the writings-4-第4章

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words：



〃That　the　following　propositions　be　and　the　same　are　hereby　offered

to　the　said　Convention　of　the　people　of　Kansas；　when　formed；　for

their　free　acceptance　or　rejection；　which；　if　accepted　by　the

Convention　and　ratified　by　the　people　at　the　election　for　the

adoption　of　the　constitution；　shall　be　obligatory　upon　the　United

States　and　the　said　State　of　Kansas。〃



Now；　if　it　is　said　that　this　is　a　forgery；　we　will　open　the　paper

here　and　see　whether　it　is　or　not。　　Again；　Trumbull　says；　as　he　goes

along；　that　Mr。　Bigler　made　the　following　statement　in　his　place　in

the　Senate；　December　9；　1857：



〃I　was　present　when　that　subject　was　discussed　by　senators　before　the

bill　was　introduced；　and　the　question　was　raised　and　discussed；

whether　the　constitution；　when　formed；　should　be　submitted　to　a　vote

of　the　people。　　It　was　held　by　those　most　intelligent　on　the　subject

that；　in　view　of　all　the　difficulties　surrounding　that　Territory；　the

danger　of　any　experiment　at　that　time　of　a　popular　vote；　it　would　be

better　there　should　be　no　such　provision　in　the　Toomb's　bill；　and　it

was　my　understanding；　in　all　the　intercourse　I　had；　that　the

Convention　would　make　a　constitution；　and　send　it　here；　without

submitting　it　to　the　popular　vote。〃



Then　Trumbull　follows　on：



〃In　speaking　of　this　meeting　again　on　the　21st　December；　1857

＇Congressional　Globe；　same　vol。；　page　113＇；　Senator　Bigler　said：



〃'Nothing　was　further　from　my　mind　than　to　allude　to　any　social　or

confidential　interview。　　The　meeting　was　not　of　that　character。

Indeed；　it　was　semi…official；　and　called　to　promote　the　public　good。

My　recollection　was　clear　that　I　left　the　conference　under　the

impression　that　it　had　been　deemed　best　to　adopt　measures　to　admit

Kansas　as　a　State　through　the　agency　of　one　popular　election；　and

that　for　delegates　to　this　Convention。　　This　impression　was　stronger

because　I　thought　the　spirit　of　the　bill　infringed　upon　the　doctrine

of　non…intervention；　to　which　I　had　great　aversion；　but　with　the　hope

of　accomplishing　a　great　good；　and　as　no　movement　had　been　made　in

that　direction　in　the　Territory；　I　waived　this　objection；　and

concluded　to　support　the　measure。　　I　have　a　few　items　of　testimony　as

to　the　correctness　of　these　impressions；　and　with　their　submission　I

shall　be　content。　　I　have　before　me　the　bill　reported　by　the　senator

from　Illinois　on　the　7th　of　March；　1856；　providing　for　the　admission

of　Kansas　as　a　State；　the　third　section　of　which　reads　as　follows：



〃That　the　following　propositions　be；　and　the　same　are　hereby　offered

to　the　said　Convention　of　the　people　of　Kansas；　when　formed；　for

their　free　acceptance　or　rejection；　which；　if　accepted　by　the

Convention　and　ratified　by　the　people　at　the　election　for　the

adoption　of　the　constitution；　shall　be　obligatory　upon　the　United

States　and　the　said　State　of　Kansas。〃



The　bill　read　in　his　place　by　the　senator　from　Georgia　on　the　25th　of

June；　and　referred　to　the　Committee　on　Territories；　contained　the

same　section　word　for　word。　　Both　these　bills　were　under

consideration　at　the　conference　referred　to；　but；　sir；　when　the

senator　from　Illinois　reported　the　Toombs　bill　to　the　Senate　with

amendments；　the　next　morning；　it　did　not　contain　that　portion　of　the

third　section　which　indicated　to　the　Convention　that　the　constitution

should　be　approved　by　the　people。　　The　words　〃and　ratified　by　the

people　at　the　election　for　the　adoption　of　the　constitution〃　had　been

stricken　out。'〃



Now；　these　things　Trumbull　says　were　stated　by　Bigler　upon　the　floor

of　the　Senate　on　certain　days；　and　that　they　are　recorded　in　the

Congressional　Globe　on　certain　pages。　　Does　Judge　Douglas　say　this　is

a　forgery？　　Does　he　say　there　is　no　such　thing　in　the　Congressional

Globe？　　What　does　he　mean　when　he　says　Judge　Trumbull　forges　his

evidence　from　beginning　to　end？　　So　again　he　says　in　another　place

