Year: 1860

ApfH lin lbOO.


The House having under consideration the bill
(R. r. No. 2s) FOR the admission of Kansas into the
Union


Mr.. QUARLES said


] Mr.. SPEAgER The wide range which this debate
has taken has SO completely covered the points at
issue between the friends Of this measure and its
opponents, that shall he forced to rehearse much
that has already been said by gentlemen who have
preceded me and all can hope TO accomplish is
to CLEAN here and there a straw, and add it to the
rich sheaves of argument and reason Which have
been abundantly thrown at your feet by the dis
! tinguishcd gentlemen in whose pathway | tread,
"haud pdssibus eglis.n


had hoped, sir, when this subject, so fruitful of
strife both within the borders of Kansas and Through
out the entire land came again before tic hTaeTi-
can Congress il would be under such circumstances
as 10 preclude debate that we might in silence, if
not with smile of approval, seat this our young
est sister, at council bOard and in order that
! this result might be attained and no room be left
for cav or dispute, on the 4th day of May, 1853
the Congress of the United States passed what is
known as the English or conference committee bill
by the terms of which the citizens of the Territory
of Kansas were 10 determine by a vote whether
they would be admitted as a State under the Le-
compton constitution, with the restrictions as to
lands contained in the said act, or whether they
would choose the alternative presented, and remain
in their territorial condition until twas ascertained
| by census, duly and legally taken, that their
population should equal or exceed the ratio of re-
presentation required for member of the House
of Representatives of the Congress of the United
States. The bill referred to provides as follows:
| "At the said election the voting shall be by bal
Ilot, and by ndorsing on his ballot as each voter
may be pleased, proposition accepted, OF PROPOSE
ton rejected. Should majority Of the votes cast
be for proposition accepted, the President of the
United States, as soon rs the fact is duly made
] knnun IN hin, shall tha bv
nation and thereafter, and without any further
proceedings on the part of Congress- the admission
of the State 0fkansas into the Union upon equal
footing with the original States in all respects what
ever shall be complete and absolute; and said STATE
shall be entitled to one member in the House of Re-
presentatives in the Congress of the United States
until the next census be taken by the Federal Gov
ernmcnt But should a majority of the votes cast
be for proposition rejected it shall be deemed and
held that the people of Kansas do not desire admis
sion into the Union with sad constitution under
the conditions set forth in said proposition and in
that event the people of said Territory are hereby
authorized and empowered to form for themselves
constitution and State government by the name of
the State of Kansas, according to the Federal Con-
sitution and may elect delegates for that purpose
Whenever and not before, it is asCertained by II
census duly and legally taken, that the population
of said Territory equals exceeds the ratio OF re-
presentation required for member of the House of
OF llle llltcu
and whenever thereafter such delegates shall assem-
bic in convention, they shall first determine by
vote whether 1t is the wish of the people of the pro-
posed State to bc admitted into the. Union at that
time and, if 50, shall proceed to form a constitu-
ton, and take all necessary steps for the establish
ment offs State government, in conformity with the
Federal Constitution, subject to such limitations
and restrictions as to the mode and manner of its
approval or ratification by the people of the propos
ed State Ms they may have prescribed by law and
shall be entiten to admission into the Union as a
State under such constitution thus fairly and legally
made, with Or without slavery, as said constitution
may prescribe


Under this law OF Congress an election was held
in the manner therein prescribed and the citizens
of the Territory Of Kansas determined that they
would remain in their territorial condition. until it
WAS 'dSceytdaed by a census duly and kgqHy taken
that The population Of Soid Territory cquaLled
exceeded the rdto q representation required tord
Der Of The House Of Representatives. Of the Congress Of
tie United States.' Thus, by their action accept
ing the Stipulations terms and limitations of the
bill. The first question, then which we are called
on to decide is have the requirements Of this bill,
which the citizens of the Territsry have accepted
and by the provisions of which they are bound,
beSn complied with? Has Kansas a right to he
heard ut the bar OF this House. under the law which
1t has voluntarily imposed upon itself! Has n
sus been 'duly AID legdly taken which shows the
/ Territory to have ninety three thousand four hun
drcd and twenty souls! lfnot; by what right can
/ it claim TO be admitted as State, under any con-
stiution? win the friends Of the bill claim that
after the Territory has accepted the English bill
and acted under it, it may Mt its option, divest it.
self ono Of the material provisions of the law so
accepted? Are not the citizens of that Territory,
by their own voluntary action, estopped from deny
ing either the Justice or proprety of the law? Most
clearly sir, they But, sir it seems that Gen.
auS has been taken as stated by the Delegate from
that Territory, Mr. Parrott but one which he
chamcterzcs uS partial and inaccurate, which dis
closes the fact that there were ut the time Of the
formation of this proposed constitution only seven
ty thousand souls in the Territory. Here them sir
Is the reason why the conference bill is TO be abrO
gated. They did accept it, acted under IT, and pur-
sued its provisions, until il was asCcrtaincd tho the
number of population fell short ofiS requirements:
and now it is to be rcpudiatcd and the majority of
the Committee on Territories, feeling the weight
and force of this objection, seek TO uuty this law
which remains unrcpealed ON our statute-book, the
IconstltutiOnality of which no one questions and
base their right to be heard in this House upon thc
right oftho people 10 petition Congress forredress Of
grievances


! Sir, are the plain aud unmstakable provisions of
the laws OF the land 10 he thus abrogated2 Is one
Congress 10 enact law, and the succeeding sit
quietly by and see it ruthlesSly violated? Ifthe law
Is wrong repeal It; its provisions onerous, re-
move the burdens by legal enactment but whilst
the statute stands in full force do not seek subter-
tugcs and eyasions to shield yourselves from the
indignation ofthe country whose laws in one breath
you make and in the next violate.


! Mr. Speaker one ofthe greatest curses with which
we are afflicted as people, is the total disregard
md open contempt in which our laws are held
whenever and wherever they may antaponize with
our preconceived views of public policy, mdividu-
ais openly and dcfauty mfact them, without even
the scmblanee of a trial and sovereign States
boaStully nuliiy them whenever in the wanton-
ness OF caprice or the selfshness Of interest they
choose to assume the power Disloyalty TO the
majesty Of the law is our national mania and, un-
less arrested II must end in anarchy and open re-
hc.llVn 10 the constituted authorities This appli-
cation OF the Territory Of Kansas Mr.. Speaker, is
IN open violation OF a solemn enactment of the ma
tiona Legislature and an unauthorized reputation
ofonc of the conditions precedent upon which il
was to be admitted as state, and that too after
the formal acceptance On its part OF the law con-
tniuiun these conditions and shnpll fhorpfnra N