Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-10-29
wxsHINeFoN NEWS AND GOSSIP.
The Happy Family. 1T seams to MS tbs

~A Anoie AnPortance ID being accorueo W
the recent political demonstrations of Prince
John Van Buren, than they deserve; more es-
pecially as we have never seen the warrant
by which he assumes to speak for the Demo
cracy of New York. The Prince has been
evidently aiming to carry water on both
shoulders-to get back into his original place
at the Democratic family table, and at the
same time to drag his pa out from under that
load of hay, upset, it will be recollected, in
the untoward accident at Buffalo, in 184S.
The Prince, with true ilial piety, clings to
his pa; and yet he by no means relishes the
idea of remaining a political Ishmaelite-an
outcast from the Democratic organization for
the balance of his days, as the penalty for his
devotion to the fame of his sire. He is en-
dowed with never failing "pluck," too;
making it, evidently, the rule of his life, to
strike back when struck, it matters not who
may aim the blow at him.
This appears to be the key to his share of
his present controversy with our neighbor of
the Union. Thus, that journal seizing upon
his intimation at 0swego, that, all else failing,
it is possible for the North to make Kansas a
nonslaveholding State by refusing to admit
her into the Union until her State constitu-
ton may embrace clause prohibiting slavery,
seems delighted to hold him and the Demo
cratic party of New York in the position in
which it places him. We, On the other hand,
cannot ION carefully reading his letter. resist
the impression that the Prince evidently in
tended that for bunkuD, only. He had no idea
that there was ga chiel amang 'em takin'
notes." (as he declares) when he essayed by
such an arrangement to reconcile to the Ne
braska bill those who were listeningto him, who
in the canvass of 184S had been indoctrinated by
him with rank abolitionism, which they could
not throw off Sc readily as he could. Bot hay
ing said it-why, he resolved to stick to it, os
"backing down. forms no part of his system
and more especially as the Union seems bent
on quarantining all who took the Buffalo trip
in '4S, until they purge themselves of even
the last remnants of the scent of the infec-
ton that ragged there about that time. 1t is
evident from the Princes letter to the Union
published by that journal on Saturday morn
ing LAST that he gave forth the intimatiop
with reference to ''last resort" merely r
bunkum, without originally entertaining the
slightest idea Of urging the doctrine that tho
North can resist the admission of State into
the Union because of the legalization of sla
very in the constitution with which it pre-
sents itself to Congress, without virtual vio-
lation of the principles of the constitution of
the United States, and the right of self-gov-
eminent.
In reply to the Unions denunciation of his
bunkum last-resort, he reluctantly admits
that it did slip from out of his mouth; but he
places himself upon wholly different grounds
on the resolution of 1S49, as follows:
"Reso!Ued, That while the Democracy Of
New York will faithfully adhere to all the
compromises of the Constitution and maintain
the reserved rights of the States, they deem
this q suitable occasion to declare their fixed
hostility to the extension of slavery to free
territory"
And, also, on the plea that the North may
resist the admission of Kansas as slave State
| untiI satisfied that the pro-slavery clause Of
her Constitution has fairly found its way
there-that it is a bona fde expression of the
will of majority of her inhabitants. True
the Prince admits that he did make the I" last
resort remark at Oswego, but evidently with
reluctance; as though unwilling to acknowl
edge it, but yet, for the sake of apparent COL
sistency, admitting the corn. He evidently
dislikes to fight in the corner into which the
Union has pinned him, how wisely, time will
determine.
The above is fair exposition of this very
pretty quarrel as it stands
Now, while the South asks no man of the
North to favor the extension of slavery to ter
ritory now free, she demands, as her right of
co-equality in the Union, that the adoption of
slavery by the people Of any Territory of the
United States shall not weigh against its ad-
mission into the Union that the right Of the
bona Jfde inhabitants of Territory to choose
institutions for themselves shall be respected.
She never has, and she never will, oppose the
admission of Territory because it fairly de-
cides against slavery in the formation of
State Constitution and, to her, the Union will
be worse than dissolution, from the moment
when Abolitionism, under any pretense or
phase whatever, may be able to compass the
rejection of an application for admission, on
the ground that slavery has been adopted in
preference to its antagonistic feature of non.
slaveholding.
The South does not ask that illegal acts of
interference in the affairs of territories-when
such can be proved-shall be taken for the
acts of the people of the territories, whether
the intermedlers come from South or North.
She places herself upon no such untenable
ground. She will join Mr. Van Buren, in his re-
pudiation ofthem freely, frankly, and heartily
She demands simply, that, when the clearly
aseertained election Of the bona tide people of
Kansas is ascertained the territory having
sufficient population for its admission as a
State, and duly applying-it shall be admitted
with or without slavery as m nj alaot;o, ...-l-