bound
them until 1864. II 1t Is the will OF the peo-
PIE ana Il II is not you nave no right 10 bind
tnen oy 1t lor single hoar' What right has
Nohsre 10 ahnul the provision promoting
no ehauge 'iIl 4oo4' congress can change
oiie Iia"se' )! may ailnul OF e'ter ahotner' ana
ai'otnei' uH'il 'lie "hole instrument DC SUB
'etteu'
% iia'e ~ Ist' 10 ahnul IT. TO aIter' 10
=, nc. ue LAY Hoe your sacNiigious nahas
o.i ~ u y - 'lie peopie act ana oeea' rare
- ~ :" 9tate ii5n's' anu ota'e sovereignty
INC" W" coo ui'uel'aAes " coustrue otate
o'.' 'lols. Inc states VIII theh become
Pl"'4'ioes' WIN ~ Anole independence IMAM
'H9,i ouI'Ies NV
" iLi'"oii' iepoLC' ne sara
INC S"aii ln@u "a 'He 1esIltoIlaI committee
lounu clause IN the bllI OF rights winch ne
tiiiHNs U'eiIIueS d provision III the cohstltu-
tloh' me Din Oh hIghts says that the people
nave the Ilgh' TO change their constitution as
Inc people may determine There are two
moues OF changing thelr constltunon-one is
Peaeeiui, ano the other revolutionary. If, in
the progress Oh peaceful change, you en-
counter opposilon' II becomes revolution,
ana reoelnoh, II you tall. Or, II you succeed,
successful revolution How, then, could
you assent TO the PRESIDENTS suggestion with
reference 10 TINS cianse'
MI hammond mere asked why Congress
mas no rishV 10 cohstrue constitution.
ME- Dougias repeated, that II Congress ex-
erclseu the rlght TO look INTO State constitu-
Cohs' TINS government becomes consolidated
government, an empire with provinces and in
oependencles, outeeases to be federation OF
sovereign States. Turning to Mr.. Pugh's
amendment, which the clerk read, Mr.. Doug
las said he was at loss to know what his
friend from Ohio meant by that amendment.
who ever pretended that anything could be
put IN the act OF admission: What legal eff
tect would this amendment have it adopted.
None at all. lie CDouglas) objected to put
ting IN any clause that expresses any opinion
IN reference to any provision in the coustitu-
ton oupposing the senator from New York
was to putln clause that nothing herein
should be construed as sanctioning slavery.
would southern men not object to it because
u mao no legal eifectF He protested against
congress interfering by expressing any opin-
Ion upon this or that clause of the constitu-