Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-17

| large portion of the people did not take in
terest enough to vote. and they were adopted
by minority votes Even the Constitution OF
the United States was not submitted to pops
ular vote, but was ratified by convention of
the States respectively. Judge Douglas Il
quote him because he is one of the prominent
leaders of the anti-Lecomptonites) did not
think in 1855. it was necessary to submit the
constitution to the people for ratification.
He reported to the Senate, and voted for the
Toombs' bill, which contains no such pro-
| vision.
The people of Kansas evidently acted on
the universally recognized rule of all repre-
sentative governments, that, in all cases in
| which the people act through their represent
tatives, their entire sovereign power over the
| subjects in reference to which the representa-
| tives are chosen to act, is vested in them 1t
| is however conceded, if there be reserva-
ton at the time the power is conferred. that
will limit it. But in this case, there being no
limitation, it was purely matter of discre-
ton on the part Of the representatives, whether
their action should be final and binding. or
first be submitted to the approval of their
constituents; and must be as valid in one case
as the other.
Mr.. Chairman, what is the real controversy
| in Kansas? mean the thing in which prin-
| ciple is involved-a tangible substance, as
| contradistinguished from a mere chimera, con-
| jured up by passion and prejudice, or from the
| vain imagining Of ambitious demagOgues. IL
is the nated question Of staUery, and that alone
| No one can doubt it who has been even a
casual observer of events in that Territory
! and in this House since the Kansas territorial
| bill was first introduced in 1854, and in the
! States which have supplied the fuel and fan-
ned the fires of fanaticism in and out of the
| Territory. Sire Kansas Stare terrific
| ~; no more sLaue Stdtes" has been emblaZoned
on the Republican banners everywhere; and
may add, have seen similar inscriptions on
Democratic banners, posters, and newspapers
in some of the Northern States. Whether
| those who rallied under them deceived them
selves, or were deceived by others; or whether
there have been such gyrations and changing
of front that some of those Northern Demo
| Gratis have found themselves unable to follow
in the giddy whirl Of the waltz, ! shall not
undertake to decide; but truth and justice re-
quire that | should say, know Southern men
| have been consistent on this subject.
| But to the point: ''SL0rerY, stare oligarciy,
| Stare ocyacy sL0Ue-drirers Northern dOugL.fGces.
tie rights Of man, all men tceTe born free and
egBdl the sigitS Of the tchite man. u7'UerSdL free
daa stare agoiHt free hbOr the degr0ddiOn Of ach1e
tabor, free States against StgUe States, Kansas 'cds
consecrdted to freedon heeding Kansas" &c, have
| been the burden of most of the Frec-sOil
speeches during this discussion. a membtr
| from Illinois, (Mr. TRUSTWORTHY the member
| from the Western Reserve in Ohio, another
| from Ohio (Mr. BNGHAM,) and member
| from Indiana, (Mr. COLFAX,) and two. | think,
| from Michigan, avOwsd. some days since they
| would not vote To admit another slave State.
| even if majority of the people thereof had
approved a pro-slavery constitution. How
| many others have avOwed or entertain the
| same sentiments | will not undertake to say.
| 1t is enough for my purpose that the facts re-
| fnrred to establish my proposition that slavery
or no slavery, is now the only real issue in
regard to Kansas.
Well sir, the LecomptOn convention, in the
exercise of its discretion, submitted the slave
~ clause of the constitution to the popular
vote, on the 21st December last. The pre-re-
quiste of registry was dispensed with, ard
- eUey ,ciae male mhabitant Of the Ttrritory."
without regard to the length of time he had
been there, had the right to vote. If the free
State men were in the majority, here was an
opportunity for them to secure Il constitution
without the slavery clause; to silence the agi-
tatOr and put an end to all their strife. If
they had voted down the slavery clause,
undertake here to say, Kansas would tins day
be a sovereign State of the Union; that she
would have been admitted without opposition
from Southern men; and of course she would
by Northern men. But they still refused to
vote Out of 6.795 votes cast, only 500 were
against the slavery clause, leaving majority
of 1851 in favor of it. But it is said this
election was fraudulent. which furnishes an
additional reason why the bill for admitting
Kansas ought not to pass. How was II fraud
ulent? and what right have the frce-State
men, who would rot vote, to complain? 1t is
alleged the board of commissioners appoint
ed by the Free-sOil Legislature elected IN Oc-
tober, 1857 have Investigated and found 40
illegal votes, leaving 3 1923 legal votes for the
slavery clause of the constitution to 500
against. giving majority in favor. OF 2,S54
votes. 1t il not pretended there were fewer
legal votes cast for than against. If few
hundred or thousand illegal votes were cast
for the clause, it did not change the result.
The slavery clause was elected. according TO
all rules of elections and had a right to the
certificate.
In the meantime, acting Governor Stanton,
alarmed at what he supposed real dangers,
convened the FrcC-soi Legislature. There
may have been pre-cOnCcrt OF that party TO
excite the fears of the order-loving Governor,
To produce this very result, and secure an OPP
pOrtnnity of carrying out Interior plans,
which were in part developed by the passage
of Il law submitting the entire constitution To
a vote of the people on the 4th Of January.
Ii is obvious this move was the offspring of
something beyond any merely odious feature
in the constitution. They already had the OPP
portunity OF voting out the slavery clause on
the 2Ist of December. if they had the numcr-
ical strength; and although this discussion
has been of unusual length and range, have
not yet heard any other clause designated Us
really offensive. EXpTnge the slavery clause,
aud | am sure the most fastidiOus F}eeSOtier
would be constrained to admit, il would com
pare fayorably with the Topeka constitution.
Then why did they refuse to vote on the
2lst of December? | will not say il was be-
cause they believed they had not the necessa-
nv number To carry the election, and saw de-
feat staring them in the face. | care not Tor
that. There was another cause To which
refer it. The Topeka constitution was the
illegitimate but darling hantling of the / adj
ers of this party. With fair speech and prom
Use they had bcguilcd the people, aud IT had
been unlawfully conceived, in hostility to the
national and 10 the legally organized Terrific
rial government. Its birth was attended 10y
i will not say just hcre-trcason and rebel
lion. but by their close resemblance. Having
been born under such auspices II was necessi-
nv at the bapiismal font. In order to inspire
confidence in its future usefulness. that its
sponsors should bind themselves lay doubly
solemn VOWS. They staKed their ali upon 1t.
And they heard 10y presentimcnt, the death
kncll of all their hopes, in the adoption OF
the Lecompton constitution. Govern"rships,
sccretarvhips seats in the Senate and House
of Congress. the keys of the treasury, judge
ships, &c. they saw would vanish from their
grasp as if hy the influence of magic, and they
would be discrcditcd as mountcbanks aud
cheats. Ii WAS necessary that something
should lie done. \ counierplot was laid.
They succeeded ia getting law passed TO
submit the entire constitution TO vote OF the
people on IA different day from that designa-
ted by the convention for taking the vote on
the slavery clause. They rightly calculated
that the friends Of the constitution having yo-
ted on the day appointed by the highest Po-
liical jurisdiction known 10 our system of
government. would not vote again on the day
arno;ut,d Iy an inferior jurisdiction, which