Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-11-30

to be gitated and divided was submitted. There
had been no agitation division on any other
subject than slavery, and, in submitting this, the
Convention showed that IL was not desio ned 10
Impose Constitution on the people containing
any provision On which they had indicated a de.
sire to express theft judgment Still the inter
rogatoFy may be pressed-if the Convention Were
willing to submit the slavery clause to the peo
ple-whv not submit the residue of the Constitu.
tion We answer what we suppose to be the
,rue reason; The Convention wished Kansas to
be admitted a. State. They wished II to be ad.
mitted either AZ free or slave State as the peu.
pie might choose, and they wished II to be ad =
mltted promptly that there might be an end Of
turbed the peace of the country. The ONLY way
to attain this important object to submit for
popular judgment the only subject which had
caused the agitation and the disturbance Of the
national peace. Ii was well known that those
who would vote against the slavery clause would
also vote against every other clause in the Con-
stitution-not because they object to any other
the legal authority Of the Convention to sit and
make a legal Constitution, and because they were
all the time insisting that they had already made
a legal Constitution at Topeka.
ITO submit the whole Constitution, therefore
was to endangcr the fate Of the whole and TO
pTolong the agitation of the slavery question. 1t
was known that the advocates of the Topeka
Constitution would vote against any Constitution
made by the legally constituted Convention Ii
was not simply that they We're opposed to slavery,
but they were factiously bent on having Con-
a
pursuance Of the laws of Kansas, and none but
that illegally made at Topeka Under such cir.
cumstances, the Convention determined to tender
compromise that would show to the whole coun.
try that they were sincerely anxious to restore
peace and quiet to the country. They deter
mined to carry out the spirit of the Kansas law
oy securing to the PEOPLE the right to have free
or slave State. We think the deliberate Judy
ment Of the country will sustain the action Of the
Convention, whilst the opposition to its action so
fercely manifested by the Black Republicans,
conclusvely shows that continued agitation is the
real object they have in view. We repeat our
deep regret that any Of our Democratic cotempo-
rares should be found cooperating with them
in course calculated to prolong agitation. We
repeat our earnest hope that when they see that
the true issue is between the Topeka and the
LecomptOn organ ZatOns they will no longer he
found cooperating with the Black Republicans i"
Ex-PREsIDEyT PIERCE.-The Pennsvlra.
MAN on Thursday last, in mentioning tho ar.
rival OF ex-President Pierce in Philadelphia on
his way to Norfolk to embark for Madeira,
takes occasion to say Of him: .
GAS time clear. away the mists Of political
and partizan prejudice which enveloped the Ad-
ministratiOn Of Gen. Pierce during his term of
ofhce, the sensible and rejecting men Of all par
Ties are apProximating In their estimate of the
honesty, faithfuness and ability with which he
discharged the responsible duties Of the Chief
Magistrate of this nation. Possessed Of sound
patriotism, hearty and genuine love Of those
great ornamental principles upon which the
Democratic party rests, and an infiexible and I'M
bending will, when called upon to face and de.
eide questions Of great pith and moment he is
stirring deeds are to be performed, or important
principles enunciated and defended. General
Pierce's championship Of the Kansas Nebraska
bill was as gallant and patriotic as was Old Hic-
kory's attack upon the Bank Of the United states.
or James X. Folks vindication Of the tariff of
1916. With these distinguished Chief Magis-
trates, rank Pierce stands before the country as
an epoch President. His Administration Is daily
receiving the popular endorsement Of the country
and no man is more safely lodged in the estima-
tlon Of the Democracy than the distinguished ex-
President, who will soon leave our shores to seek
for health to one more dear to him than fame or
ambition. Gen. Pierce carries with hi i'm the best
wishes OF his friends for 4 successful termination
to his pilgrimage OF sympathy and Election"
Every word of this heartfelt compliment is
deserved-every word of it. The editor of the
PennSylram,am but expresses the now univer-
sal sentiment of the Democracy, in which the
opposition is rapidly coming to share. To the
present Administration it must be most crafty
ing to find that well doing in the discharge of
the Executive trusts of the people so soon
brings its reward of universal popular appro-
baton. Beset as its path is with undeniabIe
difficulties, only to be mastered by stern and
uncompromising adherence to the right-to
principle-in defiance of all possible sinister
combinations against the success of its admin
istratiye efforts, to find that already the coun-
try with one accord appreciates properly the
single minded patriotism Of the labors of its
predecessor must be great encouragement,
indeed, for 1t TO persevere in carrying out to
tho end tho measures and policy which it has
initiated and pursued in the work of securing
to the country at large all the blessings, priv
ileges and rights fairly dslu:ible from an
honest and fearless enforcement in the Govern
ment Of the doctrines of the Democ ratio party
creed.
ExPLAINED.-The Penn syfran,an, which il
doing yeoman service in the cause of the true
principle of the Kansas Nebraska act, now be-
ing fercely assailed by the new northern allies
OF the I'fbHHe and LiEerafOr, in a few brief
paragraphs explodes their plea that in assum-
ing TO exercise their right to send the constitu
ton to Washington ere submitting all its pru-
visions to n vote, the Kansas Convention
have violated the right Of self-government in
herent in the people of State of the North
American Confederacy under its National Con-
stitution:
1--WE make no Issue rs to the admission of the
Constitution entire. We desired az much "a our
neishbor could have done, that that document
should have received fair consideration ON its
real merits, as an organic law but we were
also, al the same time equally anxious to see the
connict In Kansas terminated by her prompt add.
mission as State, free slave, as the majolity
might desire; and, we must confess, that for
months past we have feared that this desirable
contamination might be defeated by facetious
men, who persisted In saying that the laws Gre
ating the Convention should not be recognized
by any act Of theirs These TebelIious spirits vir.
tsally said to the Convention-we shall tear down
your fabric, however excellent it NAV be- and
give the work to new hands Antagonism wa,
thus naturally raised in the Convention, and il
repiied-well, then, as we are satisfied with the
main structure of our work, and you say You will
not Judge OF II ALL you shall not have the oppor-
tunity OF breaking up it's foundations; YOU can
helPto finish II, but you shall not destroy it,
8 HeIe Is the motive and The circumstances
suggesting the action Of the Convention so much
complained Of. The result is, that these factious
leaders can make Kansas a Free State, il they
will, but they cannot prevent her from becoming
state OF some kind, under the action Of that
body. 1t seems to us singular that our neighbor
should overlook all these things, and follow