Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-05-04
cR1TrnNDnN ON THE ENG
LISH BILL.

D Ae{ttNcAgB AZ me ENftutc q tHe S'
States, AprN27, 1858.
The Senate having proceeded to consider the
report of the Committee OF Conference on the
tisagreeing votes ofthe two Houses on the bill
IS. No. 16D for the admission of the state of
Kansas into the Union, Mr. Crittenden began
an argument against the proposition known as
the English bill. Mr.. Critteuden said:
was opposed to the admission of Kansas
upon the basis of the Lecompton constitution,
because thought that instrument not only did
not express the will of the people Of Kansas,
but was against their known will and wishes;
and moreover thought it had been made by
fraud and political trickery. opposed, there
fore, the enforcement of that constitution upon
the people OfKansas That was the main point
Of controversy then. Gentlemen the other
side regarded it Us being presented in all the
forms Of law, and said that those forms OF law
through which this question had passed in the
territory of Kansas, pTccluded MS from any ex.
animation beyond them. IsuPPosed that forms
were only intended to promote aud ascertain
the truth-not that they confined and crushed
the truth and prccluded all examination into it.
was opposed to enf6 ping this instrument upon
the people ngainst their will, and stained, as l
supposed, with fraud. Other gentlemen took
different views of the case, and insisted upon its
prompt and immediate adoption, and the abso-
lutte admission of the state into the Union upon
it. The committee Of conference, in their con-
sideration Of the subject have changed the
views which were entertained by the Senate at
that time, and have now agreed to abandon the
Lecompton constitution, so far at least as to
submit it to the people Of Kansas now for their
affirmation. So far we arc agreed.
| But, slr,tin making that submission to the
people, certain consequences are attached 10 II
which. / thnIl, are an unjust an improper in
cumhrnnce upon the free right of the people to
choose their institutions for themselves. :"
| have said that this nc,S amendment pTopO'
scs the submission Of the constitution. | am
substantially correct in that statement Liter
I ally, however, it is but submission Of certain
| grants fland which have been hahitually made
lby Congress upon the formation and admission
/ ofnew stutes-grants for school purposes, grants
/ for university, grants for establishing seat
| of government. II submits these grants and
the condition upon which they made, to wit
TINT the state accepting them, shall not be at IL
| berty to interfere with the disposal Ofthe pub
lie lands or TO impose taxes upon them-it
| refers this formal Part Of the instrument Of adj
mission to the people Il submits to them the
lquestion, you willing to take these grants of
land or not? That is the only question to be
submitted to the people, but by legislation u
consequence is to flow FROM their action perfect
ly arbitrary in its nature, and altogether illogi
cal in the conclusion. II they are willing to
take the land, it is to be inferred that they are
i WllllUR 70 TAKE u CONSTITUTION winch IL Known
TO be obnoxious to them? And if they reject
the grants Of land for any reason or without
any reason, then they are to he considered as
| rejecting the constitution. Here is side issue,
4 or n collateral consequence, infinitely more i'm
Portant than the direct question propounded TO
the people.
! Air. Criaenden then stated his objections to
this proposition; first, because it offered a bride
to the people 10 induce their acceptance of an
odious constitution, and second, because it
! threatened them with certain disabilities II
they declined to accept the bribe. He then ad.
ded:
"Mr President ANXIOUS as am to see this
subject entirely settled aud this Kansas volcano
| extinguishcd, closed up, filled up forever, |
: would rather that these measure should all fail,
and Kansas be left just where YOU found her,
than where this bill would place her"
After commenting on the various shiftings OF
position and Inconsistencies of the administra.
ton question, Mr.. Crittcnden mentions as another
objection to the English bill the fact that the
majority of the Judges of Election constituted
by it would be appointed ny the people them
selves. This would only uggravatc the popular
discomfort and trouble in the territory. Mr..
Crittendcn concluded his eloquent speech us
follows:
/ ask my friends of the South, If the case
were reversed between the North and the South,
whit would the Sonth say to such mode oil
submission What would the South say to the
North il tho North proposed to her: 1--WE will
submit this constitution; we will say that if you
accept it VIC will give you land; We will give you
immediate admission into the Union as State;
will say to all the aspirantS in the territory,
| you who want to be senator's, you who hope to
attain that hOnored place, you who want to be
representatives from the new State, (and these
are generally the first and influential citizens
to You offer Immediate admission, and the
immediate opportunity of obtaining these cher.
| iShed and hoped for honUrs; but reject II, aud
you shall be indefinitely postponed That is
| not fair. What would the-Seuth say fthc case
we're reversed, and the North were to put this
form OF question TO proposed State that had n
majority in favor Of slavery and slave State?
! Would they not think il very hard? would.
l would Spurn it; would resist it-rcsist it to
| the uttermost. would demand for those OF
my section fair election upon EQUAL terms
! say, Mr.. President that 1t does not appear
| TO me that this is fair; and although belong,
as every man must do, to some part or some
section of the country, want to see justice
done, My experience teaches me that justice
alone is lasting foundation in public or in pri-
! vate life, for everything dear aud valuable. II
J Is the only sure. uDShakatIlc imperisitn HE foun.