They were not indignant, but
grieved rather. At any rate, such was their aspect, and for many days
the remark was repeated or referred to with the hope, apparently, of
inducing me to retract or qualify it. I allowed it to stand as a
truth which they might well accept.
When the day came for the final vote upon the first resolution relating
to slavery as reported by the Committee of Thirteen, a meeting of the
New York delegation was called in consequence of the engagement of
David Dudley Field to argue a case in the Supreme Court. Mr. Field was
one of the six Republican members, and associated with them were five
Democrats and Conservatives.
As each State had one vote, his absence would set New York out of the
contest unless the Democrats would agree that Mr. Field's vote should
be counted in his absence. This proposition the Democrats refused to
accept, and they gave notice that the vote of New York would be lost
unless Mr. Field remained and voted. Mr. Field left, and the vote of
the State was lost. There were twenty-one States represented,
including Kansas, which was in a territorial condition when the
convention assembled, and the Territorial Governor had sent a
Conservative, Mr. Thomas Ewing, Jr. His father was a member from Ohio.
When the State government of Kansas was organized, the Governor
delegated a Republican.
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