The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-09
rHE TRIUMPH OF POPULAR sovRREIGNrY

is to get the yanqushed party to acknowledge their de.
feat Pride other evil passion apt to sug-
gest excuses apologies and donb that the real truth as
triumph is obscured and brought into question Since
the presidential election have observed with silent
the ingenious shifts and devices by which the
Fremont organs hayo labored deceive themselves and
Others in regard the sxent and significance of the deu-
ocrac victory We have not cared to diminish any small
modcum of comfort which they might derive from their
deceptious apologies and evasions Contented fully with
the result ourselves and reposing implicit confdencs in
the wisdom and patriotism of the incoming administra-
ton have been willing to abide the test Of time
the fruits of victory Knowing that the continuance
democratic policy secured it has given
defeated opponents magnyng their strength and
puckng up courage for renewal of the contest in 1860
These privileges of the vanquhed Of which we have
had no disposition to deprive them But the defeated
party they have length transcribed the bounds egt
innate Dragging and seeking to make fraudulent ap-
preparation of the fruits Of victory To this we arc
compelled to object
The great battle was fought on the issue whether the
people of Territory should have the right regulate
their own domestic institutions in their way subject
only the constitution whether Congress should pre-
scribe for them the character of their institutions and
sequeny determine who should be entitled to residence
and what kinds Of property the people should As
Mr. Buchanan entertaining the former views elected
and Col Fremont entertaining the latter, defeated
people of unsophsated concluded that the
democrats had achieved triumph. But it would seem
from the black-repubcan organs, especially the qun
tuple allies in New York, that this is mistake Not
that Mr. Buchanan is not electedthat fact is conceded
though even that is done most reluctanty-but still the
benefits Of his triumph say they have Injured to the rpub
can party 1t u.s. at last discovered that law and order
have been restored in Kansas that the rights of persons
and Of property are now observed that robberies and
murders are detected and punished that armed nrude
whether from the South the North successfully
Guided and that all further resistance the laws Kan
sas has ceased All this the legitimate result of the we
energetic and resoute policy of Gov Geary and
admitted by the black republicans but they say this hap
by result is proof that the real victory is their side al
though their presidential and congressional candidates
have been beaten They say that Kansas is to
be free State and from that premature assumption they
jump to the conclusion that the victory theirs although
they lost the late presidential and congressional elections
This tissue of reasoning and false conclusions
based upon two material Of fact to the past
and assumption to the future which may may not
be realized.
The first error Of fact is that the policy by which Gov
Geary has restored the dominion of law and order in
Kansas has been adopted since the presidential election
The truth is that Governor Geary went to Kansas with
the same policy which both of his predecessors in
suctad to ollowtat policy to hiatt provisions
of the Kansas la,e in their true spirit should faithfully en-
ecuted and especially that the people Of The Territories should
enjoy The right of regulating their domestic Institutions d"
their ocn ay unuenced and unebdrrassed by errdne0as
influences and appliances Governor Reeder was expected
to pursue this policy but he allowed his attention to os
first diverted to schemes of land speculation and he-
wards suffered himself to become the supple tool OF mo
Emigrant Aid Societies in their effort to abolition
ize the Territory Gov Shannon went out with the same
instructions as Gov Reeder but be lacked the energy
and decision to meet the obstacles which Gov Reedeis
blunders had enaied upon him. Gov. Geary went win
the same instructions which had been given to both OF his
predecessors and he had the the wisdom the firm
ness and the energy to them faithfully and in their
true spirit The result was that chaos rapidly re-
duced order and peace and quiet soon restored
{, the Territory. This great work was virtually accom-
pished before the presidential election and exerted hap
Ply influence on the result Since that election he has pu
sued and the policy which he had SO sue
cessuy inauguraed beforehand and the acknowledgment
of black republicans that his administration has been
successful is the highest tribute that could be paid TO Inc
wisdom Of President Pierce in selecting him. and 70 'ns
excellence Of the principle Of popular sovereignty contain
cd in the Kansas law which Gov. Geary has SO rum'
phanty executed and illustrated 1t not true therefore
as matter of fact that any change in the Kansas
policy Of the administration has occurred since the P
Dental election II follows that 1t is equally untrue
that the minority cast for the republican chndi
has exerted the slightest influence the adminsa
tive policy of the administration OF Gov Geary in Ram
sas Gov Gearys has been the triumph OF the
principle of popular sovereignty the antagonstc pm
ciple of congressional sovereignty.
The second error Of fact before adverted to is in assert
ing that the issue in the presidential contest was when
Kansas should be free slave State Blackrepubiean
and journals persisted throughout the canvass
falsely assuming that if Mr. Buchanan was elected Kansas
would be necessarily slave State and that the only way
prevent it to elect Col Fremont The democratic
,rators and journals maintained everywhere that Kansas
ought to be free slave State just the people OF the
Territory should decide and that the only way to secure
them the right TO decide for themselves and TO preVen'
he exercise of despotc power them by Congress
was to elect Mr.. Buchanan and TO defeat Colonel ire
mont The election of Mr. Buchanan, therefore, set
led the question that Kansas was to be free OF
slave State according to the wishes OF the people
II the Territory II Kansas comes into the Union as
rec State Il will come in as such because the people