Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-08-27
SPIRIT OF THE MORNING PRESS

The Iateiligeneer contains an interesting
sketch of yesterdays debate in the Senate,
from which We extract its summary of the re-
marks of Mr.. Mason, as embracing in few
words . strong array Of reasons why the pro-
posed repeal of certain enactments of the Ter
ritorial Legislature of Kansas would be IN
wise, indeed.
"Mr Mason was opposed to the introduc-
tion and passage of any such repeal measures
in the present attitude of public snairs ano,
apart from any peculiar objections 10 tneir
adoption by the Senate under INC slress VI u re-
cent and pending events in the House Oh hep.
they seemed net 70 tba Tsr
ritorv of Kansas By that act new theory
was ipaugurated in the Territorial legislation
of the country, by which Congress Invested
itself of all legislative power over the Terrific
ries, and left the people free to form and reg
ulate their own institutions. He had voted
for that act under q sort of duress and not
without some misgiviDgs; but, thinking it
safer to trust the regulation of social questions
in the hands of the people of the Territories
than in those Of Congress, he had accepted the
"new theory
And now, he remarked, it is proposed to
undo what We have done, and to recall the
power with which We have invested the people
VI hdueds- ho Wds pIepdIeu 10 euuOTse
this change in theory and practice under the
act of 1854 He had not particularly read
the laws of Kansas, and was not prepared to
speak In their favor, but he could not bring
himself to believe that any portion of the
American people had passed laws which de-
served to be denounced as 6: infamous" and
"atrocious" He knew that in certain quar-
tiers the legislation of Virginia upon the sub
jeet of slavery might seem " shocking" and
- unjust" as to him certain laws in the free
States seemed open to censure and condemna-
ton. But would this justify intei gentiOn on
the part of Congress Certainly not The
Supreme Court Of the United States, and not
Congress, was the proper tribunal for the ad-
judication of such questions, and to that tri-
bunal he was willing to remit them. But
even this he would not cOncede until the
House Of Representatives had receded from
Its factious attempt to coerce the Senate He
deemed the attitude of the House highly rev.
dictionary in its tendency 1t was the enter
ing wedge which might rive our Union asun-
der. lie preferred to meet the evil at once
rather than make it chronic and dangerous by
Il-advised palliatives."
As we.6nd that We did not yesterday catch
correctly the drift of the..remarks of Mr. Bay
ard On the same subject, we transfer to the
Stars columns the Intstirgencer's compre-
hension of them, as follows:
''Mr. Bayard expressed his willingness to
support the bill Of Mr.. Weller as a simple de-
claration of rights, but was averse to any spe-
cihc revision by Congress of the laws of Kan
sas Certain of those laws seemed shocking
to the moral sense as well as unconstitutional,
but the proper tribunal for the adjudication
Of the questions raised by them was the Ju-
dietary, and not the Congress of the United
States"
The Union argues to show that it is the
purpose of the Republican party in the House
to encourage civil war in Kansas, in order to
make Republican party capital at the North