The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-08

peals to you to release her from the grasp of this
despot and dictator, and to let her go free. In
the language of an eloquent and gifted orator OF
my own State, say, When she comes to u.s. lei
it be as willing bride, and not as a fettered and
manacled slave"
THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE OF KANSAS.
SPEECH OF HON. PRESTON KING,
Of New York,
In the Senate of the United States March 10TH 1883
THE FRAUDS USURPATION, AND PURPOSE, IN
WHICH THE SLAVE CONSTITUTION OF THE
LECOMPTON CONVENTION HAD IT'S ORIGIN
4 Mr.. KING. Mr.. President, before the Rev.
olution, charters were granted to the colonies
by the Crown. Since then, up to this time
the people of the States of the Union have
made their Constitutions for themselves. Now,
for the first time since the Continental Con-
gress declared the colonies free and independ-
ent States, the question is raised Of the right
of the people to adopt or reject the Constitution
which is to create them a State qualified to
come into the Union, one of the equal States
of our Confederacy.
Kansas brought to the door of the Senate
for the purpose of having the Lecompton con-
stitution imposed upon her people by the au-
thority of an act of Congress, presents that
question to us.
Benjamin Franklin, contemplating bis coun-
try when her independence had been acknowl-
edged and the Republic was established, is
said to have expressed the wish that he might
be permitted to look upon this country after
that venerable man could appear here, and listen
10 hasa fha 10 n
new State from beyond the Mississippi to the
Union, he would hear from the Government
side calls for more troops and arguments to
show the necessity of an increase of the standing
army; he would hear that the people of the
State proposed to be added to the Union are
factious people; that they claim the right to
vote on the adoption of their Constitutions to
have the charter that defines their rights and
their form of government submitted by the
convention that made it to themselves, and to
express their opinion Of it; that in this new
State the people are unwilling to have slavery
established as one of their institutions; that,
although the President declares the constitu-
ton prepared for them by the Lecompton con-
vention to be good one, they contumaciously
reply that it is not their constitution; that
they complain of fraud and corruption in the
officials appointed and sustained by the central
Government; that they refuse to pay the taxes
levied by the Legislature alleging that they
had no voice in its election, and were not rep.
resented in it; that they agitate and annoy the
Government and disturb the quiet of the coun-
try by their turbulent and disorderly conduct !;
that they demonstrate against stuffed ballot
boxes, spurious votes, forged certificates, and
false returns at their elections, and demand of
the Government investigation and punishment
of these offences; that they insist upon the
right to decide for themselves the character of
their State Institutions and refuse to accept
the constitution which the Government offers
to them; that they complain of the intrusion
of regular troops belonging to the standing
army of the Federal Government sent to
maintain law and order in their Territory !;
that they are seditious; that they are rebels ;
that they have been permitted to occupy the
attention of the Government and the country
too long; that they must have local govern
ment instituted over them by Congress, and
be subdued by the army He would hear
some uncertain and mystical suggestions that
the people of the State, when reduced to order,
might possibly, at some future time, be allow
ed to alter their obnoxious constitution in
some legal manner. think, after listening so
far, Franklin would inquire, "is this the
American Congress, and have you established
British Parliament, and have the United States
been reunited 20 the Crown?" Upon being told
that this is one of the Chambers of the Ameri-
can Congress, that the United States are still
an Independent nation, and that the words of
the Federal constitution remain unchanged,
he would say, "then these honorable gentle
men, who occupy the seats of legislators here,
have not inherited the republicansm of my
day and generation this is not the Democracy
that Numbered at Bunker Hil at Saratoga,
and at Yorktown, and rang out their battle.
cry of liberty and independence through all
the colonies, until the royal charters were abol-
ished and the right of the people to institute
their forms of government and to make their
constitutions for themselves was acknowl
edged"
Mr. President, the convention held at Le-
compton framed State constitution for Kan
sas, and refused to submit it to the people
The convention submitted single provision
of the constitution to the people-the question
whether slaves might hereafter be imported or
brought into the State; and required, as a
preliminary to the right of any elector to vote
for or az ainst this single partial provision on
the subject of slavery, that he should first vote
for the obnoxious constitution, which con-
tanned, separate and distinct from the provis-
ion submitted, an article perpetuating slavery
in the State of Kansas in the persons of those
now held as slaves in the Territory, and in
their posterity, forever.
A very large majority of the people were
opposed to the obnoxious constitution, and re-
fused to vote for it. Without voting for the
constitution, elector could vote for or against
the single provision submitted. Fl
1t is notorious that the Lecompton conven-
ton knew the constitution it framed was re-
pugnant to the sentiments, the opinions, and
the consciences of large majority of the peo-
Pile; that they condemned the instrument and
| the institution of slavery which it proposed to
establish and perpetuate among them. o.
1t is known to every Senator and to every
Representative in Congress that very large
| majority-of all the qualified voters in Kansas
| have expressed their opinion against the Lee
| compton constitution at an election held under
| the authority of an act of their Territorial
Legislature on the 4th day of January last,
when the constitution was submitted, and the
| people rejected it by their votes. ~
This is the case Of Kansas, as presented to
the Senate by the majority of the Committee
| on Territories in their report and bill, which
| assumed that the first Territorial Legislature
| in Kansas was fairly and legally elected by the
| people, and organized, and that the Lecempton
| convention was fairly elected by the people in
pursuance of the law Of their Territorial Lee
/ gislature.
In the case thus made by the majority O
the committee, the fundamental question o.