Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-02-09
WAsH1HeTou NEWS AND GOSSIP.

versally conceded that the Nebraska Kansas
bill is to become a law, with no amendment in
the Least weakening the force of its enunciation
Of the great principle of our Government, on
which it disposes of the slavery question in
VOWED. The issue has been fairly made up
an this bill, between those who are willing to
trust the people to govern themselves in the
matter Of their local institutions not incompat-
ible with the Constitution of the United States.
and those who, on various pretences. wish to
legislate on the theory that when an American
citizen leaves State, for an L S. Territory.
ne becomes. ipso tacto, incapable of self sgoy-
eminent, The neyer-failing reply of some of
those who oppose this bill, when cornered in
argument conc erning it, is, that the people of
the North will repudiate public men who vote
to trust the inhabitants Of the territories with
the privilege of self-governmentin matters APP
pertaining to their own happiness, prosperity
and general we'll being only. Now, this is one
word for the northern masses and two for hon
orable gentlemen who use this argument It
shows that the question with them is, not what
will be best for those for whom they propose
to legislate, and what will be most strictly In
keeping with the great principle of self gov
eminent at the bottom Of all Americdnism but
what will be best for their own individual hopes
and prospects for the future Such gentlemen.
in the discharge of their public duties. are
legislating plainly for themselves, rather than
for their country. We confess to scarcely more
for fhosr r.. A. CAL.
abolition journals and slang whangers, Who,
after moving heaven and earth to defeat the
due execution Of the fugitive slave law, are now
rolling up the whites of their eyes in pious
horror at the idea Of violating the Missouri
Compromise; which was neither more nor less
than gross violation of the principle of equal
rights on which the Government of the United
States is based. The grave error of the South
was in originally submitting to it. That was
was done as preferable to agitation that might
have rended the Union, it was thought We
do not, however, believe that such would have
been the result of proper contemporary resis-
lance of the enactment of that legislative out
rage on the part of the majority. Its southern
opponents had the law and the right originally
on their side, and should have fought it to the
death; for their opponent in the contest was,
after all only the spirit of despotism as feature
of this Government, which was rife in the land
in those days Submission to its enactment laid
the foundation of all the subsequent encroach-
ments upon the rights of the minority, which
have marked the history of the legislation of
Congress, as we'll as those involved in the pull
pit, newspaper, and public meeting crusade
which has been waged against the South, from
that day to this.
We are among those who do not believe that
any considerable portion of the people of the
United States will decide unjustly, after fair
hearing of question; and, more especially, so
as to give the lie to the great American doc
trine Of equal rights and privileges among all
citizens Of the United States; and VIC also hold
that 1t is never too late to right wrong In
deed, there never was q case in which to do
that was of greater national Importance, than
this. The conflict of 1850, between the two
great sections of the confederacy, generated
North and South, much bad blood 'sDear
peoples men, may say what they will on the
subject but We know that it left at the South
widespread dissatisfaction with the union of
these States, which depends for its continuance
wholly upon the solution of the ques;ion-is it
tor the interes. Of all sections that it shall con-
tinue! Whenever it may be necessary to use
torce against one State TO perpetuate it, it will
surely very speedily be necessary to use force
against all States bound up with that one by a
community of interest. When that day comes,
we will have general civil war upon us, with
horrors and disastrous consequences ten thous-
and fold greater than can possibly flow from
peaeeable dissolution of the American Union.
1t is the part of wisdom and statesm anship.
in lcgislating on such question, to look ahead
not merely until the time arrives for the eiec
tiom Of u neV Congress; but for ffties or
hundreds of years. That is, to legislate to &C.
ment the community of interest and good fellow
ship between North and South, which will or
will not continue operative, as mutual rights
and interests, may be respected in the policy of
the common government Senators Dough- as and
Cass-and those Northern statesmen of both
Houses of Congress, who are fighting the great
battle of American principle, by their side
show themselves worthy of the age in which
they live. They are not afraid of the influence
OF demagogues, fanatics or bigots upon the
American people, anywhere Evidently re-
Wondering that the American people have,
everywhere in the long run, proved superior to
the arts of such classes, they stand in no dread
of them on this occasion. They will, of course
continue to be viiifed and abused, with even
greater virulence than marks the leaders of our
half-crazy friends of the New York Tribune
on the subject; at which they will also continue
to snap their fingers. g.. .....
The Rank aud Pay of Officers Of the Pay
Department Of the United States Army The
following official paper, now published for the
first time to the world, will be found of inter-
est to all officers in the army:
REPORT OF AN ARMY BOARD.
WAsBINGToN T. c., December II, 1853
Hon. JEFFERSON DAVIS, Secretar of War:
SIR The undeIsi sned, constituted by your
instructions of the % ultimO, a Board Ito take
into consideration the subject of the relative
rank Of certain Officers of the Pay Depart
ment, have the honor to submit the following
report a-'
At the commencement of the Mexican War
May, 1850 the Pay Department of the Army
consisted Of fifteen Paymasters, which number
was increased to eighteen, by the Ist section Of
the act Of June II 1916