Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-10-19

Astounding Dsvslopsmsnt.
From the Chicago Press Tribune
The Lecompton Constitution contained a
clause establishing Slavery in Kansas. There
were three parties in the Convention which
framed the Constitution, relative to the ques-
ton of submission. The first were in favor
ofsending the Constitution direct to Congress-:
the second favored its unconditional submis-
sion to the people; the third were in favor of
submitting only the clause for establishing
Slavery. The last named party, headed by
John Calhoun, President of the Convention.
triumpEed BY the terms of the schedule an.
nexed to the Constitution. an election was to
be held on the 21St Of December. and the
ballots cast were to be Endorsed either Con-
stitution with Slavery" or Constitution
with no Slavery" The schedule further pro-
vided that If the number of votes for the
Constitution" should he q majority, "the
rights Of property in Slares now in the Terri
tory shall in no seay be interfsred riA"-mak-
ing it impossible to abolish Slavery This
schedule also contained various provisions by
which the State Government was to be put
into operation Immediately after the vote on
the Slavery clause was taken, without await
ing the action of Congress. and the Tcrritori-
al Legislature was deprived Of all opportuni
ty If altering or repeating the laws enacted
by the Border Ruf1ian" Legislature; and
. provision was also inserted to prevent any
amendment of the Constitution previous to
the year 1864, and then only UPON the con-
currence of two-th,rds of the members of both
Houses, and majority of all the citizens Of
the State.
The fraud thus proposed to be practiced
upon the people Of Kansas, raised a storm of
unexampled indignation not only in the Ter
ritory Of Kansas but drought the free States
The course was in violation of all precedent,
of every principle Unpopular sovereignty, and
it was recognized everywhere as scheme for
forcing Slavery upon Kansas against the we'll
known wishes Of an overwhelming majority
Of her people. The form of submission itself
was cheat. If the slavery clause was voted
up, the Constitution was to be in force and
il it was voted down, the same result was to
follow and in this latter event, the Slaves
already there and their natural increase werr
not to be interfersd with. 1t will I've rcmem-
bered that the Free State men. Of Kansas re
fused to vote at all, and that it was only by
the most shameful frauds, such as were per-
pctrated at Oxford and Kickapoo, that any
considerable number of votes were recorded
on the day of election. What befrll the Lee
compton Constitution, as well as the obloquy
which gathered around the President of the
Convention, is so fresh in the public recol-
lection that it needs not to be repeated here
The intimate personal friends Of John Cal
houn have always held that he was only an
instrument in the hands of others. in this at
tempt to fasten Slavery upon Kansas and
many OF them, knowing the close intimacy
which had long subsistcd between himself
and Douglas-the great influence which the
latter exerted over him and the fact that he
was indebted to Douglas for thu Office which
he held in kansas-did not hesitate to ex-
press the belief, that in all his agency in the
Lecompton matter, Calhoun was only carry
ing out the wishes and instructions Of Doug.
las. Aside from the reputation for integrity
and honor which Calhoun had previously
maintained, certain expressions Of Douglas,
made just before the Lecompton Convention,
and the position of his newspaper organs in
this State, went far towards the vcrificauon
Of this hypothesis.
In order to learn the exact facts in the case,
LEWIS BURSEs, Esq, President of the Demo-
cratic association Of Leavcnworth some tim
ago addressed letters Of inquiry to all tn
members Of the Constitutional Convention
whose residence could be learned. Ten re-
sponses, from men living at long distances
from each other and having neither time nor
opportunity for consultation. were promptly
received, and those, together with a copy of
the letter of inquiry, are published in full in
the New Orleans Delta. We annex one of
the ten responses. The others do not vary
from this as far as regards the sustaining Of
the charge:
LEAvESwoKrH, Sept. IA, 1860.
70 Fred Emory, ESQ.,, Daniel scully, Esq, Hon. q. W
Matthias, John Henry Esq, and DR.. p. Dyer, Commit
tee, etc.
Gentlemen Your favor of the 18th inst,
is just received, and hasten to reply.
was a member of the Constitutional Con-
ventiOn that framed and passed the we'll
known Lecompton Constitution.
During the tendency of the proposition to
submit the slavery clause Of that instrument
to the people, as it was submitted, I ,eas
shocn letter by the Hon. John Calhoun, adj
dressed to Aim by the Hon. Stephen H. Doug
Las. THAT LETTER SUGGESTED AND
URGED THE PLAN OF SUBMISSION
ADOPTED BY THAT CONVENTION, ap-
PROBING the Constitution as agreed upon,
WHICH HAD BEEN SUBMITTED TO
HIM, and pledging himself to pass the Con-
stitution through Congress. If zoe pould insert
the clause Of sub,nission, chicA ace did insert.
This letter was declared by General John
Calhoun to embody the entire sentiment Of
Judge s. A Douglas, and that the entire plan
cf the Constitution soas suggested in this letter,
and that the plan Of submission ,cas all that
tods scanting to make the Constitution tnsphat-
scalIy Douglas measure. On examination
OF the letter, found in it q veritication of all
that General Calhoun had told me- Up to
the time Of seeing this letter, had opposed
the plan of submission, but in riew Of the
pledge IF Senator Douglas to put it through
Congress If submitted in tie manner 1t ras,
4 then supported the Constitution, after the
adjournment Of the Convention, with the
submission clause and ALL
Shortly after Senator S. A. Douglas took
position on the Lecompton Constitution, /
met Gen. Calhoun at Leavenworth City, and
referred TO Senator Douglass course, and his