The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-05-02
WASHINGTON, D. C. April

tor from Illinois: -- -4--
WASHINGTON, D. c. April -
SIN: One day last week | placed in the
hands of Gen. .Cass, with request to layit
before the Senate, the memorial of the General
Assembly OF Kansas, praying for her adms
into the Union as a ign State. | gave
that direction to the memorial from the fact
that the convention which framed the Consti-
tuition fkansas with great unaRimity had BE- /.
fore selected Gen. Cass as the medium by
which to present the Constitution to the Sem
ate, deeming him, on account of his seniority,
the most proper person to introduce into the
Uaion the new applicant.
On Thursday Of that week the memorial was
the subject Of severe criticism, and IN connec-
ton with it charges OF the most grave charac
ter were preferred against mo.
On Monday last, in a paper read in your
hearing and by You, ! frankly avowed my
self the reviser of that memorial stated dis
tinctly that it was prepared under my direc-
ton in conformity with the authority vested
in me; that no human being was consulted in
the preparation Ct it; that the instructions Of
my principals were faithfully carried out. The
explanation was as full as the avowaIwas frank
nothing being withheld
After thi in connection with that memorial,
you repeated the charge in form much more
Objectionable than before Believing, as do,
that neither the Constitution of the United
States nor the rules of the Senate were in
tended to justify or sanction 50 gross an at
tack upon the character of an American citi-
zen. / respectfully ask for such an explanation
of your language upon that occasion as will
remove all imputation upon the integrity of
my action or motives in connection with that
memorial. Ece9 H &
When you are reminded, that, although
have certificate Of election to a seat in tho
body Of which you are member, and SC far,
am your peer yet ana not permitted to speak
in my own defense; when you are reminded of
the friendship, personal as we'll as political,
which has heretofore existed between US; that
/ came here your friend, confidently expecting
to fad you on the Kansas application where
you stood in 1874 on the Texas question and
in 1850 on the Gahferuis question, in favor of
recognizing the peoples Government, and ex-
tending over American citizens the protecting
Iarnl of the General Government, / feel CONT
ddent that you will, without hesitation, tender
the explanation requested, and thereby render
a simple act of justice towards one who has
faithful " discharged his duties TO his constitu
ents in all the relations which have given rise
to the exciting controversy. -
Respectfully, j. Fl. LANE.
IL To Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, Washington
City D. c. -s'a
4 Senator Douglas asked until o'clock to re-
4 PLY, which was granted. He then asked until
1 4 o'clock, and afterwards until Monday morn
ing. These requests were hailed as manifesto
tons of a manly purpose to do mcsa justice,
and were cheerfully granted. Mr.. Douglas
land myself had long been personal and polti-
Zeal friends. The recent stirring events in
Kansas and my connection with them were
familiar to hir. II, because IN consc ence had
.ifalt moved to advocate the cause of Kansas
1 with every civil right trodden under foot by
foreign invaders, while he, with fatherly love
and perhaps equal conscience, was cherishing
i Kansas as she is--as child Of his own beget-
ting-a doubt had arisen in my mind respect
ling our future relations, it was banished on my
I coming to Washington.
! The Senator met me with great cordiality;
Ae advertised me of his particular regard, and
pleasantly upbraided me for not3giying him an
10 )portunity to welcome me at his house.
became his invited guest and communicated
with him in honest friendship. He thus ami
4 hilated distance between us, and baptised me
his friend and equal, beneath his own roof and
tbeiore his very household gods. The word
Hypocrisy" is found in dictionaries because
the thing exists; when, therefore, in the SEN
ate Chamber, where all his deeds, by his con-
Institutional oath, ought to be bound in truth
and honor, found him breaking open and pa
rlding the private conversation of an invite
friend which occurred in his own house, as a
resident burglar would open the chest of be
trayed guest; when the conversation was re
Hated in such tortured and misshapen man
ner that it ceased TO be. truth and became
4 fdsehood; when, to damage the cause of an
honest and accused, but brave and hopeful peo-
/ pie, he stack his blow through me, their rep
lresentative, with vulgar attfocity of manner
which characterized the inSincerity OF his
ifriendship-the words of which were not vet
/ co!d-and with vehemence of accusation that
4 evnced the labor.ous zeal with which he had
studied the dictionary OF Billingsgate, COM
mon sensiblity to the value of private fame
demanded that | should cali upon him for ex-
plantations which would lead to proper vindi
cation, was nay right It was a right he
had especially sanctioned to me by his over
lures Of friendship, and it was the more his
iduty to give it because the injury was done
to me in the Senate, where SANDER and false
hood, if their existence there be possible, have
a constitutional protection. A proper repara-
ton then would have evineed that magnanim-
ity which yields justice from sense of honor
: where there is DO law to compel it. l had
asked an act ofsimplej justice in civil language,
, without ofence,and with only so much earnest
{ ness as became an indignant and injured man.
q On Monday morning Senator Douglas adj
dressed an elaborate letter to my friend, re-
peating the charge in the most brutal Ian
'fguage, and declining to communicate with me,
) as learned, for the following reasons; if he
$ had others personal to himself he modestly re-
trains from abiding to them:
list Other Senators used language equally
: objectionable.
I'd. The Senate rejected the memorial by a
y An-nro