Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-09-12
THE KANSAS QUESTION.

The kANSAS QUESIlON.
The troubles now existing in Kansas,
and the excitement consequent thereupon
seriously threaten the safety of the Union.
1t is now no time to handy epithets as to
who is responsible or who is chargeable
for the difficulties existing at this mo-
ment in that territory. The all-impor-
tant question is, how can they best be
allayed +? If the state of things now
said to exist in Kansas be permitted to
60 on unrcstrained, the very atmosphere
will become rare6ed by the intense heat
of excited passion and prejudice, and the
rush from the surrounding States will be
increased, adding fresh fuel to the fame
already ignited, until the whole country
will be wrapt in the blaze of revolution.
What can be done to avert this impend-
ing danger? What has been attempted
During the late session of Congress the
Senate passed bill repeating the objec-
tionable and obnoxious territorial laws,
providing for taking new census, for
aew classification of the inhabitants into
election districts, affording every reason
able guarantee for the enjoyment of the
right of suffrage, and for free and I'M
biased expression of the popular will
In this measure of relief the House of
Representatives refused their concur
renee, The majority of the House were
Republicans it had the organization.
Upon whom, then, rests the responsible
ity? Certainly not upon the minority,
who voted in body to suspend the rules
to take up this identical bill, when the
republicans, to man, voted against the
suspension. Do the Republicans desire
to have the Kansas troubles adjusted :?
No sane man will believe that they do,
until after the Presidential election shall
have taken place. They tackled to
the Army bill proviso wholly unpre-
cedented in the history Of Legislation,
clearly unconstitutional, and one which
they well knew the Senate would never
agree to; evincing a determination to
arrest the wheels of Government, unless
they could coerce the Senate and the
President into the adoption of their pol
icy, against their considerations of duty.
What is to be the end of these things
Civil war rearing its horrid front-inAam-
matory zealots running to and fro through
, the land, crying emo union with slave
holders;" embittering the passions and
exciting the prejudices of the people Of
one section against another Can the
result of such efforts, if persisted in, be
doubtful in the mind of any one ? There
is but one mode of escape, and that is,
in the spirit of our fathers, to frown in
dignantly upon the efforts of all such
agitators, and endeavor to quiet the pub
lie mind by intoxicating measures of pa
: cifcation.
This is the first time in the history Of
our Government that direct issue has
been made up between the Democratic
party, which has ever confined itsel
!; within its constitutional prerogative-and
sectional party usurping power, and
seeing to demolish the very pillars o
our national structure. Can the people
of Maryland be brought, by their votes
directly or indirectly, to contribute t.
the overthrow of that glorious Unior
which has heretofore saved millions O
her property from the hazards of foreign
I aggression? Will they not rather render
their verdict in favor of that nationa
party, whose principles would bind to
gether thirty millions of freemen. {,
guaranty her security from every danger
intestine or foreign? We cannot bu
believe that they will resist to the utmos
every attempt to reduce them to a condi
ton in which they would have no other
means of protection than such as a gov.
eminent, about to break up in anarchy
can furnish.
A.z- IT, na....a-.I. e ,