Admission to Statehood.—In the formation of the Federal government, the thirteen original states assumed dominion over all the unorganized territory belonging to the United States, and delegated to themselves the power of arbiter of the destinies of new states seeking admission. Every time a bill has been introduced in Congress for the admission of a new state, it has been the signal for debate, but in no instance has the discussion been more acrid or more prolonged than in the case of Kansas. Four constitutional conventions were held in the territory, and four constitutions were submitted to the people before one was found that was satisfactory. (See Constitutions.) The Wyandotte constitution, under which Kansas was finally admitted, was completed by the convention on July 29, 1859; ratified by the people on Oct. 4 and on Feb. 14, 1860, it was presented to the senate of the United States by the president of that body.
On Feb. 15, 1860, Galusha A. Grow, of Pennsylvania, introduced in the house a bill for the admission of Kansas, which was referred to the committee on territories. This bill passed the house on April 11, by a vote of 134 to 73, and was sent to the senate, where it was read and referred on the 13th. During the next two months it came before the senate several times, but was usually thrust aside by the influence of the members of the slave states, who did not desire the admission of a state that would in all probability send to the United States senate two men opposed to slavery, or at least opposed to its extension into new territory. On May 30 it was called up by Senator Collamer of Vermont, who tried to force its passage. A week later (June 5) it was again called up, but this time further action was postponed on motion of Mr. Hunter of Virginia, who thought the military appropriation bill of more importance. On the 7th Mr. Wade of Ohio moved “to postpone all prior orders, and take up the bill for the admission of Kansas,” but the motion was defeated by a vote of 32 to 26. This ended the consideration of the bill at that session.
The second session of the 36th Congress began on Dec. 3, 1860, and on the 11th the bill was called up by Mr. Collamer, with a view to making it the special order at some definite date in the near future. Mr. Green of Missouri objected, but the motion was carried over his objection by a vote of 23 to 18. When the bill came up as a special order on the 24th, Foster of Connecticut, who was presiding, ruled that there was unfinished business before the senate that must be disposed of before the consideration of the Kansas question, and again there was a delay. On the 31st it was postponed to Jan. 14, 1861, by the same filibustering tactics on the part of the senators from the slave states, and when the 14th arrived it was postponed to the 16th. The friends of the bill thought that a vote could certainly be reached this time, but they reckoned without their host, for on the 16th a motion to go into executive session prevailed, and the Kansas bill was made the special order for one o'clock p. m. on the 18th. When that time arrived, Mr. Green had an amendment, of which he had previously given notice, relating to boundaries, and the remainder of the day was spent in debating the amendment, which was defeated by a vote of 31 to 23. Immediately following the defeat of the amendment there was a disorderly scene in the senate chamber, caused by a multiplicity of motions to go into executive session, to adjourn, etc. The amendment had served the purpose of producing another delay in the final vote on the bill.
The following day the bill was again called up. This time Senator Fitch of Indiana had an amendment to offer, and again there was a long and tedious debate before the amendment was defeated. Some of the friends of the measure began to lose hope. This was the short session of Congress, and if the opponents could keep up their dilatory methods until March 3 the bill would have to go over to the next session. But the cloud that hung over Kansas was penetrated by a ray of light in an unexpected manner.