St. Louis Daily Missouri Democrat, November 26, 1855

FROM KANSAS.

[Special Correspondence of the Democrat.]

Kansas Pro-Slavery Convention.

LEAVENWORTH, K. T., Thursday, Nov. 15.

The evening session met at six o’clock. Gov. Shannon took his seat, and called the meeting to order. As soon as he did so a cry for Gen. Calhoun was raised. He appeared and said, in substance, as follows:

GEN. CALHOUN’S SPEECH—OFFICIAL REPORT.

GENTLEMEN:—I stand on Kansas ground. I stood on it before the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and stand ready now to vindicate the laws created under its provisions. I stood by the Kansas-Nebraska act in Illinois, and I stood by it in the Halls of Congress, and still hold that it is the principle of the government that the people shall rule. ’Tis the doctrine of the Declaration of Independence; ’tis the great charter of American freemen that the people have the right to rule. The people must determine whether they will have slavery or not. The abolitionists want to rule, by saying that the people shall not have the right to rule themselves. When Douglas first proclaimed the doctrine of States’ Rights who stood up against it? Chase, Wade, Seward, Sumner, Giddings say it is wrong, and so they said of the bill of 1820. The people have right to govern themselves. When the Nebraska bill was first introduced the States’ Rights men were all for it, and the abolitionists all against it. There we have our States’ Rights men; but abolitionists are around you, and they met at Topeka, and framed a Constitution. (Cheers.) This matter you must consider well. Shall abolitionists rule you? (No! Never! &c.) Give them all they demand, and abolitionism becomes the law of the Government. You yield, and you will have the most infernal Government that ever cursed a land. I would rather be a painted slave over in the State of Missouri, or a serf to the Czar of Russia, than have the abolitionists in power. (Deafening cheers.) Gentlemen, you came here to pledge yourselves the support of the law. Why do the abolitionists say there is no law? Look away down to the State of Massachusetts, and you will find the reason. They well said that they will do all they could to establish laws of their own manufacture. They have incorporated a company with a capital of $5,000,000 to make Kansas an ABOLITION State,—(Cheers.) . . .

But now look to Washington. You will see a majority of abolitionists in the lower House, but not in the Senate; and thank God! the President is a States’ Rights man. (Prolonged cheers.) . . .

Up to the 5^th of September nothing was known of a Topeka Convention. I had not heard a lisp of it; but it was started at the suggestion of Chase, Gidding & Co. [antislavery congressmen] to make a question in the next Presidential election. . . . [A]nd from what did the right eminate to call a Convention to frame a free State Constitution to present to Congress? They proclaim that we have no law and no right—except to steal niggers. This was not a free State Convention but an abolition Convention. Free State men or States Right’s men are always found ready to vindicate the rights of the South, and are safe to be trusted.—And in free or slave States the safe men are the States Right’s men. This Convention was started away down in Massachusetts, and the men who started it were of the abolition societies—mere tools (cheers) of Chase, Sumner, Seward & Company,[Republican Senators] who wanted to use it in the next Presidential election. That Topeka Convention was made up of abolitionists who made an abolition convention. (cheers) Chase, Sumner & Company knew who to call upon. Call upon the abolitionists, you can get help from them, they say; if, upon the presentation of the Topeka Constitution Kansas is received as a free State, we can then elect an abolition President, or perhaps, effect a dissolution of the Union. Look at it. Will the South have an abolition State forced on us, or stand up and vindicate her rights? Will she have an abolition President or a dissolution of the Union, and an abolition republic to war upon the rights of the South?

If Kansas is not admitted as a free State, they will charge upon Douglas for introducing the Kansas-Nebraska bill for the purpose of making Kansas a slave State. Those abolitionists are good politicians. They will resort to any kind of meanness or misrepresentation. I would not trust a free soiler or abolitionist out of sight. (Loud cheers.) I would not believe one of them under oath more than the vilest wretch that licks the slime from the meanest penitentiary. They would kneel to the devil and pronounce him a God, if he would but help them to steal a nigger. (Prolonged and enthusiastic cheers.)

And again, if Mr. Douglas should vote for the admission of Kansas into the Union as a free State, he could not get the electoral vote of the South for the Presidency, and would be like a cat in a certain place—without claws. (Cheers and laughter.)

This is a great question for the abolitionists to make capital from: We must now allow it to grow here. We must stop its growth. It tramples upon the laws of the land.—Say to your Governor—enforce the laws; we will stand by you; and, if necessary, we will spill our life’s blood to enforce them. The Governor will be with you. (Deafening cheers.) If the laws are unconstitutional they must be repealed at the proper tribunal. Until they are repealed they are the law of the land, and should be enforced. The Governor calls for all to help him except abolitionists. (Laughter and cheers;) his call is to men from all States, but he don’t want abolitionists. Will you all stand by him? (Loud shouts of “yes!” “yes! we will!”) Is there one that will not stand by him? (Cries of no.) . . .

I expect to live here and make Kansas my home, and I live for my country; and whatever I may do, and wherever it is done, I expect to do it for my country. And although I have been sneered at for being poor, and blamed for holding an office here and in Illinois, I live but to serve my country; and as a Democrat, and though a poor man, I am an honest and an honorable one; (cries of good,) and if I should not have anything to leave for my children, I can say, here is the Constitution of the United States—the highest gift from father to a son, and proudest gift to a daughter.” (Cheers.)