Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/404



376 ELI THAYER

of territory, except as independent sovereignties acquired and at the same time admitted into the Union by treaty stipulations as states equal to any in this "Confederacy. It will never do for us to imitate the despotisms of Europe. We must adhere to the original, simple plan of this Confederacy, which did not contemplate provincial dependencies, or armies and navies, necessary for their acquisition and control.

So far as we deviate from the simplicity of the plan of the fathers, just so far shall be advance towards danger, disaster and destruction.

But, Mr. Chairman, I did wish to review the action of the minority of the Committee on Territories in relation to this question, but my time has nearly expired, and I can only refer to it.

They have reported the bill of the majority with an addi- tional provision repealing the clause of the English bill re- stricting the right of Kansas to come into the Union with a less population than ninety-three thousand. Now, sir, I had sup- posed that the gentlemen of the minority of the committee would have voted for the bill which they have reported, but speeches have been made by two of the gentlemen who signed that report (Mr. Grow and Mr. Granger) in which they went off on an altogether different line of reasoning. They have talked about the unconstitutionality of the Constitution of Oregon, and about its invasions of human rights, without con- fining themselves at all to the argument of their minority report. They argue that whoever may vote for the admission of the state will properly be held responsible for all these out- rages. And now I wish to know for what consideration the signers of that report are willing to ignore all these revered human rights, invaded and ruined by the Constitution of Oregon ? I have their reply in this report. On one condition they are willing to sanction all these outrages; and that con- dition is, that a certain act concerning Kansas shall be repealed. If the report is in good faith, there can be no other conclusion.

(Here the hammer fell.)