Washington sentinel., 1854-05-24
THE PASSAGE OF THE NEBRASKA
KANSAS BILL.

In our paper Of yesterday we had barely the
column, the passage through the House of
Representatives of the Senate Nebraska bill,
with the omission of the Clayton amendment
Frankness demands that we should say, we
would have preferred the retention of that
amendment; but convinced, as we are, that to
have insisted on it as a sine qua non, would
inevitably have defeated the bill, we feel per-
fectly satisfied with it as it passed the House.
We take this occasion to tender to the friends
Of this great wise, and benefcent measure, in
and out Of Congress, in the free and slave States,
our warm congratulations on its passage. 1t
should be the subject Of rejoicing with all who
value the blessings Of free, constitutional,
and an equal government.
The passage of this measure is indeed a tri-
umph Of the Constitution over wild fanaticism,
of reason over error, Of good feeling over preju-
dice, and of patriotism over destructiveness.
After protracted, violent, and bitter struggle
that has lasted for months, and in the face Of
every conceivable form ofopposition, thefriends
of the Nebraska bill have come out conquerors
The Constitution that was menaced by many
and yindictive enemies remains pure, unsullied,
and unviolated; and we have now Just such
government as the fathers of the republic left
us. Sectionalism has been repudiated in the
Senate, in the House of Representatives and
by the people. Despite the loud clamors Of
fanatics, the threats of abolitionists and free
soilers, and the blasphemous protests Of politi-
cal clergymen, the Congress of the United
States has asserted the supremacy of the Con-
stitution and vindicated its own character for
integrity, intelligence, and patriotism.
That there should have been one single
democratic vote against the bill we sincerely
regret. That there should have been a single |
vote either whig or democratic from the south |
against it, we think wonderful indeed; but that
there should have been solitary democratic
southern vote against it, passes our understand
ing.
We hope that the Nebraska contest, SC warm,
excited, and bitter, has now passed away, only
to be numbered with the things that were; for it |
cannot reasonably be doubted, we presume, that
its passage through the Senate in its present |
shape, viii be merely matter Of form. After |
the struggle that its friends have made to pass
it through the House, it can hardly be expected |
that its advocates in the Senate will insist
upon the retention Of the Clayton amendment.
Should they do so, however, it is very plain
and apparent that its defeat.in the House will
be inevitable However, we have no appre-
tensions on that score. We believe that it
will pass the Senate in its present shape, and
pass without any difficulty.
We give below theyeas and nays on the final
passage Of the bill.
yEAs-Messrs. Abercrombe James c. Allen Willis Allen
Ashe David Bailey, Thos H. Bayly, Barksdale, Barry
,s DGcocs soyse grages Brooks case
,olquitt, Cox, Craige Cumming Cutting John q. Davis
DAWSON, Disney Dowdel Dunbar Dunham, Eddy, Edmund
ireen, Greenwood, Gray Hamilton, Sampson W. Harris
hendricks, Hem, Iibbard, m II liver, Houston Ingerso
iidweI Kurtz, Lamb, Lane, Latham, Letcher Lilly, Lind
y, Macdonald McDougaT McNar, Maxwell, May John G.
filler, Smith Miller, Oids, Mordecai Oliver Orr Packer
ohm Perkins Phelps, Phillips, Powell, Preston, Ready
eese, Richardson, Riddle, Robbins Rowe Rufn, shannon
George s%yh snods Mr~
stanton, Richard H. Stanton Alexander H. Stephens,
trasb David Stuart John Taylor Tweed vs ysnsan,
Wright, Iendrick y. Wright, and zolliconer-f1a.
NAYs-Messrs. Ball, Banks Beicber, Bennett Benson
enton, Bugg Campbell, Carpenter, Chandler, Crocker
ulom, Curtis Thomas Davis, Dean, De Witt, Dick Dick
Drum, Eastman, Edgerton, EdmaDds, Thos D. Eliot
r Gamble, Giddings, Goodrich Grow, Harlan An
rev Harlan Harrison, Hastings, Haven, Hester, Howe, i
ndsley, Lyon, Mcculoch, Mace, Mat,eson, Maya Msa