Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-03-20

3,,p bill. lie agreeu WV"
guy his was not sectional question, but
tns. was such that many people in
ns 'n IS The States considered it worth more
nau' ,Hs Union itself 1t was useless to de-
'os. .1ar the great sbibboleth Of the opposi-
ny ' IS ,be Lecom pton Constitution was found
!'Ou ,rv Of no more slave States in this
10 s w. Regarding this as the real
USa,;on al issue, he should proceed to ib-
abs,beritwas doctrine which could be
qS.;,,sd in any consideration Of constitution
81 law authority, or policy.
!, Gus plaia, be argued. that the Constitu-
.:.n Of me United States gave no sanction t.
snv such dogma. 1t provided only that
Soo,re.s may admit new States, and that
1850 States shall be harmonious aud equal
, Wy crime of q common republican form of
,s,omept. Tried by the standard of the
ss,n.,;ru,ion. all the States stood. and OF
Ns,a..i,v must stand, on footing of per-
~, sonalIty. And this dogma was equally
S.s,i,ure of authority. Every branch Of the
c,s.roneut had pronounced against 1t. The
anss,ion was first raised in 1920, on the ap-
ttG.a,;on If Missouri for admission into the
i'o;on Mr. Jefferson had we'll said that 1t
us. an issue made by the leaders of the Fed
sr.I partv, in hopes of retrieving their politi.
cal iortuues by an appeal to Northern Ia
p.;icsm. The question was then settled oy
the admission oi Missouri, coupled with the
odious aud unconstitutional restriction Of
.Iayrrv north Of SO 3O>. He thought the
latter enactment involved the grossest inJUs'
,ics 10 the South, and any attempt praoti-
eaIly to carry cut it's theory would provoke
on,osition. For himself he had calculated
the value Of this Uuion, and bad come to
the conclusion that the Susth less than any
other section had ar interest 10 Its perpetual
non, Southern citizens had never sought
the fostering care OF the Federal Govern
meut. During the eight years be was a
member of the House OF Representatives.
no constituent Of his had ever sought Fed
sral Office or asked protection for his industry.
As question Of policy this political
dogma was equally inexpedient. What
more natural or proper than that the people OF
the Territories in forming their State govern
nents should he left free to determine for
themselves whether they would adopt or re-
ice, the institution of slavery? 10 the case
Of Kansas she had triElo right to admission
-, right under the treaty Of acquisition, un-
der tue organic act, ard under the Coustltu-
ton Of the United States. The Lecomptoo
Constitution had been made with extreme
deliberation, regularity, and legahty. Az
hitting as true all the allegations U! tfauu
committed at the election, on the slavery ar
tcle, they did not affect the legal adoption OF
that clause aud of the whole instrument
Sly thousand votes we're cast in favor of In
.ertiug this article, against less than SIX hun'
dred in favor of it's rejection. No one pre-
sumes to intimate that more than three thou
sand of the votes thus cast were fraudulent.
This would still leave three thousand ballots
in favor of that clause ballots whose legal
~ is undsputed, and by which the validity
to the slavery article, as part OF the Con-
stitution. is placed beyond caVii.
He held that the Territorial Legislature
had no right or authority to submit the Con-
stitution to q vote Of the people alter 1t had
been framed and adopted by the Conven-
ton, acting as the prope's representatives.
He regretted that Mr.. Crittenden should
have given the weight of his great name to
tbs charge that the first Legislature OF han
,ss had been elected by Missourisns, and
quoted f:om report made by MIR. Doug
las Ms chairman of the Committee on Ter
ritories under date OF March l., 1890, 10
disprO,f Of the allegation. There was no
invasion of Kansas. The census and registry
Of those entitled to participate In the hrst
election, showed that OF twenty seven nun
bred voters more than sixteen hundred were
Southern men. They had tho numerical
strength in the Territory, and no invasion
was needed to secure majority. AT the
most it WAS claimed that there bad been
fraudulent voting in only seven DISTRICTS
less than were sufficient to affect the legal
character of the Legislature, which. more
over should be left to determine the quallh-
cations of it's own members, without revision
or inquiry by Congress. This whole cry OF
fraud was evidently gotten up to distract and
bewilder honest and credulous people, for the
sake Of masking the real issue--tne question
Of admitting any more slave States.
lie differed radically with Mr.. Crlt'enden
in his views OF the Missouri restriction and
its repeal. lie reiriced that that odious sta
tute had been etaced lie was sure that
kentucky, even though, as some OF her sister
States feared she loved the Union not wisely
but too well, would never endure the bondage
OF It's renewed imposition. but should that
event occur, it would be not among the least
OF It's aggravations that her own cherished
son had conspired to effect the wrong.
Mr. TOombs closed his fervid argument by
paying warm triba,e to President Buchan-
an, MIR. Secretary Cass, and such OF the
Northern Democracy as now exhibit the sub
iue spectacle of maintaining the constitu-
hOosl rights of the South against the advanc-
log strides of Northern fanaticisn.
Mr.. Critteuden, in i few eloquent remarks,
replied to the strictures Of Mr.. Toombs. lie
hoped no should be pardoned for regretting
the repeal of the Missouri compromise, alter
having learned for more than 80 years to Re-
we're and honor it as agreat patriotic measure,
which had brought to the whole country rev.
eDue Of peace and good villa richer revenue
than any tariff act could ever bestow. lie
had no quarrel with the Supreme Court. Tie
recognised it as the final arblter In questions
belonging to it's jurisdiction, but he could
yield obedience to its mandate without fore
going the ma,ured and honest CONVICTIONS OF
bis reason and judgment. lie regretted that
the subject of slavery was made 40 INCIDENT
Of this debate 1t really formed no iegiu'
mate element Of the Kansas disenss,on' when
be had hoped would be conducted on high
considerations OF equality and political JUS
toe. lie was Southern man, and always
desired to see his section IN the right. SO
feeling be was constrained in the pending
llama aAy,Ia that which saau,eN In In, IN