The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-05-06

dispute are, on the one side, the Free State
party of Kansas and the Republican party of
the Union and on the other hand, the Slave.
State party of Kansas and the Democracy of
the Union. This compromise is one made be-
tween the two factions of the Democratic party.
excluding every Free-State man of Kansas and
every representative of the Republican party in
Congress. There is not one in our whole mum.
Der who consents to this bargain. 1t is, there
fore, just no compromise at all !; it is only the
pretence OF compromise. Sir, was born sus-
picious OF legislative compromises. That tenn
per has grown on me more and more every day
Of my life. have studied their dangers, and
seen the evils that resulted from them and |
made up my mind, when l came here, that
would harden my face as flint against any
compromise whatever between Slavery and
Free dom. This so-called compromise, however,
inspires me with hope unknown before. look
on it with more complacency than have ever
looked on any other; for it lie such a weak and
pitiful imitation of the great compromises
which have been hallowed in the respect and
affection of the people of the United States for
generations, that it will bring the whole system
of compromise itself, henceforth and forever,
into ridicule and unmitigated contempt.
| The honorable Senator from Virginia IMr.
| HUNrERl and the honorable Senator from Mis-.
souri, Mr.. GREEN commend the bill to us
| as q measure of peace at least, the honorable
Senator from Virginia promises that it will
bring q truce for four or five years. Sir, there
is no peace in this world for compromisers
there is no peace for those who practice eva
sion there ia no peace in a republican land
for any statesmen but those who act directly,
and boldly abide the popular judgment when.
ever it may be fairly and clearly and fully as
certained, without attempting to falsify the
issue submitted, or to corrupt the tribunal.
Sir, beneath the thin gauze that is spread
over this signal of truce, see distinctly mingled
stains of fraud and blood, black spots and red,
the true unerring marks of piratical flag. If
you mean by troubles to be composed, appre-
tensions of civil commotion, of violence, of
turbulence, of sedition of faction and civil war,
l tell you frankly that you need be at no pains
to make peace to prevent those dire evils. This
cause of equal and impartial Freedom in the
States has at last become strong enough to
work its way through lawful and constitutional
forms to Its destined and final triumph. But if
you mean, on the other hand, that agitation,
which has already given to that great cause
the strength and power it now exhibits, and if
you expect that that agitation will be arrested
or suppressed by this or by any other legislative
device OF this nature, then let me tell you that
you reckon altogether wildly.
l smile when l hear Senators talk about the
people getting tired of Kansas and this eternal
agitation of Slavery. They consult the COM
mercial presses of Baltimore, Philadelphia, New
York, and Boston, aud those oracles respond
with assurances that the people are exhausted,
and willing and impatient to have the Kansas
question ended in any way, with popular SOY.
ereignty or without, with fairness or without,
with or without Slavery. Sir, they see only
the eddy they do not stretch their vision far
enough to see the tide. They make the same
mistake which the felon did few months ago,
when in the darkness of the winters night, on
the bank of the Genesee, be slew his brother,
and precipitated the mangled body down into
the river, just below the first fall, and Just
above the other, thence to float down the last
cataract, and be buried forever in the lake be-
low. But when tho morning came, the corpse
of the victim lay floating on the shallow water
by the river side. He had mistaken the eddy
near the shore for the full and ever-swelling
food, which man can by no art or power com.
press or restrain. Senators, you shall have
peace in Kansas, you will have peace in Kan
sas. 1t will come, not by reason of what you
do to court or compel it, but in spite of your,
selves; but it will come in the train of the tri-
umph Of peace-giving policy and principles.
how do You expect to get peace by this bill ?
By this bill, if it works as you expect, you will
get slave State, one way or another. You will
get slave State in one case by q popular cleo.
ton, under the operation of brides and mensces
Willthe people of Kansas remain corrupted after
they have accepted your bride and escaped your
terrors? That is not in keeping with the char
acter of the American people. You will get it by
fraud-by a certificate from the President that
popular sovereignty has gone in favor Of lie
compton, when, in fact it has gone the other
way. viii that make peace? l should like
to be near by, and see the new slave State at
tempted to be organized under the Lecompton
Constitution.
l remember that legislators as wise as we
the world thought them much wiser-who had
seats in St. Stephens Chapel, and had Pres.
ident whom they honored as much as we do
ours, though they called him a King, insisted
that the people of New York should live under
what to them was slave Constitution, while
they had made up their minds to have free
one, established by themselves. The Provin-
cial British Government went on board the
Halifax packet, and thence sent forth it's re-
monstrances and denuncations, under cover
of his Msjesty's guns. They were, however,
merely brutum fulmen. After a short time, the
British Government and the British ship dis.
appeared together below the Neversink, to re-
turn no more forever. The British Parliament
undertook, also, to rule Virginia under slave
Constitution, as it was regarded by her. But,
as the strife rose higher, the Provincial author.
ity with the prestige and power of the British
Empire to back it, took refuge on board the
schooner Fowey, and descended to Hampton
Roads. There it committed few pitiful in
vasions upon the property of patriotic planters
and citizens of that great State, and then dis
appeared forever.
Sir, your Lecompton Government of Kansas
will be aAoat on the Missouri river when it be-
gins. The Missouri will not be wide enough
for its safety. 1t must 60 down, and pass into
the broader channel Of the Mississippi; and
when you next look for it, you will find it
stranded on the beach of the Gulf of Mexico
There is to be no Lecompton State, no slave
State, in Kansas. Nevertheless, you enact by
this law that there shall be slave State in
Kansas and there shall be no other. Well
sir, il you shall pass the bill today, as you say
you will, it will reach Kansas in about ten days.
In about ten days more, the new State of Kan
sas viii be organized under the new Lecomp-
ton Free State Constitution, and about the 7th
day of June, when you are impatient to 60
home, Kansas will be beleaguering you here for
admission az free State. She will be telling
you that she knows nothing about your project
ed slave State within her borders. She has not
seen it it is not there at all. You of course
will spurn her from, your path, and will go
home. The people of Kansas will then appeal
to the popular elections throughout the United
States, which are to send to this Capitol twenty
new Senator'S and whole House of Represent
atives about the first Tuesday in November
next. Now, ask the honorable supporters of
this bill here, belonging to the free States about
how many Democratic Senators and Represent
atives they expect will be returned by the PEG.
pie upon the passage Of this bill ? / ask for
information. The honorable Senator from Cal.