The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-10-24


stand by him on the principle Of submitting
the Constitution to the people. [Cheers.
l then informed Gov. Walker ihat, as Q
Senator, had no hesitation 10 assuring him
thst i should require the best evidence the
nature OF the case would admit Of that the
CONSTITUTION to be adopted In Kausas was
the act and deed Of that people, and | be.
lleved that the submission Of that Constitu
lion to vote of The people was the beat
means OF ascertaining that fact. ECries o
l"Good," and cheersl i also told him was
not prepared to endorss-the proposition tha
the President and Cabinet had ANYTHING tc
no with the patter; that did not know
what the Executive department., Of the GO
vetnmehtshadto to do with the Constitution o
n ansasi and that ia my opinion the psopfs
fWere to mike 4 as fteys pleased in the hrs
linstance, and, when It came to Congress,
as Senator, must demand the best evidence
that it was the act and deed OF those people
lCheets.j ;ThereuplD, | gave him the as
suranee that. according to my judgment. tht
Constitution ought to be submitted to III;
people; and | intended, as a Senqsor anC
Chairman of the Committee on Territories,
to- demand evidence that it had been proper.
ly done.
Gov. Walker and myself talked over thu
existing condition of Kqnsas, and il wa,
conceded by US both, as it had been by eve.
rYbody at Washington, of all parties, thai
Kansas would inevitably be a free State
1t was acknowledged that fve out of six, If
not.nine out of ten, Of the people ot Kansas
were opposed to making it Slave State;
and 1t was conceded by us both that they
had right TO make it a free State II they
chose, Or slave State if they preferred it,
ffCheers1 .., .'.t K.
| But, inasrlucA Os We conceived that there
vas so'large majority OF the people in ia.
vor of . free State, we discussed the propo.
sition on the supppsiiioH That Kansas would
be a,1tee State. / expressed ihe -h1pe> that
upon making ii a.free State they would in.
sert such clauses in sthsR Constitution as
would gnarsnteethes fnlftlmenton the part
Of their people of every provision of the
Constitution of the Bai,ed States, and that
| they would put:iDto their Constitution .
clause requiring every officsrof that. State,
and every citizen TO lend his hid in the en-.
forcement Of all constitutional provisions,
| the fugitive slave law incinaed; n Cries sof
f"Good !" and cheers. Idsel9red then, as
do to you to-day, that 20 mNiiought to be
permitted to vote a, any election who is no,
willing to obey The Constitution Of the Uni.
ted States in all its p1ris. Applause l.
AndI therefore trusted that they would 50
| frsme their Constitution as to make it oblir
! atory on every citizen of Kansas to perform
his obligations under the Constitution
But, while Iiexpressedathis opinion to Gov.
Walker, it. was distinctly Understood that
this was a que ton for the people of Ksnsas
Ito decide for themselves, aud, whichever
way thcy decided Il was o.be final and con,
Lekty ne col .acF Vie
'ther u comm b O " nos
the results of this interview with Cav -4W al
ker. Its we'll known to my friends that
am not in the habit of writing political! lei,
ters. 1t is true that gave mlny letters o.
introduction to Mr.. Calheun to persons ap
plying for surveying contracts, or havine
business with the Land Office In Kansas,
and | may possibly shavs written him, mar.
rating this interview. But am very sure
that wrote him no letter upon the subject
of politics, or the Lecompton CONSTITUTION,
pending the session of the convention.
Gov. Walker proceeded to Kansas, and
published bis inaugural address, containing
the statement that he was authorized by the
President and his Gahinet TO say th1t the
Constitution would be rejected unless it was
submitted to vote OF the people. When
the convention adopted the Constitution and
declared 1t in force, without submitting it to
the people, | denounced it the very instant
| heard OF it. Tremendous shouts of ap
plause. The very night the news arrived
in Chicago, bringing tho form of submission
of the slavery clause, denounced it in un.
measured terms. l denounced it bsfore
knew what the course of any other man in
tAmeriea infelasion to it would be. TCries
Of Bravo" "Tha's the man." and 40
lpla0se.] Ibid not wait one hour, or one
minute, when ] discovered the trick by
which the people were to be cheated
Cheers,
II you will look into the Lecompttn Cona
stitu!ion, you find that the original document
made Kansas siaye State, and then tho
schedule submitted anrthsr slavery clause
to the people TO vote or against; il they
voted for it Kansas was a slave State
When I reached Washington, three days
before the meeting OF Congress, went di,
rectly to the President, and had talk with
hiHeupoD this subject, in which I informed
him, as friend, no t to send the CONSTITUTIONS
into Congress for acceptance. told him Il
wac volationfof every pledge we had
| made to the people, violation of the fun,
! damental pridEiples of the .hamEatic par.
ty, and a violation of the Pfii1 - OF all
parties, in all Republican goysEnnsnts; be.
eau it was an atternp pt TO fofas sans,tu
tonrHpon un unwilling peopss Begged
me not to say anyihing upon subjac
until we should heat the news as t. howlh
vote stood on the slavery clause - phs vots
you remember, was to be takeH 90 tle
slavery clause on the 2lst Of Decembsf
three or four weeks subsequent to this Con.
vention. I told the President that il he
would withhold his recommendation until
the vote was taken on thataclause l would
withhold my speech against The measure. =
He said fie must recommend il 10 his mes
sage, and replied that it hssdd would
denounce it the moment his imessaes 3 was
read. [Great applause. A voices We liks
ysu for it'll At last the President became
somewhat excited upon the >subjscts----
EIsaughter. And he arose and'said to me
.Mr. Douglas, desire you to remember
that no Democrat ever yet differed from an
administration of his own choice without
being crushed" ["Ah /" aud laughter. J.
Then he added "Beware of the iOte OF
Tallmudge and Rives." | arose and said :
l"Mr. President, 1 wish sou TO remember
Ethat General Jackson is dead, sir" Fu.
mul,uous cheering.] From that day to this
he aud have been trying the question whe-
ther or not General lckson is dead. Great
laughter. and applause.] And one thing is