Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-07-23
ent, and of the peace and prosperity of the fu-

tne measures supported by the Democratic
party since entered upon my present term
of service in the Senate, it IL necessary to bear
in mind the antcccdent history Of the strange
state Of affairs to which have just alluded.
Without this, no just judgment can be formed
OF what was done, or proposed to be done by
that party. The public mind, without this
review Of the past, and knowledge Of antccc.
dent struggles, would bc utterly unprcpare,l
to appreciate the extraordinary necessities
which surrounded and pressed upon all bran
ches OF the government, executive, Legislative
and judicial. The two first, especially, were
in q condition to awaken considerations Of the
prOfoundcst solcitude.
During the Presidential canvass, VIC appear
ed to be standing all the time upon the very
verge OF civil war. On the one side was
Democratic Executive, struggling with n de.
termIned will and careful skill, TO avert the
calamity On the other, it was a scene Of I'm.
tlrlng strategies and cOntrivanccs 10 prccpi.
tate that result. We escaped the disaster bv
electing the present Chief Magistrate, whose
conservative temper and patriotic mind were
at once directed to the adoption Of such meas
ures rs in his judgment would DC most likely
to preserve peace and promote confidence in
its continuance. Peace to the country and
security to the Constitution were the great
ends to be gained. Upon these were siakc,l
the destinies Of this, the greatest Republic
that ever was upon earth, and the only true
government Of liberty united with order, which
now exists. 1t was certain, even then. tLat
the peace and security Of which speak, and
which were necessary TO prevent revolution.
would he, under any circumstances, of vcrv
difficult attainment The complication Of al-
fairs in Kansas was still great-great rs the
passions Of men were intense and furious. 1t
was in this state Of affairs that the Lccompton
Constitution was presented by the President
to the consideration Of Congress. His policy
in relation to that measure was adopted with
great care and forethOught. lie believed il
to be well founded, and the only means by
which peace could be permanently brought
back to the country, and safely secured to all
branches Of the government. 1t was q grave
and mOmentous question in the results which
its solution might produce. 1t must be bone
in mind, and should never be forgot N. thai
there was principal source frcnn whence ali
the difficulties in kansO: had sprung: that
was the refusal Of thc enemies Of the Demo
cratic party IT, exercise the right of suffrage.
Ihls Is uxcd fact, and every species Of logic
'n"y be used and exhausted, and still the re.
/ sponsibility OF the troubles in Kansas will be
brought home to these disorganizers. This
difficulty was created for malign and insur.
rcctionary purposes in fact, for practical pur.
poses Of treason; in violation of law, Of order
and contrary to the whole policy of our instl
tutions. That the majority of those who vote
arc entitled to govern, and not those who re-
fuse to vote, however numerous they may be,
is the basis upon which our Government rests
| The power to make constitution wns placed
in the hands Of the electors Of the Territory
OF Kansas by Congress, and it was the duty
OF every electOr to comply with tho laws oil
the Territory, and exercise his right ofsnfEragC
in voting for delegates to the convention t.
form that constitution and then, il it was
not such as met their appreciation, to vote
against the adoption of such clauses as were
| Objectionable to them.
This is brief epitome Of the whole case.-
The President considered the peace Of tho
country, and probably the safety Of the Gov.
crnment at stake, and that it was better tc
submit the LccOmpton Constitution to the
consideration Of Congress, and that il should
be adopted in some form or other That con.
stitution gave to Kansas much greater
amount of public lands than had ever been
granted to any new State upon its admission
into the Union. Congress Simply amended
this by reducing the land grant, and leaving
It to vote OF the people of Kansas whether
they would accept the Lccompton Constitu
ton with diminished grant, and be immcdi.
ately admitted as State, or continue in their
territorial condition until their population en-.
titled them to representative in Congress
and take their chances for such a grant O
land rs all other new States had obtained on
their admission into the Union. The wisdom
Of this policy has been demonstrated by the
events which have followed. The designs OF
the scditious have been defeated; the unllal.
lowed passions Of the ambitious have been re.
bukcd the people Of Kansas have rejected
the constitution, and returned to the sober
second thought Of peace !; for they have seen,
and what is more, they have been entirely
convinced that no wrong was intended to bC
inflicted upon them by Congress and the Pres.
dent and submitted to them for their dcci.
sion. The policy Of the President has at least
| produced this result. II the Democratic pnr.
ty who elected him had, in the captous spirit
Of fault finding, refused TO support his recon-
mcndations on this subject, it is more than
probable that it would have been seized upon
rs a signal for renewing the traitorous scenes
which have disgraced Kansas and dyed its soil
with the blood Of it's citizens Tho struggle,
in oil human probability, would not have stop
ped within that Territory, but spreadsitsc
over the length and breadth OF this great Re
public. The votes gave ON this question
were to restore peace in Kansas, and pcact
came. voted to Stranglc the monster trca
son, and under the action Of Congress in pass
ing the measure that was presented to the
people Of Kansas, treason has been disarmcd
and as trust, forever. Such is the brief out
line Of the history which led to the adjustment
of these perilous questions. and from which
have resulted that peace and security which
the country now enjoys.
Let US now, at this stand point, briefly ad
vert to some Of the antecedent questions which
were connected with the Kansas difficulty
And full in our front has always stood thu
Missouri Compromise. have for many year,
believed that measure was not warranted by
our Federal Constitution. 1t was . violation
Of that fundamental principle upon which thu
Constitution is based the sovereignty and co
equal rights Of the States. The Constitution
was grant Of power from States, each having
cO.equal and coordinate rights Whatever
powers were not expressly delegated were de-
clarcd to be reserved to the States respective
ly. There was no power delegated to the Fed
cral Government to exclude from, or to estab
lish, slavery in any Of the States or Terrific
riCs, and Of course by no indirect Legislation
could Congress or . Territorial Legislator,
have the power to accomplish that object
The question Of slavery was left exclusively t
the States. They possessed q sovereign righ
to adopt OF exclude II. This sovereign riSh
Injured to all States which might como into th,
| TTuea H. \ 4