The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-10-01
THE KANSAS QUESTION.

The Toombs' Kansas bill will be found on
oar first page and also an article in explain
alton of it and of the proceedings had up
on it in Congress. We commend both
to the perusal of all our readers as q full an
swer 10 great part of the current slang of
the day from the opposition. They stand
in the position of party who having pre-
vened the settlement of the Kansas difficult
ties are trying TO use them for their own pur-
poses in the pending campaign. Yes! the
Fremont leaders are responsible before the
| country for the continuance of strife and
discord, and their hollow appeals 10 the pco-
pie on that subject therefore merit indignant
contempt. The attempt is sometimes made
by them to escape popular odium for their
conduct by pretending that the Toombs' bill
was defective or wrong in some of Its fea-
lures or paris But this subterfuge will not
screen them. If The bill was wrong in any
part of it (Which is not ADMITTEDLY it was their
business 10 amend it in the House and ask
the Senate 10 concur in such amendment.
But they did not do this, or even allow the
bill TO come up for action in the House,
simply because they were opposed TO any
settlement of the troubles in Kansas until af.
ter the election.
1t will be seen that the last section of the
bill declares those laws of the territorial leg
islalure null and void which invade consli-
tutiona principles and the act of Congress
organizing the territory. These are the laws
which Fremont orators read at their meet
ings and scream over with most virtuous
indignation! and yet their leaders in the
House are the very men who have kept
these laws in existence after the Democrats
of the Senate had passed and sent them a
bill 10 annul them! Their conduct is the
very madness of imposture and will not es-
cape the condemnation it deserves
1t has been said that this repeal or annul-
ment of the Objectionable Kansas laws is
inconsistent with the doctrine that the peo-
F., pie of the territory shall make their own
laws. 1t is no such thing. The Kansas
Nebraska act provides that the territorial
Legislature shall have jurisdiction over all
rghtfrl subjects of legislation not inconsist-
ent with the constitution of the United
States and the provisions of that act. But
the laws objected TO and proposed 10 be an
nulled, relating to Freedom OF speech and
of the press and to the right of suffrage, are
all of them in violation of the Constitution
and of the Kansas-Nebraska act, and there
fore beyond the jurisdiction of the territorial
legislature. To declare them void, or TO re-
peal them, is therefore no invasion of the
principle of selfgovemment or of the pow
ers granted to the local Legislature by the
act of 1854 organizing the territory. Besides,
! it is not for the Fremont leaders TO make
this objection. Asserting as they do the
sovereign power of Congress over the ter
ritories for purposes of legislation, they
could have had no compunctions of con-
science in acting in the manner proposed
by the Toombs bill, even if it had infringed
upon the doctrine oil popular sovereignty"
which it did not. This captious and pitiful
objection therefore falls to the ground,
There is not one of these Kansas orators
who believes that that territory will ever be-
come a slave State The facts are against
such conclusion and none know them bet.
ter ihan they. The Kansas National Com
mittee assert in their address to the people
that there are 10000 free State to 5000 pro-
slavery settlers in the territory. A cores
/ pondent Of the N. Y. Tribune recently fixed
the proportion of free State men TO their op.
ponents, as seven to one. And in the u. S
Senate in the debate on the Topeka Con
J stitution leading Republican Senators as.