The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-07-26
The Appropriation Bills I'm Congres-Bring-
ing the Kansas Question to Bear.


The Appropriation Bills I'm Congress-Bring-
ing the Kansas Question to Bear.
AT length, in palpable shape, they are bring
ing the affairs of Kansas to practical test at
Washington. In the House of Representatives,
on Thursday-the army appropriations being
under consideration-Mr. Barbour, Of Indiana,
moved to amend the clause appropriating
s3,275, 900 for the pay of the army, by adding a
dsapproval of the code of alleged laws of Kan
sas, and the manner in which they are enforced,
expressly declaring that until they shall be con-
frmed by Congress, no part Of the federal mill
tary forces shall be employed for their enforce
ment nor shall any citizens of Kansas be
compelled to act as posse comtdtus of any officer
acting as Marshal or Sheriff in the Territory.
This was a poser, and instantly brought the
members to their feet-especially the Pierce
democracy-in explanations, apologies, protesta-
tions, equivocations and artful lodges 1t was,
in fact, Paixhan shot, between wind and
water, which hurried all hands to the deck. At
length, Mr.. Stanton. of Ohio, to clinch the mat
ter, moved an addition to Mr.. Barbour's amend
ment, declaring the Territorial laws in force in
Kansas null and void, which was agreed to; and
the amendment, as thus amended, was made a
part of the army bill, by vote of ~ to 81. The
concurrence Of the House in the final considera-
ton of the bill is yet required but the proba-
bilities are that this amendment will go with the
bill to the Senate.
The amendment is german to the appropria-
tons under consideration in every 1t refers
to the army employed in Kansas to enforce code
81 laws declared and proved to be spurious. We
say proved, for the testimony of the Kansas In
vestigatng Committee is conclusive. The amend
ment, then. being proper in itself, and in its pro-
per place its adoption by both houses can only
he resisted upon eectioneering bubbles and false
pretences The plea that Congress has not the
jurisdiction is completely upset by the Senate
bill of Mr.. Toombs and Mr.. Douglas which pro-
poses to nullify some of the most fragrant and
despotic of the acts of the Missouri-Kansas Lee
gislature. The only difference between the bill
Of the Senate and the House amendment to the
army bill is, that while the former lops Off some
of the rotten branches, the latter strikes at the
roots Of the tree. Between the two clean piece
OF work is certainly preferable to halfway re-
pudiaton and halfway endorsement of the
border ruffisns."
In another view We regard these House pro-
ceedings az Of the highest significance and i'm
portance. They admonish the Pierce, Douglas
and Buchanan democracy that having abandoned
the humbug of squatter sovereignty, they must
choose between recognizing or regulating the
Missouri-Kansas Legislature and its bloody code
enacted under the auspices of the administration,
the United States army and the Missourians-that
they must choose. too, openly aud fairly between
the policy Of making Kansas slave State and
the opposite policy OF making II free State.
Dcdges. subterfuges- rowing one way and look
ing another-are no longer admissible.
The secret il out-everybody understands
il. Everybody knows that the policy OF
the Cincinnati democracy, and the object and
inevitable tendency Of the new Senate bill is to
make Kansas a slave State. and that this bill has
only been arrested in the House, and the opposite
policy adopted there. from the want Of pluck and
backbone in some OF the Buchanan democrats
and Fillmore Know Nothings.
The Fremont party. in Congress and out of
Congress. make two distinct issues-irst, that the
Missouri-Kansas Legislature, being bogus con-
Germ, there i no validity in its laws, and that
Congress should 50 pronounce upon them; &C.
condly. that Kansas must come into the Union as
free state. Upon the first proposition we see
that the democracy in Congress, and out OF Con-
gress, are alarmed. confused, and considerably
bothered They undertake to abolish some Of the
acts Of the Missouri-kansas Legislature. but plead
want Of jurisdiction over the Legislature itself
and prefer to let il stand. They still harp upon
the Cincinnati platform Of squatter sovereignty,
although Mr.. Toombs and Mr.. Douglas, with the
consent Of Gen. Cas-. have kicked squatter sove-
reignty, like a begging impostor out into the
street We repeat again, for the special informa-
ton Of the democrats Of Congress, that IL l.
utterly useless any longer to attempt TO carry
water on both shoulders. Squatter sovereignty
having been kicked out, and the supreme juris-
dcton Of Congress over the Territories having
been adopted and proclaimed as the new demo
cratic doctrine by the chiefs Of the party in the
Senate, the only question remaining as to the des
tiny Of Kansas is shall shc be admitted into the
The new Senate bill provides for the admission
OF the disputed Territory as a slave State Mr.
Toombs 70 understands it. has 20 framed IL, and
for this purpose advocates the bill. Mcssrs.
Douglas, Bigler. Pugh and other Northern demo-
cratic Senators, support the bill, but deny the
soft impeachment. If it could be done, they
would like to serve the South and keep their
Northern constituents in the dask, like Jacob
with his false hair and false voice, fooling his
blind old father Isaac. But the secret is ont,
and a. Kansas cannot be given to the North and
TO the south the simple issue i, which shall have
IT, We say the soutb-we say the South is en-
titled to II. in view Of sefprotecting equilibri-
nm Of power in the senate-entitled TO il, ac-
cording 70 he conciliaiory piri' Of those &C.