that　Judge　Douglas；　in　his　speech；　December　9；　1857　（Congressional

Globe；　part　I。；　page　15）；　stated：



〃That　during　the　last　session　of　Congress；　I　（Mr。　Douglas＇　reported　a

bill　from　the　Committee　on　Territories；　to　authorize　the　people　of

Kansas　to　assemble　and　form　a　constitution　for　themselves。

Subsequently　the　senator　from　Georgia　＇Mr。　Toombs＇　brought　forward　a

substitute　for　my　bill；　which；　after　having　been　modified　by　him　and

myself　in　consultation；　was　passed　by　the　Senate。〃



Now；　Trumbull　says　this　is　a　quotation　from　a　speech　of　Douglas；　and

is　recorded　in　the　Congressional　Globe。　　Is　it　a　forgery？　　Is　it

there　or　not？　　It　may　not　be　there；　but　I　want　the　Judge　to　take

these　pieces　of　evidence；　and　distinctly　say　they　are　forgeries　if　he

dare　do　it。



＇A　voice：〃He　will。〃＇



Well；　sir；　you　had　better　not　commit　him。　　He　gives　other

quotations；another　from　Judge　Douglas。　　He　says：



〃I　will　ask　the　senator　to　show　me　an　intimation；　from　any　one　member

of　the　Senate；　in　the　whole　debate　on　the　Toombs　bill；　and　in　the

Union；　from　any　quarter；　that　the　constitution　was　not　to　be

submitted　to　the　people。　　I　will　venture　to　say　that　on　all　sides　of

the　chamber　it　was　so　understood　at　the　time。　　If　the　opponents　of

the　bill　had　understood　it　was　not；　they　would　have　made　the　point　on

it；　and　if　they　had　made　it；　we　should　certainly　have　yielded　to　it；

and　put　in　the　clause。　　That　is　a　discovery　made　since　the　President

found　out　that　it　was　not　safe　to　take　it　for　granted　that　that　would

be　done；　which　ought　in　fairness　to　have　been　done。〃



Judge　Trumbull　says　Douglas　made　that　speech；　and　it　is　recorded。

Does　Judge　Douglas　say　it　is　a　forgery；　and　was　not　true？　　Trumbull

says　somewhere；　and　I　propose　to　skip　it；　but　it　will　be　found　by　any

one　who　will　read　this　debate；　that　he　did　distinctly　bring　it　to　the

notice　of　those　who　were　engineering　the　bill；　that　it　lacked　that

provision；　and　then　he　goes　on　to　give　another　quotation　from　Judge

Douglas；　where　Judge　Trumbull　uses　this　language：



〃Judge　Douglas；　however；　on　the　same　day　and　in　the　same　debate；

probably　recollecting　or　being　reminded　of　the　fact　that　I　had

objected　to　the　Toombs　bill　when　pending　that　it　did　not　provide　for

a　submission　of　the　constitution　to　the　people；　made　another

statement；　which　is　to　be　found　in　the　same　volume　of　the　Globe；　page

22；　in　which　he　says：

'That　the　bill　was　silent　on　this　subject　was　true；　and　my　attention

was　called　to　that　about　the　time　it　was　passed；　and　I　took　the　fair

construction　to　be；　that　powers　not　delegated　were　reserved；　and　that

of　course　the　constitution　would　be　submitted　to　the　people。'



〃Whether　this　statement　is　consistent　with　the　statement　just　before

made；　that　had　the　point　been　made　it　would　have　been　yielded　to；　or

that　it　was　a　new　discovery；　you　will　determine。〃



So　I　say。　　I　do　not　know　whether　Judge　Douglas　will　dispute　this；　and

yet　maintain　his　position　that　Trumbull's　evidence　〃was　forged　from

beginning　to　end。〃　　I　will　remark　that　I　have　not　got　these

Congressional　Globes　with　me。　　They　are　large　books；　and　difficult　to

carry　about；　and　if　Judge　Douglas　shall　say　that　on　these　points

where　Trumbull　has　quoted　from　them　there　are　no　such　passages　there；

I　shall　not　be　able　to　prove　they　are　there　upon　this　occasion；　but　I

will　have　another　chance。　　Whenever　he　points　out　the　forgery　and

says；　〃I　declare　that　this　particular　thing　which　Trumbull　has

uttered　is　not　to　be　found　where　he　says　it　is；〃　then　my　attention

will　be　drawn　to　that；　and　I　will　arm　myself　for　the　contest；　stating

now　that　I　have　not　the　slightest　doubt　on　earth　that　I　will　find

every　quotation　just　where　Trumbull　says　it　is。　　Then　the　question

is；　How　can　Douglas　call　that　a　forgery？　　How　can　he　make　out　that　it

is　a　forgery？　　What　is　a　forgery？　　It　is　the　bringing　forward

something　in　writing　or　in　print　purporting　to　be　of　certain　effect

when　it　is　altogether　untrue。　　If　you　come　forward　with　my　note　for

one　hundred　dollars　when