Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-04-26

Ctatt Wa apparently entirely aDdBlOHeu
1t was universally conceded that il could not
be made slave State by fair vote of the
people. which / thought was the only way
in which it could be properly made either a
slave State or tree State, it being my opin-
ion. which have always entertained, that
when a people come to frame Stale coDsti-
tuition they have right TO determine that
and all other questions appertaining to their
local government for themselves / do not
know the period during my whole life, CON-
mem ing with the citation when youth of
the Missouri compromise. thas have failed
TO advocate that doctrine. Ii is due to frank
ness and candor for Ine 10 say, though | do
not desire 10 Introduce politics. that | GER
tainly was very anxious to make Kan-as
Democratic State. and the only plan to ae
complish il was to unite The free State Demo-
erals with the pro slavery parry, and all
those whom / regarled us conservative men
against the more violent portion OF the Re-
publicans. But at the same time determine
I'd that would use no improper means to
accomplish this object, but that | would do
il, il did it at all, boldly and openly. by legi
innate argument, address d to the people in
nrItten address and in very numerous
speeches upon the stump. And l believe
that the object would undoubtedly have BEEN
accomplished il / bad not been arrested in
thai course, and that Kansas would unques-
fiUnubly have been Democratic State, and
wOnld have inserted provisions in Der State
cOnslitu ton. as suggested in my inaugural
address conservative of Southern rights, IN
case sne became a free state. thought, too,
that il the constitution was not submitted TO
The people, but was attempted 10 be forced
upon them against their known will, and l so
stated in my correspondence with the Presi-
dent. as you will see. it would accomplish no
good Object tor the slavehOlding States, be
rl,ts- tod n
then elect violent Republican Legislature,
and that Legislature would send two very
violent Republicans to the Senate of the
United States, and a member OF Congress
would be elected entertaining similar views.
No possible oil Jet Tor the beneft OF the South
or aGy portion OF the Union, could be attain
cd by forcing the constitution upon the
people against their Will. L believe, TOO,
aud L SO stated, that such a course would
destroy the Democratic party probable pro-
duce civil war III Kansas, and eudangrr the
Gov rnment.
Shorty after | arrived at Lecompton, the
county of Douglas, of which Lecompton is
the capital, held Democratic mreting. and
nominated eight e ntlemen, think, as dele
gales To the Lecomptou Convention. of which
john Calhoun. then the Surveyor General OF
the Territory, was at the head. The resOlu-
tiOns of the meeting requir, d them to sustain
the submission of the constitution 10 the vote
Ot the people. They published written
pledge To that effect. Rumors were circula-
ted 10y their opponents that they would not
submit the whole constitution 10 the people.
They published a second circular, a day or
Two bUf,re the election. denouucing these Tu-
mOrs al falsehOOds, and IeafliTmed their de-
termination, If elected, TO submit the consti-
tuition to the people. But for these assuran-
ces 1t Is universally conceded they had no
Chance whatever OF being elected-nOt the
slightest. When the Democratic Territorial
Convention assembled at Lecompton, in July,
1891. they passed resolutions unanimously
endorsing, i believe, my course. although
nearly all that Convention was composed of
pTo-slaVery men, Tor they constituted ma
Jorty of " hat was tEen called the Democrat
&c party there. a resolution was offered TO
that Convention, do not recOllect its exact
words. but in substance in favor OF sustain
lug the constitution to be adopted by the
l. compton COnv entiOn, whether it was sub
mItted 10 the people or not; but after con-
siderable debate on the merits OF the ques-
ton, upon a test vote that resolution was
laid on the table by vote OF torIy-two TO
one. l still continued to entertain not the
shadow of a doubt that the constitution
would be submitted to vote of the people
by The Convention, nor do | believe the
slightest doubt existed in the Territory.
L deem it due TO frankness TO say, that,
from my long residence in the South, and
my very deep gratitude to the State which
had adopted me and clothed me with the
highest Donors it could bestow, and repeated
from time TO time. and my general views on
the sui CT of slavery, should have greatly
preferred, with a view to maintain the equIli-
bTium of the Government, and to perpe tuatc
the Union on the basis OF the Constitution
which / considered the great and paramount
object, | should have preferred that a ma
jurity OF the people of Kansas would have
made it slave State. 1 avUwed these views
as regards the equilibrium of the Govern
mcnt, very fully III my public printed COM
muuications in kansas, especially that OF
September. 1857. L never disguised my
opinions upon this subject, and especially
reiterated the opinion that | was th2s IN
favor of maintaining the CquilIbi ium of the
Government by giving the South a majority
in the Senate. " bile the North would always
necessarily have majority IN the House OF
Represents tives, which opinion have enter
tanned since the Missouri compromise, avOw-
ing 1t at tina; time aud on great many pub
lie occasions ever since, especially in my eff
forts to make two slave States out of FlOrid,
and Fix slave States out oi Tex s. This "pin-
ion l sill entertain. not from any sectional
views but bccaus. do believe il would best
tend 10 accomplish the great and paramount
object of preserving he Constitution aud the
Government. But at the same time it Was
perfectly obvious to myself and Ia every
person that il was possible to accomplish
that object by no fair means in Kansas. l
was determined that, so far a. my action
was concerned. that there should be fair
vote u the people, and that / would counte-
nance no frauds, ur fUTgeries, or villany OF
any kind, especially in cOnneXion with
question so solemn as that.
The attempt to make Kansas a slave State
developed itself in :he fall OF 1857. 1t first
was fully developed by the terrible torgeries
ia The pretended returns. They were not
legal returns that were sent To ne as Cover
nor OF the Territory, and which L r jecled,
although that rejection gave Il maj rriiy OF
the Territorial Legislature to my political
opponents. the Il, publicaas-at which, l am
free to say, | was deeply grieved. l did my
best TO secure DsmocratIc minority In that
Legislature. and eXerivd mys,H must anX-
iuu-ly, making stump speeches. The first
furgsIy presented To- me was thu case At Ok
ioId, ~ ich was a forgery upon lis face, aud
that IL was 80 has been acknuwlt dyed by one
oi the judges whose name pui ported to be
sigurd L. it. Ia public document, since
published by him. he d, cares that be never
did aflix his signature to it. in Oxford
more than sixiee" hundred votes were at
tempted to b, given in a village of six houses
where there were not fifty voters, and il is
now ascer,riued that not thirty votes werv
really given. The rst were all forgeIies. My
rejection ol that return. inasmuch "a il affect
ID the iWo large counties Of johnson and
Douglas, gave m ju-ity OF the Territorial
Legislature TO the X, publicans. was then
very bitterly deuonne, d. at which felt pro
fouudly indifferent. brCauSe thought that
any man who would appr've Ct endorse such
forgctie> was base and dishonest man. and
prriefrod his censure Ia his approval. Nari-
Gus per- Onal threats were made. which als'i
disregaIdei. The next return presented
~us that from Niece county, where there
certainly was not twenty voters. but which
Was returned a. over Twelve hundred voter,
given mt three diflsrent prccincts. aud Nhere