Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-03-17
WARRINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP:

ly abused by the Republican party press.
This tells we'll, not only for the ability with
which it was prepared, but for the force and
irrefragibility Of the facts it sets forth. If
were not paper likely to strike the Northern
popular mind with forcible effect, the reader
may rely on it, the Republican party would
not have honored it with 1.-THE of the abuse
already showsred upon it. For months, up to
week or two before it was presented to the
Senate, the writer's for the Republican press,
BY way of strengthening their cause in the
Northwest, had been publishing stories alleg-
ing that Senator Douglas really sympathized
with them upon the Kansas question as it now
stands. They ventured on that game only
when they thought his health to be such as
almost to preclude the possibility that he
would be able to participate in public affairs
until at least the close of the approaching
Presidential canvass. Their time was adroitly
chosen; and while We know not whether they
succeeded in thus disafecting any Of the
friends of the Senator in the North from their
allegiance to the principles of popular sover.
eighty on which his great measure is based,
We do know that the effrontery and shameless
ness with which they thus misrepresented the
views and position of Senator D., caused
much momentary distrust of him among those
Of his political friends of the South who not
knowing him personally, were not aware of
the utter incompatability of the truth of the
allegations of such writer's, with his character
as a man and . publicist.
We need hardly say that the appearance of
his report scattered instantly to the winds
the suspicious thus engendered; rendering
those who had INDUCED in them ashamed of
themselves, as it were, that with the consist.
emit public history Of Stephen A. Douglas
fixed in their memories as that is, they should
have allowed themselves to grow suspicious
of the integrity of his devotion to the doc.
trine of State rights, and the great American
principle Of self-governmeHt, into which he
brsathed new life in the Kansas and Nebras-
ka bill, merely because he was momentarily
being praised by those who rarely praise
others than higher law anti slaveryites, and
enemies to the true theory of the Constitution
The report of Senator Douglas of which lin
connection with Mr.. Collamer's minority re-.
port the Senate have ordered an edition of
81 900 to be printed, will be multiplied by
millions; as nearly every newspaper sustain
ing the principles of the Nebraska-Kansas bill
will reprint it. Its calm and simple nara.
tive of the true but hitherto almost entirely
unpublished history of the settlement of Kan.
sas, so maliciously and boldly falsifed from
beginning to end by the Kansas writer's for
anti-Nebraska presses (who, going into the
Territory only for political purpose, resorted
to such disreputable means of gaining popu.
lar sympathy for their really unconstitutional
and anti republican labors) will prove the
textbook Of the friends of the doctrine of
popular sovereignty from Maine to California,
in tho approaching contest.
The Proposed Now Washington Election
Law.-Our talented, ingenious and truthful
neighbor has become our ladhrymose and lugu.
brious neighbor also, over the bill reported by
Mr.. Meacham, from the District Committee of
the House, " defining the rights of voters and
the duties Of commissioners of election in the
city of Washington, and for other purposes.
In the course Of its jsremiade over the pros.
psct that the enactment of this bill may pre-.
vent in the June election the repetition of the
many frauds upon the rights of the citizen
that disgrased this city at the election here
last June, it states but a single tangible OBJ
lection to the bill, as follows:
"It will be observed that the first section
contains the words " who shall be a citizen Of
the United States at the time he offers to
vote" Our present Charter requires a for
eigner to be naturalized one year previous to
voting"
This statement is positively, unqualifedly
and palpably untrue; as the writer mus.
have known, if he knows enough to scratch
himself when he itches
The Circuit Court for this District, our hiub.
est legal tribunal, on the morning of the last
Washington election, in the Gruen case, de.
| cided that naturalized citizen Is entitled
| under our municipal charter, to vote here on
the day after he shall have been naturalized
or the hour after, provided he possesses the
other requisite qualifications of a years pre-
vious residence in Washington, &c. Though
the Know Nothing Commissioners of Election
knew that such WIS the decision of our high.
est court, in obedience to the higher law of a
secret vote of the Know Nothing lodges d.
rscting that they should reject the votes of all
naturalized citizens who had not been a year
naturalized before Offering their ballots, they
secuted the Courts authority no penalty be.
ing provided by the existing law against the
preparation of the frauds and violation of
the rights Of the citizens involved in such con.
duct on their part.
From the settlement Of W Washington city up
to that hour, all who advised and counselled
such conduct on their part, as we'll as all
others of all PARTIES, had acquiesced in the
law as interpreted by the court in the Gruen
case the right of a foreign. horn cit;,an In