The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-04-22
IcoSrrSUKD From THE FIRST PAGE

Postmaster General; OF ANDREW JOHNSON, now
Senator from Tennessee; of JOIN SLIDFLL, Sena-
tor from Louisiana; and great many other prom
inent Democrats, both from the North and South
and yet the same gentlemen who then, and in
the application Afterwards Of the same principle TO
Oregon directly "intervesed" to prohibit Slavery
in both of those Territories, now hold that 1t is
unconstitutional for Congress 70 interfere with
Slavery in the Territories, and make "non-inter-
vention" q test of Democratic faith
This only shows the rapid strides which the
so-calIed Democratic" party has made in be-
half of Slavery within the last few years, until
to-day it stands before the country and the
world, having for its tat measurs q bill which
puts the "right IN slavs property higher than any
consatusiOnal sanction"
Growing out of the Mexican war was the ac-
QUESTION of California, and her subsequent appI-
cation for admission as a State into this Union,
with a free Constitution.
Mr. Chairman, this was the unkindest cut OF
all" The Texas annexation scheme had been
got up to strengthen Slavery; but owing TO the
discovery of gold, and the great rush 70 Califor-
MIA from the free States, the original Slavery
design Dit would seem, almost by the direct in
terpositon of Providence) was frustrated, and
our golden sister of the Pacific knocked at the
door of the Union with q Constitution uncon-
taminated by Slavery
Mr. Chairman we all remember the terrible
agitation which shook the land in 1880; how
the stoutest hearts appeared to tremble and
quake with fear, at the "wreck OF matter, and
crash of worlds" which seemed impending
Southern Conventions were held disunion
speeches were made; and the Union itself, which
had stood so many hard shocks, seemed at last
TO be going TO pieces.
Sir what was the occasion of this great out
cry4 what the cause of the new agitation which
once more seemed TO threaten the permanency
of the Union2 1t was simply because the South
Nulli6ers were determined that California,
the fruit of their own scheme of Slavery extern
sion, should not come into the Union as a free
State. Sir, the whole agitation, at that time
and now, shows that the contest going on in this
country is contest for political power. 1t is q
question whether q few thousand Shareholders
shall, in sll time to come, rule and govern this
country, as they have, according to Senator
HAMMOND, for the last "sixty years." and
whether, as a consequence, all the Territories OF
the nation shall be cursed by the blighting mil
dew of Slavery, or become the abode of freemen,
with free institutions and free labor. Such
was the question in reference to California, and
such is the Kansas question to-day. By the adj
mission of California, the South, nominally at
least, lost the balance of power in the United
States Senate and so, to compensate for this
loss it is necessary to secure Kansas, at any ex-
pense of fraud, outrage, and wrong.
Sir, it is curious well as instructive to con-
slider where prominent Southern conference.-the
same who are now urging the forcible admission
of Kansas under the Lecompton Constitution
stood when California sought admission under
a free Constitution.
Do we find them contending then that no
enabling act was necessary that it made no
difference whether legal census had been TIA
ken or not2 that she should be admitted, though
her Constitution reeked with fraud, and the
rights of her people had been tramped under
foot by armed invaders2 No But, upon the
passage of the bill admitting California as a
State, protest entered upon the journal of
the Senate, protesting against Its passage, Tor
these, among other reasons:
Fist ThaIit gave the sanction of law, and thus m
parted validity unauthorized action by portion OF
The inhabitants of California
Seeond Without any legal census other evidence
OF their possessing the numoer Of citizens necessary 10
Taird Without any OF Ihose safeguards about the
ballot box. which only be provided by law, and
which necessary TO ascertain The true sense of
Fonrth As not having sufficient evidence ofts THE
Constuon) having the assent OF majority OF The people
dor " HON II was sigaed.n
Sem or J. NJ Mason, lv;.
R.M r. Hunter, '"s
q R " p nafn,weIl, South Carolina
II l. Tnrney, Tennessee.
Pierre SOule. Louisiana
ID. r. Aichison Missouri
Jackson Moron, I1o,da
ID. l.. Yuee,
All Democrats.
Here was a case attempted to be made against
the admission of California which actually eI-
lists in regard 10 Kansas, only thousand times
stronger than was even pretended then.
Then it was objected, against the admission OF
California, that there " no sufficient evidence
that the Constitution had the assent Of majority
Of the people for lchons signed" If there was
no such evidence, this was a reason, and good
reason, for its rejection.
But how is it in the case of Kansas What
say Senators Mason and Hunter and Jefferson
Davis, TO the Lecompton Constitution in that
respect
There is not only no pretence that it is sane
toned by majority of the people Of Kansas
but, on the other hand although not submitted
TO the people by the Convention that framed it,
as the President pledged himself that it should
be- at submission of it by the legslly-consttuted
Legislature of the Territory, il was voted down
by a large majority of her people. And the evil
dence of this is not disputed or gainsayed. And
yet, where the solemn protests of Senators
against the contamination Of this gross outrage
upon the rights of the people Aye more than
this, these same Senators are attempting to drag
Kansas into the Union now, against the earnes,
responsiveness of her people, and over the ruins
of the Democratic doctrine of popular sover-
eighty" which brought the present Administra-
ton into power
But sir, to return to this charge of Slavery
citement in 1850, growing out of the admission
OF California, vas allsyed by the passage of the
compromise measures, and the country once
more settled down into q state of repose. The
Democratic party, in Convention at Baltimore
when Gen. Pierce was nominated for the Presi-
dency, resolved that the compromise measures
were a hnality, and that henceforth there should
be no further agitation of the Slavery question
whether in or out of Congress" The Whip
and Democratic parties both were pledged in the
same way; and Gen. Pierce, in his first message
after congratulating the country on the happy
state of quiet which then existed on this vexet
question, used these remarkable words: " Tha
this repose IS not 10 be dastur6sd durmg my ofciG
term, an my potcer 10 prevent u, those rho place
me here may rest assured"
Mr. Chairman, how was that repose disturbed
And who is responsible for the reopening o
this fearful agitation of the Slavery question
Sir, let those who were instrumental in 70
pealing that time-honored compact, which hat
stood for over thirty years, made between you
fathers and mine, is 1920, answer.
Sir, the repeal of the Missouri compromise wa
the cause of the agitation that exists to-day II
reference to Kansas, and the Lecompton Consti
tuition, and every intelligent person in the coun
try knows It. Ii was sprung upon the country
this Lecompton swindle is, at the advent of {
new Administration, in the hope that quiet woult
be restored before another Presidential election
should come round The hope was vain. Tba
Ubiquitous measure crushed the late Administra
ton, and came well nigh crushing the Demo
cratic party with it'll The consummation of tn
scheme, by the passage of Lecompton-and be
heye 1t VIII be so, whether it passes or not
will in my judgment not only ruin the Admin
istration, but it will sink the party SO deep tn a
no bubble viii rise to mark the spot where i
went down.