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Show • ) 84 A POLITICAL TEXT- I300K FOR 1 :~Go. ~Ia very? llnt it is supposed by some that this principle Is less important in regard to Kanl:!as and N ebm ·ka than lll.a' general one-a general principle npplicahle to all other present and future Territories of the United States. Do honorable Senators then intleed suppo~e they are establishing a. principle at all? If so, 1 think they egregiously err, whethet· the JH'inciple is eithet· good or ba.<l, right or wrong. 'l'hcy are not establishing it, and cunnot establish it in thi!i way. You subvert one law capl'iciou$ly, by making another l:tw in its place. That is all. Will your law have any more weight, authority, solemnity, or binding force on future Congresses, than the tirst hatl? You abrogate the law of your predeces- 801"-0thers will have equal power and equal liberty to a brogate yours. You allow no barl'iers around the old law, to protect it from abrogtLtion. You erect none around your new law, to stay the hand of future innovator . . . . . ~tntf''l. Tt Is a flrm an I Rl<\hlt> grontvl, on which we cnn bet trr· stat11tln oppt>3it!o•l to fnnatlcl!ltn thnn on lho shifting sand; of l'Oil\promt::t•~. LeL us ht' dllnl' w!r h !'ompt·t>tn.hws. Let us .;o ba1:k and l!t:tnd upon thl) l:OHI!tllut!on." I stood upon this ground in 1 50, defending Freedom upon it as l\1r. Calhoun dill in dcfeuding Slavery. I waa overruled then, and I have waited since without propos· log to abrogate any compromises. It bas been 110 prop?:Jition of mine to ahrognle them now ; but the propo::~tttou has come from another quar. ter- from lllt atl verse one. It iS about to prevail 'l'he shifting sands of compromise arc passing from under my feet, and they arc noiV, without agency or my own tak· ing ho!U again on ~he r:ock of the Con!!titution. It 1shnU be no fault of mtnc 1f they do not remain Jlrm. 'l'hls sceml:! to me nuspit.:ious of l>etter days and wiser legisla· tion. 'l'hroug!J ttll the darkness. and gloom of the pretH~ ut hour1 l>rig.ht stars nt·e breaking, that inspire me with hope, anu exctle me to I)Crseverance. 'l'hey show that ihe day or compromises has past forever and that henceforward all great qucslions be tweet~ Frecdol'l and Slavery legitimat Illy coming here-and none other can com.e-sll<~t l b ~ dt.!citled, as th e~ ought to be, upon their ments, by a futr cxerc ·e of Jegtslative power and not by l>argains of cqutvocal prullcnce, if not of doubtful morality. i.\h. Dougla clo·ed the debate reit<'mtin(1 anu enf,m;ing Lhe ,·ie ws set forth it~ his Repor~ alre;tdy refl' t'f'eJ to ; and at last the vote was taken, anJ the bill pnssc.:d: Ycn.s, 37 ; Nays, 14; tt.:! f'ullows : Y ea11-Por til~ Kansas-Nebraska blll: Sir, in saying that your new pl'inciple will not be established by this l>i ll, lrcason from obvious, clear, well settled principles of human nature. Slavery and Freedom are autagonistical elements in this country. '!'he founuers of the Constitution fmmed it with a knowledge of that antagonisrn, anti sufl'erel.l it to continue that it might work out its own endl:!. There is a co n~mcrcial antagonism, an irreconcilable one, between the systeml:! of free labor and slave labor. '!'hey have been at war wi th each other eve1· since the Govemment was establrshed, :w<.l that war is to continue forever. '!'he co nte::~ t ~hen it ripen:; l>ctwcen these two antagonistic elements: 18 to he ettle<l somewhere ; it is to be settled in the scat o~ ce!ltral po11·e;, in the .l!'cdernl J .. egislaturc. '!'he ConstttutJOn makes 1t the duty of the central Government to determine questions, as often as they shall arise, in favor of one or the other party, and refers tho decision of tbem to the majority of the vot.cs in