The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-07-25

which is to close on the 18th day of August, will
be memorable one in the history of the govern
mentA memorable for s0extraordinary, loose and
con0lting materials-for its disgracefully pro-
tracted contest for Speaker-for its bludgeons,
pistols and bloody ruffianism--for its unblushing
combinations for the public plander-
for its corrupt and wasteful squan-
behring's Of the public lands and the pub
lie money-for its cool neglect of the public in
terests. its studied contempt Of public opinion
and for its mean, groyelling and dirty little
tricks for Buncombe.
Nearly eight months have passed away since
it met in December, and the sum total Of the
work accomplished is a half dozen specula-
ting railroad bills, involving confscaton to the
jobbers concerned, of twelve or fifteen million
of acres of the choicest public lands in various
States, three or four river and harbor bills
passed over the vetoes of President Pierce and
the Cincinnati platform in order to scare up few
additional votes for the democratic nominee in
the West), and a few miscellaneous and private
bills. This is what the two houses have done
in the way Of business since the first
Monday in December-the net result
being equivalent to the transfer from the
public treasury of twenty-five or thirty mil
lion of dollars into the pockets Of the railroad
jobbers and the various other classes of spols-
men concerned, ranging. no doubt, from members
Of both houses Of Congress and the Kitchen
Cabinet down to the backwoods politicians,
newspaper letter writers and other agents Of the
lobby.
The business remaining TO be done to the 18th
of August comprises the regular appropriation
| bills and numerous useful measures in reference
| to the army, the navy, the Post Office Depart
ment. &c, and our foreign relations. In addi-
| ton to these measures, the settlement of the
Kansas difficulty and the suppression of the
savage ruhianism which under the benign aus
pices of the amiabe Mr. Pierce, has governed the
Territory by fire, sword. rapine and murder, still
remain open questions Eight months viii have
passed, and the whole session. of nearly nine
| months, from present appearances, and the all
| important question of the pacifcation of Kansas
viii still remain unsettled and will go to the
| next session, which is TO meet month after the
Presidential election.
party whose object is 10 make Kansas slave State,
and the party whose purpose is to make Kansas a
free State-have each brought in a bill for the
pacfcation Of the Territory The bin Of the slave
State party is the bin Of Mr.. Douglas and Mr..
Toombs, II has passed the Senate, and Is before
the House. The bin based upon the Kansas To
peka constitution is the bill Of the free State
party. 1t provides distinctly for the admission
Of Kansas into the Union a. free State: and the
measure having passed the House, has been
amended in the Senate by the substitution of the
bill Of Mr.. Toombs; and in this shape has been
sent back again TO the House. There il sticks All
| parties there seem afraid to touch it. They all
seem TO regard ]; as bombshel which may blow
them Up in The Presidential election; and they
shrink from it. The democrats, frightened al the
tremendous f,rore FOR Fremont in The North, are
particularly skittish lest they should break the
back Of NJ. Buchanan in Pennsylvania by going
for the bin Of NJ. Toombs. or ruin the cause of
the Cincinnati nominee in the South by adopting
the free State plan Of The Topeka Convention.
Kansas TO TIE democratic members OF the House
Is tvo-edged sword, and their present game is
evidently to dodge il with the old dodge Of
squatter sovereignty notwithstanding the fact
tha; Mr.. Douglas has confessed the thing hum
bug and has kicked il out Of tie Senate.
still. the living issue between the Two great
parties OF the country is. shall Kansas be slave
State or a free state II must be ore or the
other, and Congress may as well say which
az once. cs TO wait till next December.
II the democracy understand their position
and the expectations Of the South. they
viii urge the passage 6y tie House Of the bin Of
MesTs. Toombs ard Douglas. and with The en-
phaic declaration that the nten. o. ibis BILL i 20
make Kansas q slave State. Il the South Arne-
ricans arc put TO his test they will be compelled
70 support the measure and thus i may be pass
ed. Col. Forney may say No his will inevi-
tably cost my confidential friend Mr. Buchanan.
the los OF every Northern State, and defeat him
most ignominiously." But what If /. does2
What Is Mr. Buchanan, or any other man. com
pared with the great desideratum Of peace with
the South? And what measure so likely to con-
ciliate and harmonic the South as this prqju Of
Nr Toombe for the admission Of Kansas as a
slave State?
Tie constitution. We maintain. Is compro-
mise. and the Union i a compromise. with South
ern slavery, or rather a series Of compromises,
from time to time. The confederaey thus formed
and thus far sustained, upon system Of checks. ba-
lances and equivalents, can only be perpetua;ed by
an adhesion to this system. A we now stand,
the North is all powerful in one branch of Con-
gress and has a majority Of two in the other
branch The South, therefore. as a measure Of
selEprcservation in the general government,
have the right to ask another slave State. in or
der. at least. to have an equilibrium in the Sc
| nate. Admit Kansas, then, a. a slave State. and
hereafter. when new States are to be admitted, let
il be free State and slave State together. There
is no other available plan by which anything like
MAGE can lie rnstnrnd hattrnnn tho fr-c 1nctinne