New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-12
THE DEBATE on THE KANSAS MEMO
RIAL.

Editorial Correspondence Of The N Y. Tribune.
WASHINGTON, Thursday, April 10, 1856.
To-day's debate in the Senate was by far the
warmest, most general most protracted, of tho
Session Kansas was of course the theme--or,
rather, the impulse-for the precise question re.
lated, first, to the prOpriety Of printing Meme
rial from the Free State Legislature of Kansas.
asking for admission into the Union; secondly, tho
regularity and authenticity of said Memorial. The
speakers during the day were Messrs. HAMN,
HALE, TRUMBULL, SEWARD and HARLAN on the
side of Free Kansas; Messrs. MASON, BUTLER,
BAYARD, CRITTESDES, BENJAMIN, CAss, PUaH,
and RUsk and others on the other side, more or
less openly and heartily. 1t was a feld-dy Of
which no conception can be had by those who
know the Senate only from having YEARLY listened
to the dull debates of the Winter on Naval Re-
form, our differences with Great Britain, &c.
The PrOSlayery majority were surly ana savage
from the start Gov. SEwARD's speech yesterday
had evidently disagreed with them; they had passed
a bad night and returned to their seats in the uu-
comfortable plight Of men who feel dissatisfied with
themselves and with everybody else. OF course,
they were disposed to punish Kansas for having
brought them within range of Gov. Stewards bst-
teries, and the motion to print her Memorial gave
them chance. So they resolved to crafty their
spite by refusing to print. Mr.. MASON of cOarse
led the charge. 1t was fit that the
author of the Fugitive Slave Law should
engineer the contest in behalf of the yrannic usurp
alton which makes opposition to said law ground
of Acknowledgement. Messrs. HAMLIN and III. e
replied; then BUTLER came in on the side of Slay-
cry; now TRUMBULL interposed in behalf of Free
DOM which aroused BAYARD in championship Of
Slavery; and so the battle ragged along the whole
line. Bayard interrupted Trumbull to put ques-
ton, and having thus got the floor made quite
long speech in the middle of Trumbulls shorter
one: and when he had restored the floor, he almost
Immediately asked permission again to put ques-
zion, and, being permitted, proceeded to make
shorter speech, closing it BY answering his own
question. Let me try to state bis point.
Mr.. Trumbull bad very fairly urged that the phi
mary question at issue is one Of fact. "Was that
which styles itself and is recognized by the Federal
Executive as the Territorial Legislature OF Kan
sas. in truth imposed on that Territory by foreign
orce and fraud Was it substantially chosen BY
invading bands from Missouri, who were not a.
ual residents of and legal voters in Kansas I" If
was, then the People Of Kansas who repudiste
the acts and the authority Of this bogus Legiaa
ture are not therefore traitors rebels; they are
only doing what it is their right and their dGsy 70
do as republicans and freemen The whole con-
troyersy hinges, then, on the honesty and validity
Of that Kansas Legislative election of March, %.
Mr.. Bsyard, of course, cannot abide THIS hs'
urges that illegal votes are east in all, or nearly an
Elections; that there are members nnduly re-
turned in almost every Legislature; yetIthe an
thority of such Legislature is unquestioned, ana
its acts are obeyed as laws. Hence, all that
urged against the validity Of that Territorial Legs
lature cannot shake its authority, nor justify re-
sistance to its acts. In other words, Mr.. Bayards
argument was that, because We all imbloe more or
less of poisonous matter ever day OF our lives yes
generally manage to live quite number Of yearA
therefore man may safely take arsenic fos break
fast pruss:c acid for dinner and aquafoI:s for tea
living and growing fat thereon to tho age OF Die
thusalsh.
I Insist that, Il What the Free State inca 70 Has'