the two liouscs of Messrs. Adam:;, Hunter, Cvngrcss. It will come l>ack here then in spite of all Atchison, J ohnson, the eu·orts to e.scape from it. ' 1 Badger, J ousa, of Iowa, Tbi:; a~t~Lgonisn;t must cntl either in a separation of the Hnyanl, J ones, of '!'con., anta.gom uc par&Jes-the lnveholding ~Latcs ttnd the Ucnjatuin, Jl,la~wn, ~'ret! :States-or, secondly, in the complete establishment .Urodheatl, l\lorton, of the influence of the ::5lave power over the .l!'n:e-or Brown, Non:is, else, .on ~he other hand, in the e::~tablishmllnt of the llutler, Pctt1t1 supenor lnflu ~nce of .l!'reeu~ over the interest~ of Ca~>:>, Pratt, ~.l .L\'Cry. !t w1llnot be tcrmiu:t.ted by a voluntary seccs- Clay, of Ala., Uusk, 1;.10n of etthcr party. Commercial interests bind the D~LW:>On, Seba tiao, :::>I :~v~ ~ta.~es and t.he ~'ree Statel:! together in link~ of gold Dixon, hieldl:!, tl~at.ate 11veted Wltl.11ron, ~nd they cannot be broken I.Jy Dodge, of Iowa, Slidell, JMSslon or by ambitiOn. .Ettber party will submit to the Douglu:~, Stuart, a.~ceudcncy of the other, rather th 1u1 yield the commer- };van:;, 1'hompson, of Ky. c:a! advantages of this Union. l:'olttical tics biutl the ~'itzpatr:ck, 'l'h orn::~on, of N. J., ~IliO n together-a .common necessity, and not lllerely Geyer, 'l'oucey, ·~ C?~mon _uecesstty? but the common interests of Uwiu, Weller, emJJtl e-of such cmptre a\! the world ha::~ never before Williams-87. been. '!'he control of the national power is th l) control .Nic y.s-A gain::~t the said bill: of tl~e great Western Continent · and tho control of tl · ?I contmen.t hi to be, in a very feiV years, the controllinrr i~~~ .lc:!l:!rs. ]Jell, Ilouston, ,tl~ae\~~~o m the world. Who is th ere, orth, that .h~ltes ~~~~~~'of Wise., James, . y so much, or who, ~o uth, that 1Jates emaucipa.- .Fes ' d' Seward, tto~l s? intensely' that~~~ can attempt, with any hope of }'isl~eu en, Smith, succe~sl to break a Ulllon thus forged and weltlcll to- .F ' Sumner, gcthet ? I have always heard with e( u•ll i . . . oot,. Wade, gu~t, threats of disunion iu th~ l•'ree JL~le::~p ~;dm.tl ~~~s~ liarnhn, Walker- H. mtltrae/· tts in the Sh 'I ld' ' I Stmr at S 1 rave in the he~~ 10 f u~g . tates. I knoiV that men o t 1c bill was passed nnd its ticlc declared 1 a o p.tsston and under gre·tt politi to b ''A A ' f c.a excitement; but I knoiV tllat ~hen it come t ' . - c n .o..ct to Ot'ganize the 'l'crritorics o twn ~vhether this Union shall stantl either wi~h ~.;~~~~~~ Ne bras ka. and Kansas" and the Senate ad· ?~~~vJt~n~:la;~~;'~ i;11111~ .matss~s '~ill. u'phold it, and it will jonmcd ove r to the Tu~sday following . \i closed, shall cause 1 i~~ li~~~~l~~i~:1 Co~~i;utio~, ~o.t ?'et 1 In the House, a bill to organize the Tc;Titory 1~.c~~ ~piui~us, th~rc are for me o;1ly tw'o' :l~e~:~~~~~~~sg 0~ Nebraska had been noticed on the first day :~~t:t ~~~::~~'u\~1~e~o~~~:rc:?r'1 rin0 uul:ruitcd sway, or so t~ oi the scs ·ion, by Mr. John G. Miller, of Mo., secure if I c·tn the ulL~ t·nt uence I ;may have, ns to who introduced it Decembe r '>2d ·' • ' , an,L c predorutnancc of .Free r "" · uo?.1. . . . . - t~an. 2-!th.-~[r. Giddinrrs cruvc notice of a ev~:~\/t111•1avfe· ;~flw1ays said that I should not despond 1 bill to org anize said Tcrrit~ry~ I !:! CUI U llle:.t::IUI'e ShOuld \) 'll' • t1 1 T 3 now dc!!pond. Although ·re· . e ef ·ectc : nor do I t~an. 0 .- .Mr. Priugle of N . Y. endeavored cotwictions, 1 should not hav/v~~~~gfor1 ~1~1~ ~ny p~·es~nt to have the bill pas ed at the last ;ession (lcav· uf 1-120 I !Jave labored . tl omp,omtse in(7 tl ~1- . R O:>taiJli~h ed it to sa. u • ';1 1e very spirit of those who o le .u 1::" OUt"l e triction intn.ct), reported by a:;sign~tl I hwe ~~t s'e) :kLndn~ark of l•'reedom which it the Committee on Territories . but Jeb<lte !ll'OSe, ·. • I o ·en Irreve rently even f tl d l · . 