declared the
right of slave property like other property "before and higher than any
constitutional sanction." Other provisions made emancipation difficult
by providing in any case for complete monetary remuneration and for the
consent of the owners. There were numerous other provisions offensive
to free-state men. It had been rightly surmised that they would take no
part in such an election and that "the constitution with slavery"
would be approved. The vote on the constitution was set for the 21st of
December. For the constitution with slavery 6226 votes were recorded and
569 for the constitution without slavery.

While these events were taking place, Walker went to Washington to enter
his protest but resigned after finding only a hostile reception by
the President and his Cabinet. Stanton, who was acting Governor in the
absence of Walker, then called together the free-state Legislature,
which set January 4, 1858, as the date for approving or rejecting the
Lecompton Constitution. At this election the votes cast were 138 for the
constitution with slavery, 24 for the constitution without slavery,
and 10,226 against the constitution. But President Buchanan had become
thoroughly committed to the support of the Lecompton Constitution.
Disregarding the advice of the new Governor, he sent the Lecompton
Constitution to Congress with the recommendation that Kansas be admitted
to the Union as a slave State.

Here was a crisis big with the fate of the Democratic party, if not of
the Union. Stephen A. Douglas had already given notice that he would
oppose the Lecompton Constitution. In favor of its rejection he made a
notable speech which called forth the bitterest enmity from the South
and arrayed all the forces of the Administration against him. Supporters
of Douglas were removed from office, and anti-Douglas men were put in
their places. In his fight against the fraudulent constitution Douglas
himself, however, still had the support of a majority of Northern
Democrats, especially in the Western States, and that of all the
Republicans in Congress. A bill to admit Kansas passed the Senate, but
in the House a proviso was attached requiring that the constitution
should first be submitted to the people of Kansas for acceptance or
rejection. This amendment was finally accepted by the Senate with the
modification that, if the people voted for the constitution, the State
should have a large donation of public land, but that if they re