Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-05-14

of Vermont, in U. s. Senate, AprH27, 1858.
We give an abstract of the able speech of
Hon. Jacob Collamer, of Vermont, in the
U. S. Senate, April 81, 1858, against the
English" bill, reported by the Committee
of Conference.
First as to the Senate bills its substance wns. if
adopted that it admitted Kansas into the Union |
State under the Lecompton constitution with |
out any further action of the people. Our objec-
tons consisted essentially in these; that that con-
stituton was framed by convention which was
the fruit and result of usurpaton and fraud; that
an unfair and imperfect census was taken, by
which largo part of the people were deprived #
the chance of voting for delegates; that the con-
stitution formed in defiance of the will OF the
people, made in point of fact by a minority of
those originally elected to the conventions that
the constitution professed to be presented to
the people in disguised and deceptive form; that
the people themselves were deprived of the OPP
portunity which had been promised to them, of
passing upon the whole constitutions; that at an
elcct held on the ith of January, by virtue of
an act of the Territorial Legislature, they by very
large majority repudiated it.
The Senate by larga majority voted us down,
and passed bill admitting Kansas as a State
under that Constitution. The House sent up the
bill amended by the Crttenden- Montgomery am
mendment. Why did vote for il? In the first
place. it would be sufficient for me to say that here
were presented to us two alternatives-on the one
hand, the Lccompton Constitution, which had been
rejected by the people of Kansas most imperatively
and conclusively, and, on the other, an effort to
shbmitt it to the people, accompanied by pro-
vision that if they did not like it they might make
another constitution, which they did like Could
there be auy hesitation to how we SHOULD vote
in regard to these two alternatives? Could there
be any doubt as to the choice we should make be-
tween them
In the nexe place, if we voted against the House
amendment we deprived the people Of Kansas
of the right of establishing free constitution; we
left them to have the Lecompton constitution i'm
posed upon them, and gave them no opportunity
to form IL free one. Hence we voted for that pro-
position. Again, it was fair-cven to those who
claim, that the people in forming their constitu-
ton, may make it free State or slave State
constitution they please, because it offered that
op ortunity That proposition was very liberal
step for those gentlemen to lakeland there are
such in the country-we hold that the peo-
pie in the formation Of State constitution even,
have not the right to enslave their tellow-men.
But these gentlemen, if any such there were in
the two Houses, voted for it with great lberality.
and why? First because it was the best Of the
two alternatives offered to them. Next because
after the knowledge of the vote Of the first of jan
uary, disclosing ten thousand majority against
this constitution, there every moral certainty
that when the Lecompton constitution, with
slavery, presented to the people Of Kansas, it
| hazard in vot;ng rn give them nm opportunity of
| that kind
I come now to the next step-the bill proposed
by the committee Of conference. | will state its
leading provisions. The first is, that the Lecomp
ton constitution shall he presented TO the peonle
of Kansas for their acceptance or rejection. ooh,
no." says the honorable Senator from Virginia.
Mr.. Hunter ait does not submit the constitution
Ia tho noonlnn Tho majority of the Sonata nv
the biIi thew have nasscG decided thot il WINS
far nc was
cd nnt ~ bo nasscd mon ony further by tho ma.
nIe. and ho saws tbis LilI CO tro,ts II If urfor-
itand II /, dnoS NOT 60 troat IL II sp,,nits GOV
tain onestion 70 tho noon,e. that ;s whnther
tboy ill aoor, oar,o;n la rronts. onj - ,ra
yides tbot n tbey occont tboso Iarj ,,ronts tbor
and in tb,t casc Iocdmr,on sboi t,and .. ,Gn
constitution hnt II further nrov;Ies that If tbov
ro;ao, that ,,,onos;tio, l.; raad - ~ Iond ,;
,hon ' rnod tha Iaoa,nrt~n -. M
at ,h 60. s T.; ~ so III t ,bsa
noonIo g - !; aIi rarfeo, on vow sida and vo,
ibaiI b,ro onrortrr;tv 10 ro;.c+ Iocom,,cn y
W.. ,ba, IA rr'oara;,;y',aIIr and sa, ,ha,
nor, NY a ,nstn t .ia ro,'io h., ,rh;ob ~
oo,i r. - - aann,an 10 ~, ,,,, s
rou do No. ,nI;oct tbo Inromn,on constitntior ~
ibe;r yntc, TSs two ara nttarIv ;ncnns;stsnt. and
there ia No in ,onuitv or sonbistrv tbouoh the
tIem,r ~, bn,, ,nH1,h nC fba foyror ;S no, f tb
49,. - a L. ,sN;t;i;, a;a,.,;a NV u , VI.
this out of sight
The first objection that occurs to my mind is
the form in which the question is attempted to be
presented to the people of Kansas This has been
very we'll defined by the honorable Senator from
Kentucky [Mr. Crttendenl 1t is put to them one
question by the answer to which they are to decide
another question that has no relationship to it,
The question is, theroI re, artificial deceptive in
its consequences. You put to man the question:
"Sir will you take such grants Of land; as a citi-
of Kansas are you willing to receive such
grants" eyes" SAYS he, az am" "Well we
tell you now if you will vote to accept these grants
you shall take the Lecompton Constitution that
you have rejected" In short, if you will not vote
against a favorable offer, you shall have imposed
upon you Constitution to which you opposed;
and you must vote against favorable offer in o.
der 70 get rid ofan obnoxious Constitution. "
We have complained that the Lecompton consti-
tuition was submitted to the people in regard to
thequestion of slavery, in a certain manner, which
was unfair, deceptive, and dealing in duplicity.
That submission this "Y gu may vote for the
constitution with slavery, or for the constitution
without slavery; but you have to vote for the
stitution, At ANY rate. That seems TOT TO be the
way in which the question is put to them; be-
cause you hold that under the bred Scott decision,
1t is alaychodng Territory, and therefore if the
people vote for these land grants, they take
slave holding State constitution, and if they vote
against them they are to endure slavery under a
territorial form Of government, That il the al
tentative
Another objection. II seemed Ia he o.,rc.d m
All - - - ,II " ~ "1'N'u 'i
b. the Senate, that the numbers of the people Of
Kansas were sufficient to justify their admission.
They had numbers enough to admit them two
years ago, if they would make constitution to
suit you. You thought they had numbers enough
to admit them under the LecUmpton constitution.
There are numbers enough Of them to justify
their admission as II state, if they vote for this
constitution but you give them to understand
that there are not numbers enough if they vote
against this constitution, to make free We
have here proposition that Kansas shall be adj
United II She Will have slave constitution, aud
shall not b. admitted if she will not have slave
constitution There are people enough TO hold
slaves, but not people enough to enjoy freedom
In the next place, the proposition which is now
before uruuuces M 6nulitv. ms Ia