The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-09-11


the contingency. Now, during the passage
/ of that bill and the decision Of the Supreme
| Court, all persons on each side entertained
| their own opinions. We 10 the south held
| tibet the territorial legislature did not have
| the power. MIR. Douglas and his friends
held that the territorial legislature did have
the power. We suspended that question and
referred it by bill to the Supreme Court TO
determine the constitutional question therein
involved. This was body to whom we
could refer the question, and we thought 1t
unnecessary further to debate, each party
| agreeing TO acquiesce in the decision az rem
dered by said body. | think that it is a
pretty plain statement on that point, and
make it TO show that there was VOW tax en-
by the southern friends of the measure in
Congress, and among shem avow taken by
your humble speaker to support the deei-
son.h
lie then shows by extracts from bis own
speeches at the time, and from other testi-
mony, that he was for that agreement then
and had stood by II since.
He then goes on to prove from Douglas
own record, that be also was party 10 that
agreement:
"Now, gentlemen, having vindicated N.Y.
self and the Constitutional Democracy from
the charge of having abandoned the position
they took in 1854 and 1856, turn upon my
accuser and undertake TO show that MIR.
Douglas himself abandoned the agreement be
solemnly made ut the time tho Kansas Me-
braska Bill passed the Congress OF the Unit
ed States, (great applause,) and | do not
make myself witness against him TO do it,
| will prove it by himself. Voices, /" Good,
good" and applause.)
On the End day Of July, 1856, in debate
upon bill to authorize the people of Kansas
to form Constitution preparatory to admis-
sion into the Union as a State, when the
questi On arose as to what was the true mean
log Of the Kansas. Nebraska Bill, and the
limitation of the power OF the territorial
government, Mr.. 1rumbnll offered the fol.
lowing amendment as an additional section
Of the bill:
Sand be il further enacted that the provi-
sion In the act 60 organize the Territories Of
Nebraska and Kansas, which declares it TO
be the true intent md meaning OF said act
not to egislate slavery into any Territory or
State, nor to exclude it therefrom, but to
leave the people thereof perfectly free to
form and regulate their domestic institutions
in their own way, subjeo. only to tho Consti.
tuition of the United States, was intended to
and does confer upon or leave to tho people
Of the Territory Of Kansas full power at any
time, by it's Territorial Legislature, to ex-
cude slavery from said Territory, or to re-
organize and regulate ii therein"
That was MIR. 'rrumbull's amendment,
against which an overwhelming majority of
the Senate voted, including Gen. Uass and
Senator Douglas.
Let me, however, do MIR. Douglas the JUS
tice to Say that he voted against the amend
ment, not because he did not believe that the
territorial legislature had the power to cx
cude slavery from the territory, but because
he did not believe 1t was consistent to decide
the question legislatively, which they had
agreed to leave to the court.
General Cass Gays: CHR. Breckenridge
here quoted from Gen. Cass to show that the
south and north differed about the powers
that might be given territorial legislature,
and that the Kansas Bill left that TO be ad
Indicated by the court, by which, alone, the
constitutional question could be settled fin.
allyn
Mr. Breckenridge continued Mr.. Douglas,
In the same debate, used the following Lam
guage, in speaking Of the attempt of his col
league 10 coeree an opinion out of him upon
the question whether tho territorial legisla-
ture had the power to exclude slave property
before they became State, said Mr.. Breck-
inridge read from MIR. Douglas speech an
extract, concluding with the assertion, " We
| agreed to refer il to the judiciary; we agreed
TO abide by their dcosion."0
think have shown that upon the point
OF dispute between the friends of the Kansas
bill as to the power OF a territorial legsa-
ture to exclude slave property it was agreed
TO refer il TO the Supreme Covrt, and when
1t had been judicialy determined, we should
abide by the decision"
He then read extracts from the opinion In
the bred SCOTT case to show that the Court
had, virtually, decided the question, and
went on to show up the regeneration, the
lodging pettifoggcry, and the mean chicane-
ny by which Douglas repudiated his agree.
ment and claimed power to nulfy the
Constitution by . uufriendly legislation
/ great portion Of the speech to it's close,
10 then devoted to the disproof OF the charge
that ne and bis party, vnd the principles they
advocate, favor dsunion. lie pronounoes
the charge utterly baseess and void even Of
. semolance of color.
We would be pleased to quote the speech
at greater length but have not room to do so
At present. All our readers will be pleased
to learn that the Leaders Of both wings OF
the Democracy are strongly pledged, with
the Union men, TO the preservation Of the
Union, so that we can 20 on and elect Lin.
coin and Ilamlin without encountering even
a whimper Of disunion and treason from any
OF the party organizations.