1 coml>rOill tse or 1 50 which lB all 1 • k 1 o le an liS resolution la.y over cameotly and ·u ct'T ' ' I len now, opposed r 3 · · Ways prcferrecttl l I tgence .. Neverth eless, I have al- t!l.ln. 1.-.\!r. Ric.:burdPon, of Ill., chairman have wantetl no .oJtehe~mpli·ofmlses of the Gon~titution, and of the Committee on 'L'cnitories r e ported a 1 d' CIS. eared all olhers 'l'l · b'll "'l' ' t~~l' leg principle or. the great statesman ~f th~ISS~~~ha 1 r 0 organiz: the 'fet'l'itories of N cbraokll. .. · alhoun). Sutd he : ' at~d Kansas," whtch was read twice aud com· pro,;i~~e ~Y way in tho Conslllullon . I cannot In a com mttted. • · · compromise Is bUL l\ II act of(.;> · M R' l ~:~~~~ui~d8f.tCfY time. ILgtves ~~~ 110 sccu 1~1~~~~·~~;t t~~~cay ':,~ r. tC 111.rdson' s bill was substantially Mr. which we ~an°'m;~t ~u~ 'r~f~ ou w.hidl W•l cau stand, a1~d~n Doug las's lust bill, and was accompanied by 110 cuu!l fL om the non-sJaveholdlng report. Mr. English, of Ind., submitted the TilE KANSAS-NEBRASKA STRUGGLE. 85 view~ of a min?rity ~f said Committee on Ter-j Finally, at 11 ~ o'clock, l'.~r., o f Fr·iday, 12th, ritorre.s, propo. tng, wtthout ar'gumcnt, the two after a continuou sitting of tltit'ty-. ix hourl', follow11rg arucndmcuts: the Bouse, on motion of Mr. RichanL on ad- 1. .Amend the section defining the boundary journcd. ' of Kansas, so as to make ''the summit of the Jirt.11 13th.-The IJou c sat but two hours, Rocky Mountains" the western boundary of and effected nothing. said Terri tory. Jiay 16th.-Mr. Ric hn.rd. on withclt'cw his d c- 2. Strike out of the 14tL and 3-l.th sections of manu fot· the Previous Question on clo ·ixw th(· said bill all after the word "United State. ," d ebate, and moved in t ad th11t the d~batc a.nd iu ·cr·t in ctteh instance (the one r e lat ing to close at noon on Friday the 19th in. tant. Tlti ~ K•ll1Sa~, and the othe r to Nebraska) as fo l- he finally mollified by :iUl.Hltitutillg nturday t lt t· lows: 20th; and in this shape his motion prevai led bv Providllrl, That nothing in this act shall be so con- a two-thirds mnj ority - Y caR, 1:37 · Nays ()() _:_ stmecl as to prevent the peOJ)le of said Territory, through the following opponents Of the bill voti~cr for the properly constit uted legislative authority, from pass- the motion, n ame!)' : 0 ing such laws, in relation to the institution or Slavery as they may deem best adapted to their locality, a.ntl m'ost conducive to their happiness and welfare ; and so much of any exi,;tiug :Let. of Congre.>s as may oonflict with tho above right of the people to regulate their domestic institutiou"l i11 their own way, be, and the same is hereby, repeal cd. Thi n ppeu rs to Ita vc been an nttcm pt to g i vc pr.rctical clfccC to the doctrine of Squatter So1'crci~nty; but it was not successful. .1/(zy ' h..-On nt o ti ou o f ~lr. Richardson the ITou:;e-Y caR, I 0!); NnyR, 88-resolved itself i nto~ Cntnruittce of tltc ·whole , and took up the htll (IlonRc No. ~;-l tj) to organize the Tcnitorie of XclJt·aska and Kunsa,, and discu sed it -~It-. Old~\ of Ohio, in tlte c hair. On coming out of Committee, Mr. Georcrc \V. J one , o f• 1' cnn. , move d that the rules b0e sus-pended ~o a. to enable him to mo,·e the prin t ing of Sena te !.>ill (No. 2:2, puc:: cd the Scnnte as afore. aid ) and the nrnctHlment now pendin" to the llouse bill. No quorum \Oted-adjour~ed. ilfny nth.--'l'lti~ rno tion prevailed. After debate in l'o:nruittcc on the Kansa.s-Nebmska b ill the Con11uittee found itself withou t a quorum' and thcr·cupon rose and r·eported the f;tct to th~ IIouse-ouly 106 Me mbers we re found to be ~r·c cut. After· scvcml fruitlr s attempts to ltdJO. ul'll, n. C:tll was Ordered and a qUOl'Um obtar. neJ, at \) P.M. A..t 10, au adjoummcnt prcn tled. May l Ot!t.