The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-08-09
Kansas in Congress-The Artful Dodgers OF
the Admin ration,

Kansas ,n Congress-The Artfal Dodgers OF
the Administration.
The Senate of the United States lately passed
resolution calling upon the President for infor-
nation in relation to the inst-uc tions under
which Col. Sumner, with his dragons, has been
acting as the guardian Of law and order in Kan
sas; and, in reply, the President has transmitted
to the Senate the official correspondence, which
we publish in another part of this paper.
Mr. JEFF. Davis in his letter enclosing to the
President this correspondence between the War
Department and Col. Sumner, says that no orders
have been issued from the department Ito any
military officer in command in Kansas to dis
perse any unarmed meeting of the people Of that
Territory, or to prevent, 10y military power, any
assernbage of the people of that Territory
This statement from Cabinet officer, in ordinary
times would be generally considered satsfac-
tory and conclusive. Al this extraordinary cr-
sis, however, our Washington officials are weak
in the knees, and this statement Of the Secretary
of War is but bubble, catch, an attempt at
artful lodging. which is knocked in the head in
the very FIRST letter of the series from Mr. Davis
himself to Col Sumner In that letter the an
thority TO sustain the illegally established Mis-
souri, government of Kansas is broad and gene
raj Col. Sumner is directed to obey the requi-
sition Of the Governor, and to employ the
United States army in Kansas. when be
may deem it necessary for the suppression
of insurrectionary combinations or armed re
sistance to the execution of the law" Here the
distinction is clear between armed resistance"
and insurrectionary combinations" but both
are to be put down. The Missouri Kansas govern
ment having been accepted and declared by the
administration the legal and regular govern
ment of the Territory, was not Col Sumner right
in constituting his instructions as applicable TO tie
Topeka free State Legislature as an insurrec-
tionary combination ~ There can be no doubt
Of it for surely Legislature set up in defiance
of the pet concern of Mr.. Pierce was properly
regarded by Sumner as an insurrectionary CON-
binaton."
The denial therefore. of the Secretary of War
Of any authority from him to Col. Sumner to
disperse any unarmed meeting Of the people Of
that Territory is a contemplate bubble. It is
Of piece with the Greytown bombarlment and
the instructions 10 Captain Hollins In both
cases the instructions were adapted TO effect the
object proposed, and yet so shaped as TO afford
paltry pretext for the plea that the officer, in
the very business expected at his hands. tran
scended his authority. In reference TO these
Kansas transactions there Is another letter of Mr..
Davis which stultiGes his declaration Of limo
cence TO Congress In his instructions Of
May 20 to Col. Sumner he says, that for
the great purpose which iustifes the EN-
ployment Of military II matters not
whether the subversion Of the law arises
from a denial Of the existence of the government
or whether 1t proceeds from lawless disregard Of
the right to protection Of person and property
for the security Of which the government was or.
dained and established meaning the Missouri
government Of Kansas and the rights Of the Dor
der rufians we suppose.
The moral Of all this contemplate irokery i
fear Of public opinion. The administration has
been pursuing policy in Kansas which, when
called upon TO account for, Il denies. II Is the
Greytown affair over again, with this difference
only-that the President shrinks from calling the
free State settlers Of Kansas "a camp Of savages"
lie has been treating them a. savages but dares
not call them So he not only throws the re-
sponsibility upon Col Sumner for what be was
instructed TO do, but covers before Congress and
says we shall call Col Sumner TO account for this
he has exceeded his instructions, and we shall
20 inform him. In the history Of Kansas affairs
there il nothing more contemplate, excepting
perhaps, those remarkable negotiations with Gov
ernor Reeder.
We think !, high time that there should be al
least clear understanding extracted from the
PierceBuchanan democracy In Congress Of their
exact position upon Kansas Affairs The
preceding upon the appropriation bills are not
bad beginning. We hold to the opinion that
the South have n constitutional claim to Kansas
but II II none the less essential that there sho1d
bc an end Of this border war. and that r.c
causes OF il should he reached aud removed l,y
this Congress II possible n peace can only be
obtained by the abolition Of The Missouri Kansas
Legislature, let il b. abolished. At OIL events
the conservative members Of the House eau vet
enforce some definite settlement or armistice Tot
kansas during this session. and upon these appro-
priation bliss and We trust that they will make
Il The paramount question. Let "a have Mr. Pierce
smoked out
SrE or ruE Nrw Posi- OrFrcE-It Is com.