The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-02-20
THE KANSAS DEBATE IN THE SENATE.

The Kansas question the prominent topic Of de-
bate in both houses of Congress yesterday In the
House of Representatives the subject up on esou
ton from the Committee Elections to procure evdenc.
be used in the contested election between Gen Whitfield
and Gov Reeder In the Senate the question pending was
the motion to print thousand copies of the
sage transmitted by the President the Senate Mon
day On this question Mr. Wilson finished the remarks
which be had commenced on the day before.
1t is not purpose review Mr. Wilson's speech bu,
merely give of the impressions made upon our
mind by its delivery We had often listened to Daniel
Webster when he Massachusetts in the Senate
but heard him make such speech as The present
occupant of his senatorial seat made Mr. Wilson must
have forgotten either the dgnied place which he stood
the respect due to the station which he filed otherwise
he could have fallen far below the standard of
oria staesmanlike debate He seemed be an zious
to impress his brother with something like el-
ing personal More than in the course Of his
denuncaons of absent persons he took especial pains
declare himself personally responsible for what he said
When he denounced Gov Shannon and made charges Of
the dscredi,able kind against his private character
he avowed himself personally responsible for what be said
and regretted Aat Goo Shannon gone 10 Kansas Mr.
Wilson may make the reputation of bully by such exhi-
billions in the Senate but be will thereby ghtcn the
who occupy seats in the Senate rival the states
manship Of Mr. Webster.
Mr. Wilson was very emphatic in denouncing the intor-
nation contained in the correspondence sent 70 the Senate
by the President giving entirely false account Of the
state Of things in Kansas Unfortunately however for his
consistency and his good sense the which he
the truth Of the only served to show more clear
ly than that the President had adopted the only
wise prevent the threatened collision u Kansas
II did not occur to Mr. Wilson that in denouncing the
formation which the President acted he denounced the
emphatic letters Of Messrs Robinson and Lane the ring
leaders Of the revolutionary party which Mr. Wilson is
seeking to sustain.
But Mr. Wilson's speech made the impression on our
mind that he opposed the action Of the President
because 1t was likely to deprive the aboltionss of their
pretex for agitation How bitterly they have heretofore
denounced the President for failing to exert his power to
prevent the disturbances in Kansss How bitterly they
"ow denounce him for doing The exact thing which they
blamed him for not doing and which their leaders Robin
son and Lane, demanded to be donel
Mr. Wilson kind enough 10 assure southern men ha,
they could go to Kansas with entire safety and that they
would be in danger from those terrible Sbarpes rifles
about which there had been such noise He did not
certain that the number greatly exaggerated As far
as could Judge from bis remarks the camor about the
great number Of those deadly weapons being carried to
Kansas had only been part Of The scheme to fgh,en
southern men from cmgstng to tbeTerritory The Pres.
idents proclamation having exploded the scheme Mr. VIII
son anxious to exeupae his friends from the murder
designs attributed to them.
We must do Mr. Wilson the Justice to admit that he did
not monopoze oil the bravery himself In hs voluntary
agreement to hold himself personally responsible Tie con-
coded to Col Lane the highest degree Of chvay and
to Gov. Rseder who at back he represented him M
having staked his life upon refusing certificates to soe Of
the legislators aud On we understand him
correctly Of having actually refused the certificates with
cooked revolver lying his table, After all this Il
sounded strange to bear Mr. Wilson talking about the for
bearsuce and meekness with which such cbiyalra
with Shapes rifles in their hands submitted TO the in
suits aud aggressions Of the "border rufiaus"
Mr.. Wilson terribly savage on The law of Kansas
which provides punishment against those abolidouis,s
who seek to excite the slaves instruction We under
stand this law to be cory Of the in force In many
of the southern States and designed deter abolition eu
ssares from nsgatng the slaves burn the honss and
cut the throats Of their masters Mr. Wilson thinks
great outrage that the Kansas legislature should throw
around the saveowner in Kansas the protection and
safeguards that exist in the slsveholdng States
But we will pursue this subject no further Mr. VIII
sons speech little than rehash Of the worst c
the New York Tribune editorials and correspondence
II evidently the stump speech which be has been il
the habit Of delivering before sboon crowds Us dev.
cry in the Senate produced other than feeling Of dis
gust