Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1856-07-12


tories, was opposed by Messrs. Seward, Wilson,
Wade, a. Co.; among other reasons, because
many hundreds of the "free State men" had
been driven out of Kansas and were scattered
over the Northern States, and could not return
to Kansas by the fourth of July. See section
IL of the Toombs BILL
In consequence of this objection, the bill was
so amended as to give such persons until the
lst of October to return and vote; yet, not
withstanding all this, Messrs. Seward, Wilson,
Wade Co. voted against the bill, declaring
that it was a bill to make Kansas slave
State!l
The digni6ed and patriotic speech Of Mr..
Crittenden conveyed deserved rebuke to Mr..
Seward, and the bold eloquence Of Mr.. Toombs
told with crushing effect on the same Senator.
Mr.. Toombs exposed the designs of the Re-
publican leaders to foment difficulties in Kan
sas as means of obtaining Office, and declared
it to be evident that they did not desire peace
in Kansas-that they did not themselves be-
lieve their oft-reiterated assertions that ma
jority of the settlers in Kansas were in favor
of making Kansas free State, and that their
sympathy with Kansas was feigned.
The object intended to be accomplished by
the Toombs bill was to give peace, and the
Republicans were invited to propose amend
ments such as in their view would better secure
the important objects intended-objects which
they had all along protested to have in view
All along the Republicans have been crying
out for peace-protection to bleeding Kansas
they have been demanding as an act of Justice
that the wishes of the bona .tide settlers be
carried out, and Kansas admitted as State.
All this was offered by the Toombs bill, in
lieu of which Mr.. Wilson made proposition
which Mr.. Seward advocated, to strike out all
after the enacting clause of the bill and insert
" All acts passed by the Legislature of Kansas,
or any assembly acting as such, be, and the
same are hereby, abrogated and declared void
and of no effect"
The only effect which could be produced by
the amendment offered by Mr.. Wilson would
be to increase the difficulties at present ex-
listing, to legalize outrages of every kind.
This proposition was, in effect, what Mr..
Ioombs declared it to be-ths offer of the
cartridge boz IN lieu Of a pure ballot bon.
The mask has fallen from the faces of the
Republican leaders, and their sympathy with
bleeding Kansas" stands confessed, sham.
The admission of Kansas as a State with
the Topeka constitution would be an outrage on
the people of Kansas, and an outrage on the
Constitution.
The Topeka constitution or form of govern
ment is not Republican, as the powers therein
declared have not been derived from the
people.
The Topeka constitution was framed by men
who were but>a minority of the people, and
were in open resistance to the constitutional
authorities, territorial and federal.
The following extract from the report of the
the Territorial Committee gives the true history
Of this movement:
SIT is not pretended that any of the proceed
ings which resulted in the formation of the
Topeka constitution were had in pursuance of
law. The preliminary meetings, the calling of
the convention, the appointment of delegates,
the assembling of the convention, the formation
OF the constitution, the voting on its ratification,
the election OF officers under teach and every
step In the whole movement was not only with
out the authority of law, but part of a scheme.
openly and boldly avowed in their meetings
and conventions, having for its object the
subversion of the government established by
authority of Congress in said Territory. They
refused to recognize the validity of the laws of
the Territory, or the authority of the officers
appointed to carry them into effect Hence
there was no law prescribing the qualifications
OF voters, or excluding illegal votes, or pro-
hibiting any person from voting as many times
as he pleased, at as many different places as he
chose on the same day. No law providing for
the appointment of judges of elections, none
prescribing the usual oath, no officer to ad
minister the oath, and no law to punish its
violation. In short there was no regularity. no
legality, no security for fairness no safeguards
against fraud in any of their proceedings.
Besides the whole movement was the work of
political party and not the action of the great
body Of the people irrespective Of party. Their
meetings we're party meetings, their conventions
were party conventions, their resolutions were
OF nature which necessarily precluded the CO.
operation OF every man who felt it his duty to
yield obedience to the laws and constituted
authorities of the Territory under the organic
act. Hence it was strictly partizan movement
a movement Of the law-resisting party in op-
position to the law.abiding party. 1t was not
a question between those who approved and
those who disapproved the laws Of the Kansas
legislature; for many good citizens preferred
obedience to code Of laws, portion Of which
they did not approve, so long as they we're held
to be constitutional by the courts and remained
upon the statute book, as less evil than armed
resistance and lawless violence. Thus il was
partizan movement-an organization of the
lawresisting party against the law-abiding
party; and the most that can be claimed for it
is, that it received the sanction of decided
majority Of its own party
A DIVIDED SOUTH UPON THE ISSUE
OF BLACK REPUBLICAN IsM i-sBALL
1T BET
The leading issue which the Black Republi-
can party presents to the country is this-shall
the Missouri Compromise be restored and the
principle Of the Kansas bill be annulled /?
That issue is presented to the South especi-