-Dcbatc in Committee continued. -~fa!J 11 tlt.-Mr. Richn.rd ·on moved that all d()bate in Uon~tnittcc close to·mon·ow at noon. Mr. Engl ish moved a c all of the IIou c : R cfu ed ; Y cas, 8 ; Nays, 97. . Mr· . .Mace moved that Mr. Ric hardson's motron be laid on t lte table: Defeated. Y cas, 95 ; Nays lOu. ~Ir. Ed ~e rton, of Ohio, moved a cnll of the llousc. Refused: Yea, , 4 5 ; Nays, 80. The day was s pent in wlrut has come to be called 14 .Filiu usterirtcr "-that i the minority • 0 , ~ovmg adjournme nts, calls of t he H ouse, uskmg to ue e xcused from votincr takincr appeals t 01 n ' e .c., etc. In the midst of this, .Mr. Rich:u·dson Withdrew hi~ original motion, and moved in~ tcad tha.t the debate in Committee be closed tn five minutes after the House shall have resumed it. The hour· of noon of the 12th having arrived, Me~ars. Dean and Danks raised points of order T as to the termination of the legislative day. he Speaker decided that the legislative day could only be terminated by the ~ujournment o.f the IIouse, except by con titutional conclusro; l of the ses ion. Mt'. Danks appealed, but at .cugth withdrew his nppeal. 1\fAtNR.-Thomas J . D. Puller, Samuel Mayall-2. Nt<:w-liAMPSll iRK-Gco. W. Kittredge, Geo. W. ~Io 11 rlson-2. l\TA. !3&CriOSETTs.-Nathnnlel P. Dank , jr.-1. CONN~:CTICUT.-Origen S. Se.vmour-1. Nl\w-YonK.-OUbert Dean, Charles llughes·-2. P~:NNSYLVAN I A.-llli chael G. 'l' rout--1. Omo -Alfred P . .Edgerton, Harvey H. J ohn on An-drew };lllson, William 1>. Lind ley, 'l'homas Jtichey~5. lNIHAN.L-Andrew J . Harlan, I>anicl ~J ace-2. ILLINOIS.-John Wentworth-1. l\1 1cmGAN -David A. Nol> lc, Hestor I ... Stc,·ens-2. WISCONSIN.-J ohn ll. Macy-1 VtnGINIA.-John S. Mlllson-1. 'l'otal-21. Mr. Richardson, having thus got iu !tis r esCllution to clo c the d<'bn.te, put ou the previous qncstion n.crain, and the Hou c-Yeu 11 3 · Nays, 5!1-ag rced to close the dc.:,ba te 'o u the' 20th. Debate havincr been c losed, the opponrnts of the mea. urc ex pected to defeat or c ripple it by moving and taking n YOtc in Committee on various propo itions of amendment, kindred to those moved and r rj ectcd in the Senate; some of which it was believed a majority of the House would not choose ~ or dan~) to vote down; and, though the uames of tho c Yo tinoon one side or the other in Committ~e of th~ W hole arc not r ecorded, yet any pt·oposition moved and r ej ected the re, may be r enewed io. the IIou c after taking the bill out of committee, and i no longer· cut off by the Previous Question, as it formel'ly was. nut, when the hour for closing clebn.te in Committee had a rrived, Mr. Alex. II. Stephens moved that the enact in,c; clause of the bill be st?·ickcn ont ; which wns can ied by a rally of the f riends of the bill, and of course cut off all nmc nclmc nts . 'l'hc bill wa thus reported to the H ouse with i ts head ofT ; when, afte r n long ·tl'ugrrlc, the Hou e ?·~fu.~ed tfJ agree to the ?'eJJO?·t of the Committee of the lV!wle-Yens, (for ag reeing) 97; Nn.ys, 117-bringing the H ouse to a direct vote on the cngros mcnt of the bill. Mr. Richar dson now moved nn amendment, wltich was a substitute for the who le bill, b eing sub trwtially the Senate's bill, wi ch the clause admitting aliens, who have declared their intention to become citizens, to tlte right of suffrage. Tic thereupon culled the Previous Quest ion, which the IJo usc su tained-Yeas, 116; Nays, 00-wbcn the llouse adopted his amendme nt- Y eas, 115; Nnys, 95-and proceeded to en gro~ s the bill-Yens, 112; Nay~, 90-when he put on the Previom~ Question again, and passed the bill finally-Yeas, 113 ; Nays, 100- as follows: |