Opis: Speech of Hon. Henry Wilson; Of Massachusetts - Wilson Henry

Excerpt from Speech of Hon. Henry Wilson; Of Massachusetts: Of Massachusetts, on the Presidents's Message on the Lecompton Constitution

I know, sir, that the President cannot be expected, in the midst of the vast duties that devolve upon him, to understand everything that has transpired in that Territory. He was out of the country when the act for the organization of Kansas was passed; he was out of the country during the eventful years of 1854 and 1855, and a portion of 1856 - years in which events of great magnitude transpired in Kansas. He was nominated, we all know, sir, because he was out of the country, and had no connection with these events, because he was able to prove an alibi. But, sir, he sends to us, to men familiar with the events of the past four years, this message, covering this application for the admission of Kansas, and he gives a coloring to events in that Territory which will give to the country and to the world about as correct an idea of the affairs of that Territory as the bulletins of Napoleon gave to the people of France of the condition of the grand army on its retreat from Moscow.

The President tells us that there is a delusion in the country in regard to the condition of affairs in Kansas; that it is supposed there are two parties in that Territory, contending for the government of the Territory. He gives us to understand that this is not the fact; that there is not a great Free State party, struggling to make Kansas a Free State, and a Slave State party struggling to make Kansas a slave State. He would have the country understand that this is the state of affairs in that Territory; that there is a party of law and order, a party that legitimately and legally governs the Territory; and that there is another party setting at defiance the laws of Congress and the Constitution of the country, and that they are laboring to overthrow by lawless violence the Government of the Territory, and to impose on the people a Constitution of their own choice. Now, sir, I know, you know, every man here knows, that this is not the fact. I say there is no party and there has been no party in the Territory of Kansas, setting at defiance the Constitution of the United States or the laws of the United States; no party, nobody, no set men, in that Territory, in rebellion against Federal authority.

On the 30th March, 1855, the people of the Territory were summoned to the ballot-box to elect thirteen members of the Legislative Council and twenty six members of the House of Representatives. On that day there was an invasion of the Territory of forty-nine hundred men from the neighboring State of Missouri. These forty-nine hundred aimed men went into every Council district and into every Representative district but one. They took possession of the electoral urns; they selected the Legislature to frame the laws for the Territory, and to shape and could its future. Of the twenty-nine hundred men in the Territory who had a right to vote, less than fourteen hundred voted on that day, and yet a majority of actual residents were in favor of a free State, and had majorities in sixteen of the eighteen districts. These facts have been proved, demonstrated, by taking the names of the persons enrolled as actual voters, and taking the names of the persons who voted on the 30th of March. These facts were proved under the order of the House of Representatives, and by a thorough investigation by a committee of that House, and no man here or elsewhere can deny them.

The people of Kansas had imposed upon them that day a Government not elected by themselves - a Government imposed upon them by those forty-nine hundred men from the State of Missouri. The people of the Territory felt this to be a great outrage on their rights - they had a light to feel so. The people of any State would have felt outraged on going to the ballot-boxes and finding them in the possession of armed-men from another State. Gov. Reeder unde

Szczegóły: Speech of Hon. Henry Wilson; Of Massachusetts - Wilson Henry

Nazwa: Speech of Hon. Henry Wilson; Of Massachusetts Of Massachusetts, on the Presidents's Message on the Lecompton Constitution (Classic Reprint)
Autor: Wilson Henry
Wydawnictwo: FB &c Ltd
Kod paskowy: 9781331502364
Języki: angielski
Ilość stron: 22
Format: 15.2x22.9cm
Oprawa: Miękka

Recenzje: Speech of Hon. Henry Wilson; Of Massachusetts - Wilson Henry