The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-09-03
The United States Sc ate on Kansas Affairs
Douglas versus Wilson.

Nlisol, delivered III the UnSteu States Senute OH
the 9th ultimo on the House proviso to the
Army bill and we submit them to the candid
attention Of men Of all parties, as about the fair
est presentation we can make of the two sides OF
the Kansas controversy. Judge Douglas and
General Wilson are both politicians Of the best
modern school-practcal, pointed and pungent
in their views of the salient points of great
question and while the former is the acknow-
lodged exponent of the policy and principles OF
the democratic party upon Kansas affairs the
latter stands no less prominent one of the great
guns of the Fremont republicans.
In reading over this particular speech of Mr.
Douglas however, ris-a-cts with the speech of his
powerful adversary OF the same day, it must be
admitted that while the latter sticks like wax to
his text his facts and his if pleading
to convince the Senate-the distinguished Senator
from Illinois, on the other hand, falls short of the
mark in limiting himself to the prejudices and
presumptions of the galleries. Ingenious and
prolific as Mr.. Douglas unquestionably is in
his discoveries of the motives and objects
of his adversares, he fails, in this instance, to
grapple with the facts and the real issue, as the
occasion requires. He says that the Fremont
party in Congress have not in reality sought or
desired the abrogation of the bloody code of
Kansas-that they have rather sought to keep it
an open question for Presidential agitation-that
they rejected the several bills passed by the Sc
nate to repeal those infamous laws-that there
would be no trouble in Kansas were there no
Presidential election pending-that the Fremont
party are rejoiced at every new atrocity which
occurs in Kansas as furnishing so much addi-
tional capital for political agitation-that the
House proviso itself was but an ingenious device
to promote agitation, III still keeping alive those
atrocious Territorial laws, &c. But what has all
this to do with the facts in the case and the real
merits of the question between the two houses !!
Let us examine.
The following is the House proviso to the army
bill, upon which this Senatorial debate took place,
to witt
Proyided l. That part of the military force OF the
United States sha be employed aid OF the enforcement
OF any enactment Of the body Gaining to be the Terrific
rial Legislature OF Kansas until eoactments shall
have been affirmed alc approved by Congress.
p This provso shall not be 20 construed as TO prevent
the President from employing an adequate military force.
but shall be his duty 10 employ such force 10 prevent
the invasion Of said Territory by armed bands Of
sidents. any other body OF residents. acting
claiming 10 act, posse comitda Of any officer in said
Territory in the enforcement Of any such enactment and
10 protect the persons and property therein and upon the
national highways leading - said Territory, from all IN
lawful searches and seizures.
Q. 1t shall be his duty take efficient measures TO
pei the return Of, AMI withhold. all arms OF the United
states distributed in or 10 said Territory.
Was that proviso right or wrong? Ten thou
sand precedcnts affirm that in a parliamentary
sense it was right, while the rufiianism which had
been lording il for many long months over Kan
sas, under the treacherous. double-dealing and
imbecile administration Of Mr.. Pierce, recon-
really necessary for the peace Of the Territory.
II Mr.. Douglas objected to it because il did not
distinctly repeal those barbarian laws Of Kansas
could be not have proposed modification TO
suit his peculiar views? But no: the Senator
and the Senate would listen to nothing short of
the absolute submission of the House to the Pre-
sident; and that being at length secured, through
q Fillmore and buchanan majority the Senate
triumphantly adjourned. In the interval, they
had Indignantly voted down the proposition Of
Mr.. Weller and the bill Of Mr.. Crittenden for
the abolition of those ferocious Kansas laws, and
for the substitution Of law and order-voted them
down, too, upon the plea OF leading Southern de-
mocratic secessionists, that nothing should BE-
done for Kansas short of the absolute surrender
Of the House.
Mr.. Douglas. as the responsible godfather of
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT bill. will remember
that the NEW York HERALD was the first
Northern public journal to come out in
rg sla - Miunafsy.
compromise as the repeal Of an uncon-
stituiional act. and for the substitution Of
popular sovereignty in the Territories. as more
consistent with the spirit aud intent of the con-
stitution. Mr. Douglas will also remember that
the HERALD defended the Territorial Legislature
and laws of Kansas. and rebuked the rebellous
acts OF the free State settlers. until Congress
sonal committee had established the tact, be-
yond the shadow Of a doubt that the Kansas
Legislature was an outrage upon popular soye-
reignty. and that its laws. and the appliances
used by Mr. Pierce to enforce them, were among
the grossest Of outrages upon popular rights.
From the day when that report was made to
Congress. it should have been the duty Of both
houses. and especially Of Mr.. Douglas, first OF
al to supersede this spurious Legislature and
these bogus laws Of Kansas by constitutional,
lawful and republican form Of government; and
then there would have been no difficulty and no
chahcring between the two houses upon provi~os
to the appropriation bills. But unfortunately
in the supervision Of the ACKNOWLEDGMENT law
our weak aud trucking President fell under
tha ruischiavoua counaals nj that arch--a-
cessionist Jefferson Davis. the Secretary
Of War an intimate confederate Of Messrs
Atchison and Stringfelow. and a party to
their scheme to make of Kansas slave state
or to blow up The Union. From that unhappy
day popular sovereignty in Kansas was sup
pressed by ruilian sovereignty. and from that day
to this, this border rufanism has been protected
encouraged and enlarged by the administration
until the whole democratic party are involved in