The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-12-05
The Kansa. Complication.

TO submit their work to the people. Theil
exultation arises, however, from no conside
ration that the principle Of popular sove
re:gnty is thus to be vindieated in its puri
ty; but from the prospect they imagine they
see of division Of the democratic party or
this question. The vindication, in good
faith, by the democratic party, of the prin
ciples of popular sovereignty in settling the
Kansas question, is the thing Of all others
the republicans least desire. They have
fought the principle from the beginning,
maintaining that Congress, and not the Peo-
pie Of the Territories, should regulate the
domestic affairs of the Territories To this
principle Of Congressional domination the
democratic party have uniformly opposed
the only truly republican a-d democratic
doctrine of popular sovereignty" To the
peoplc the democratic doctrine seemed so
truly equitable and just, that repubIeaii>m
was in a fair way TO receive its quictus,
when the sodsend of "bcrder fufiianisn" in
Kansas came to their relief, and by course
O. systematic manufacture, (out Of the iim-
by few Missourian and southern bullies,)
of untold kansas outragcs," republicansm
has been kept alive, not because the people
approved their principle of congressional
domination, but because the republicans
were thus able to delude the honest masses
with the false charge that the democratic
party were not sincere in their support of
the doctrine Of popular sovereignty. The
only opportune occasion having now ar
rived, however, when the sincerity of the
democratic party in maintaining their favor
lite doctrine is to be put to practical and
convincing test, if that test proves their sin
cerity, as the course Of four-ffth of the de-
mocratic papers both of the north and south
shows it has, then Of course rcpublcanism
stands branded with the lie, and the last
prop that upheld the party is knocked from
under them.
That this last prop will fall we have not a
particle of doubt the action of the demo
cratic party in Congress will show in less
than three months. The hope of disrup-
ton of the democratic party on this que.-
ton is utterly futile. There are hot-heads
that have acted with the democratic party in
the south, just as crazy abolition disunion-
lists have acted with the republicans at the
north; but the stand already taken by lead
ing southern statesmen and newspapers on
this question shows that the great body of
the democracy OF the south will stand to the /.
democratic doctrine. The strongest founda-
ton the republicans have to build their hope I
Of split in the democracy upon, is the tele !
graph rumor that the President approves the !
action of the Kansas convention. Now this |
we venture TO say is utterly untrue Con
gross at its last session, and the President
himself in various official acts, having re-
cognized the legality of the Kansas conven- Z
ton, it is more than probable the President I
may feel much embarras ment in now pro-
posing to reject its action, but SO far from |.
un9uaiifedly approving, it is not even GER
tain that he is ready to Gequiesee in that &C
ton. We place very little confidence in
Washington telegraph dispatches. They I
are VIGOROUSLY given to the grossest perver- |
sion. The statement Of as respectable a
newspaper as the Washington Stctes is GER /
tainIy much more reliable than any telegraph .
report, and according to that paper the Pre- /
sident is far from having yet committed /
himself to the approval of the action Of the
Kansas convention. That paper says, fore
the Message:
lsyt1f
Kansas question. and the Instructions which
he had gwen to Gov. Walker IN relation TO
the principles upon which the Territorial
was 10 be administered Upon
the course of Gov. Walker he MAJ or may
not comment. IL would appear that he Is as
vet ugcommitted upon this subject; and IT
Is not TO he taken fer grained that any
newspaper has been vet authorized by him, i
Dr. by any member OF the Cabinet, to COM
NIT the Administration M iavo- Of the action ;
If the Constitutional Convention. and of the
adoption of the Constitution which may DC
,rt.rn,cd 10 Congress
Ii j. known that Governor Walker, who
rrived here on the 18th inst. has mad long ;
Interviews with the President in relation TO
he affairs of Kansas. they now stand
! pom his statement Of facts, As vel! a. upon q
. recurrence TO the principles OF the Kansas I
Nebraska act, the President viii make up =
lis mind upon the questions which are socu
o agitate Congress and the country in rela-
ion TO that Territory.
But whatever course the President, as the I
xecutor and not the Trainer of the laws may j
eel constrain. ii to take as the nature Of c
is duties is, so the action Of Congress +,
ill be different. Congress will doubtless f
C governed by legitimate presidents, and c
here is a case on record that is exactly 81 5
lilar TO the one now presented. In 1916
congress passed an act 10 enable the people
T Wisconsin to form q constitution and
tate government preparatory TO admission
ito the Union. On the 10th of December
T that year a convention assembled at Ma =
ison, framed a constitution, and forwarded
ne document to Washington asking to be y
limited into the Union. That constitu- a
on was voted upon by the people, but not :.
such manner as TO satisfy Congress that .
majority Of the people approved it, al "
lough a majority for it was apparent from d
lie state Of the poll. The fact was, party
nd voted for IT, just as the pro slavery par
propose to vote for the present constitu- :,
on in Kansas, but a more powerful party
the territory would have nothing to do
ith il. Congress. therefore, sent back that
to be ratified by the people; the =
.op,e voted it down, adopted another con- -.
tuition, and under tina: instrument Wis
,nsin was admitted into the Union. u
Here then is a case exactly in point, and
e have no doubt congress will be govern. =
by it. This is the course we have the -
st reason to believe, Judge Douglas will ;,
Ike, the California Senator's are understood
stand ro,n,r;,,od h, Tho game course en-