The Washington union., 1858-03-11
SENATOR DOUGLAS IN MISSOURI,

SENATOR DOUGLAS IN MISSOURI
II is well known that in the Cincinnati Convention
the Missouri delegation supported Douglas. voting
for him on every ballot until his withdraw
and demonstrating against it's withdrawal 1t was
even charged by the friends of Col Benton that tha
Missouri democracy ouly accepted Mr. Buchanan be.
cause they could not help it, and with many secre,
wry face that they deeply regretted the defea, Of
their favorite, and looked forward with eager bona
to his success in 1860, as their ouy compensatiop
II is not less known that she Missouri delegation in
Congress--eyen the very men who represented tia
State al Cincinnati stand in thG trout rank of the
supporters of tue administration against the diso,
ganizing movement of Mr.. Douglas. The same thin,
is true of the Missouri democrats at home. TheS
Louis Leader contains in its issue OF the 9th an ar
ticle on the subject, which we recognise proceed
Ing from of the abest minds in the State a man
who has long stood at the head Of the national de-
mocracy of Missouri. 1t puts strong point ina
very neat manner, The Leader comments on the
senator minority report
~ When Mr. Douglas had much leisure as tole
ready the shortest notice 10 give his opinions mas
meetings of his elowcitisens all the prominent qu,s
tions of TIE day tyitneSs his speech at Springfield on
Utah kan6is, &c \ II Is little singular that the absolute
necessity enabling net for Kanst entered hs
mind or il he did think Of it, that he uttered his
sentiments until the meeting Of Congress- after the kanc,
convention had done its work and all the prcminaes
been completed preparatory 10 the admission OF the STATE
When Gov Walker prose of advice 10 the con,
stitutionu convention in order to warp and bins its free
acton-when other statesmen. too hal u word to Sy
upon the proper ptincr of proceeding ON the Part of The
delegates any one doubt that single word OF a
vice from the great author Of the Kansas Nebraska
those Kansas who proud TO cIl him their friend
would not have been passed over unheeded When the
first step al been taken in kalsas towards forming
state government IL Mr. Douglas, who has studied The
subject of Territories thoroughly. had only come for
ward and said: My friends pause awhile am firmly
convinced that M Territory can proceed towards ma
king state constitution without first ohta,fing
enabling act from Congress lat least, there Ii Sufficient
doubt the subject to warrant YOU to wait unti the
meeting of Congress feel confident that the voice
of the great statesman would have hal weight with
his party in Kansas But no; hc sat quietly at home
let the Kansas people form their constitution In their
own way, and, at The time when they relied upon him
to assist in procuring its passage he first gave utteancs
to his dogma, and attempted to thwat the action n
the people of Kansas, well to destroy the party that
has made him all he is. Ample time also given him
to express bis opinion and his opinion might have
decided the question: upon the submission Of the slavery
clause alone to the people which he now affects 10
slider such inexcusable infringement upon Vopulp,
sovereignty The constitutional convention Of Kausas
not tho first person persons that conceived the
idea of submitting only part Of the constitution 10
the people Nearly year ago, when Coy Walker pass
ed through this city his way to Kansas he was
free to unfold hs plans to his political friends Ina
conversation with him ln the Planters House
Der that he distinctly announced his programme that
constitution should I've formed perfectly unexcepopa
bic, ignoring the subject of slavery, and that hdt
should ac'onTany submitting The question q I0myic hYe
pe We printed it in the Leader at the time and II
forth To the world it published all the country
both before aud after that time. 1t not until Gov
Walker got TO Kansas thai he offered to conmuni
the Instructions he pruscsss to have received from
the President, that the constitution should bc defeated
| unless submitted to n vote of the people Now, Nj.
Douglas must have heard of this Walker programme,
and So who doubts that his dissent from it would have
had its Influence upon The delegates who formed the
stitution But he had not word to until the meet
ing of Congress- when the State WAS ready to be admit
ted -