Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-12-23
SENATOR DOUGLAS AND KANSAS.

which, through an "enabng act" OF Congress, pro-
poses to throw the whole matter back before the pco
pie Of the Territory. The third will be, tho adns
sion Of Kansas US an equal member Of the Conicdcra
cy under the Constitution formed by her late Convcn
ton. And this lastis the measure Of the Admins
tration.
Senator DOUGLAS has made speech in favor Of his
proposition which has excited many fears lest the set
tement of this territorial embodiment be again de-
feated, or at least postponed If we may rely upon
Washington letter writers however, these npprehen-
sions are likely to prove groundless. One Of them
says: "The Senator has failed impress his views Of
the Kansas question where he has sought most anx
iously to do so,"-"he has not made single con-
vert in the Senate,n--and 60 Democratic leader he
no longer exists" So talks the correspondent OF the
Richmond South. "AsHLEY," Of the Charleston
Mercury, goes further and says that "it is verified
truth, and none can deny It," that "Senator Douo-
LAS Is in with the Northern party, the he
publcans Other newsmongers write in the same vein
Of our "litte giant" of the North West and the in
fuence of his present But we find going the
rounds q statement Of much greater Importance, IN
this view of matters than the loose assertions OF let
ter-writers. 1t is that BIGLER PuGH, BRIGHT FITCH
JONES, WRIGHT and THOMPSON, (eight Northern Dem
ocratc scnators) are with President BUCHANAN, and
in favor of receiving Kansas under the Lecompton
Constitution, while STUART and BRopERIcK are the
only two Democrats in the Senate known to be favora-
BILE to the course of DOUGLAS. The conclusion drawn
by the Augusta Constitutisnahst after looking over
the complexion of the entire body ia, that with all the
Republicans, oil the Know Nohiugs and every doubt
full Democrat thrown to the side of the opposition,
there will still be an Administration majority of two
in the Senate. But will, more probably reach six
| or seyen.
We have seen no computation of the kind made
with reference to tho other branch of Congress- but
trust it would exhibit similar result.
Mr.. DOUGLAS has spoken very vchemently, and
with considerable show of seemingly strong sugges-
tions against the Administrations course. But upon
careful perusal of his remarks, wo can but pro-
nounce them largely al captand"m. There is one
point especially upon which he very papaby uses the
sharp Of thousand strings. is, as to the abso-
Lutte necessity of submitting the whole constitution TO
tho people, if las allowed by the PresdenD there ras
good reason for submitting to them the slavery ques-
| ~
that the slavery question and its adjustment in the
territories formed the object and end Of the Kansas
Nebraska act The bill looked to this as the one grent
and only question which needed legislation. The re-
atons of "husbund and wife, guardian and ward,
"parent and child" were not once dreamed Of by its
trainers or supporters in the course Of its passage.
These are the universally recognized relations of mo-
| 1og;o nf nj
as exisant in Southern life has by no means the like
degree of recognition. II was to avoid further hoAe
issues in regard to it, in our own country and among
our own people, that the patriots of the North and
South combined to enact the Kansas Nebraska bills
II would have been utterly absurd to have set on foot
similar cnactmcnts upon the proper manner of deci-
ding whether those other relations Of parent and
child, &c. should become part of the "domcstic in
stitutions" of each new State We repeat they were
not thought of in connection with IBIS bill. Neither
was any other social relation whatever The doctrine
of popular sovereignty not promulgated anew, but
re-dccared for special purpose,-and that purpose
had reference alone ttre question of Afrcanslarc-
ry. 1t was intended to have no bearing upon any
other question of civil cxpcdicncy; neither upon cdu
ply to relieve the country from the great sectional
dispute. There has been difficulty in our territo-
ries upon any other question; there will be none.
But upon this it seems necessary that the people in
their sovereignty should expressly and through the
ballot-box, decide. And must think that Senator
DOUGLAS is stepping aside from the line Of manly
gumcnt when be thus ignores the speciality of the
slavery question in its connection with the Kunsns-
Nebraska act. Merely to show the ad eaptandum use
he makes Of this point, We quote n few sentences,
which bear the stamp, not only of demagoguci< but
as another has said Of "pucrility" Observe the de-
signed juxtaposition of the terms "white man" and
"black man," "freemen" and "slaves:"
"Sr, what would this boastel principle of popular
sovereignty have been worth, if applied only to the
negro, and did not extend to the white man? DO you
think could have aroused the sympathies and tho
patriotism of this broad Republic, and have carried
the presidential election last year i'll the face of rr
mendous opposition, the principle Of extending the
right of self government to the negro question, but
denying it as to all the relations affecting white men
No, sir. We aroused the patriotism of the country
anu carried the election in defence Of that great prn
! ciple which allowed nil white men to form ind regu-
ute their domestic institutions tu suit themselves-n-
stitutions applicable to white men s well rs to black
men-institutions applicable to frecmen cs we'll as
to suvcs-instutons concerning nil therclutions Of
life, and not the mere patry exception Of the slavery
| question. Sir, have spent too much strength and
brenth and health too, to establish this great rinci
pie in the popular heart now to see it rittcd away by
bringing it down to an exception that applies to the
negro and does not extend to the benefit of the white
man."
In NIL which the Senator would seem to be address
sing the mob instead of an enlightened Senate. For
who knows better than Mr.. DOUGLAS HIMSELF that the
abstract question of popular sovregnty, arithom IL
special bearing upon slarery in Kansas, would not
have been felt in the last Presidential canvass? Or
who doubts less than the Senator that the rights of
white men territories crcept az to STARE proper
tn were to the full rs before the Nebraska act
Us since?
There are other parts of Mr.. DOUGLASS speech in
which that distinguished gentleman appears in
forced and uneasy light. We did not however begin
this article with the intention of commenting upon
the soundness or unsoundness of his views but rather
to enter our in the general tone Of regret
and disapprobation which his remarkable and unc1-
pcctcd course has called forth in all parts of the coun
try The Kansas troubles were about to be turned
over to the people of the State Of Kansas The coun
try at large was about to be relieved from their voxa
tious consideration. And it oil proceeding in due
form of law; when the Senator from Illinois comes
furiousy on the stage and throws frcbrand among
the actors the flames of which may possibly spread
to the audience and forbid that the play be played out
Tho disappointment and provocation would not be so