The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-04

Million Tor Louisiana Territory, but the
American People Arose in Their Might
and Said "Amen, Thomas Jefferson
When Congress, the Supreme Court and
the President Tried to Enforce the Flu
gitive Slave Law They Failed.
Topeka, Sept 3.-The most interest
ing portion of ex-senator Ingalls,
speech here yesterday was as follows;
Il have heard,it said that the organic
law of Kansas was her constitution.
have heard il said that the organic
law of the United States was the con-
stitution. / say TO you, fellow citizens,
that the organic law of Kansas and
the United States is the determination
Of the majority Of her people. Thomas
Jefferson had no constitutional nor le-
gal right to purchase from Napoleon
Boneparte the territory Of Louisiana
for fifteen million dollars. 1t was an
unconstitutional and illegal act; but
public opinion said amen. Thomas
Jefferson And they sent a congress
there to approve that act and make this
appropriation for carrying it into eff
feet and thus it was that we secured
that empire which is the republic in
which we stand today. There used to
be (and some of the grey bearded men
will remembers iD in this country
statute known as the Fugitive Slave
Law" 1t was enacted by facile and
subservfent congress; If was supported
by a facile and subServient supreme
court, whose chief justice said that the
black man had no rights that the white
man was bound TO respect. The law
could not be enforced. although sub
servient president attempted to enforce
It in that portion of the country to
which it was intended to be applied;
although behind him were the army
and navy of the United States; honest.
enlightened. conscientious, patriotic
public opinion was against it. There
was no law preventing the president
of the United States from returning TO
che states of the south the regimental
battle colors that We're captured by the
vaIor of the union soldiers. He had a
right to take from their cases those
ensigns, rich with patriotic blood, and
sag that they should be returned to the
regiments from which they were cap
tured and the states from which they
came. But an enlightened patriotic
GInnc opinion SdIu NJ. NIL 'TipNtI
Cleveland, drop those flagsr And he
dropped them, and they were returned
TO their cases and there they will re-
main until the gnawing tooth Of time
shall bite each thread from the stan
dard. so long as valor has voice or
freedom has champion.
when a man feloniously and violent
" ASA ults the honor of a woman, and
enraged neighbors and friends take
the wretch and hang him to the nearest
tree, thatsis murder by statute. 1t IS
so defined by law. And yet when one
of those men is brought before a jury
to answer for murder, he is always
acquitted. Why? Because an enlight-
ened public opinion says that punish
ment by confinement in the penitentiary
for that outrage is inadequate to the
offense, and therefore they say it served
him right
There have been men during the
past few months. ladies and gentlemen
who have had the hardihood and ter
merity to find fault with the congress
of the United States OIaughterD I am
appalled, at your levity, You remember
that when. on the fourth day of last
March, the gavel fell, the Geographic
report went out that the reporters in
the press gallery united simultaneously
in singing the first lines of the long
meter doXology.
praise God from whom all blessings
dow"
And at the same instance, in the city
Of New York, in the great markets of
our traffic and commerce and business,
the business men in that great city uni
ted in hilarious antics and gymnastics
expressing their joy that a great ma
l., L., i IT
teri You smile, ladies and gentlemen,
but it is much more an occasion for
iamentation than for laughter. for #
There were a congress inadequate, in
rompatent, insincere. hostile To the best
Interests of this country, 1t was not the
FAULT of the congress so much as 1t was
IF the constituencies that sent them
there. / have heard ii said that in
That lower house of congress there We're
political freaks who would have been
ornamental in the receSSeS of the dime
museum. All | have 10 say upon that
subject is that If there were freaks in
that body, they were there because the
best men in every district permitted
the freaks to send them there.
There have been men with hardihood
enough during that same interval to
cast aspirations upon the senate OF the
very often have declared that in that
great tribunal there were sugar" sen
Rtors; that there We're men who. like
Judas Iscarot, had betrayed their sa-
cred cause of liberty which they were
sent TO represent. for thirty pieces Of
silver. If there be any of that body
who has been contaminated and tar
nished by the breath of suspicion: Il
there be in that great tribunal any man
whose credentials rest upon his bank
account. and who is there because Of
his contributions to the campaign funds
Fl is not so much mis- fault as ii is the
fault of the state that sent him there.
For. I say to you. that there is no man
in this country with millions enough
the millions Of the AStors multiplied
by those of the Tanderbilts-to break
into the senate Of the United States I'M
less there is q state behind him. And
if there he anybody in that tribunal
with not intelligence enough . reply tn
his name when il is called on he Yea"
and Nay list there is one way to
remedy il. Abolish the present anti
qGated. clumsy. superfiuous and detri-
mental Methods of choosing senator's by
legislatures. and let them he elected
by a direct vote OF the people of the
state as they ought to be elected.
(Cheers)
The only way 10 purify this govern
nent IS by trusting the people-apd !
say n you that the widest excuses Of
popular liberty are vastly prefera BILE
70 the stagnation of despotisn. how
ever Silded and placid il may be. And