The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-31

in the message Pass law for the conversion of the Ter
ritoy into State and you say at to the dangerous
and conflicting elements Peace bestill The storm will
be hushd the institutions of the country whether do
mestic political will be regulated by the people of the
country, and but few brief months will pass away be-
fore peace and quiet will be restored and this alarming
contest remembered only for the lesson of fobeance it
would ncucate This is precisely the view taken of the
subject by the President and trust gentlemen do not
doubt indeed that the view will be taken by the
patriotic citizens to be assembled within sight of the Hall
of Independence to deliberate upon the condition OF the
country and pass Judgment upon the course of the
Chief Magistrate ID .l. . . ... .#
am gentlemen with great respect, your obedient
want, ,. .,. ......, . LEWIS CAsS.
10 GEORGE Pitt, Esq, and Others, Committee
~, .. "a Letter from The Hon. HqarA Cobb. .s.a,
5a B h.EWn WASHINGTON CRY, Dec. 26, 1857.
GENTLEN Iregret that it will not be in my power to
be present at your proposed meeting Monday next 1t
would give me sincere pleasure to unite with you in
dorsng the message of the President, and Especially
that part Of it recommending the speedy admission of
Kansas State, under constitution formed in prsu-
of lawful authority" You have rightly construed
the message The policy of the administration in regard
to Kansas is the legitimate result of the principles upon
which Mr.. Buchanan elected In recognising the le
gality of the Lecompton convention and recommending
the admission of Kansas as q State into the Union in
conformity to the action of that convention the President
has given to the country the of his wisc and
fixed purpose to carry out in good faith the great prnci-
pie Incorporated into the Kansas bill Of allowing the pco
pie of Kansas to decide the question of slavery for them
selves and in their way He has carefully abstaned
from the exercise of amy influence either directly indi
rectly to make Kansas free slave State his whole
policy has been characterized with desire to
leave the people thereof perfectly free to form their
domestic institutions in their own way" You meet to
respond to and endorse this policy and in doing you
only reterato the principles of tho democratic party
contained in the Nebraska Kansas BILL affirmed in the
Cincinnati platform, and everywhere maintained by the
democracy Of the Union
he of isSllps
Political parties and public have fallen in the
test They found une to the OCCASION and have
passed away to make for other organizations and
other The democratic party alone has stood firm
and unhamed amidst the general wreck The reason is
simple it is suggestive In the first hour of the
test announced the principles upon which party
Stood and adhcg to them in every phase of the cues
tion our progress has been steady ultimate tri
unph certain The disturbing cause the ques-
ton Of slavery in Kansas Apart from this there
difficulty and no excitement. The principle adopted by
the democratic party was to let the people of Kansas de-
eide it for themselves and in their way This
manestly Just and right that it commanded the
confidence of the country and Mr. Buchanan elected
to the presidency to carry it out in good faith Among
the many issues made by the opposition was the question:
Glow is the viii of the majority in Kansas to be ascer
tanned The position Of tho democratic party has been
from the beginning that the people of Kansas must make
known their win in the mode and manner prescribed by
law. How else could 1t be ascertainedf The argument
was irresistible and the opposition vainly struggled to
excite the public mind of the country against principle
clear and indeed essential to the very existence of
government, The democratic party recognised the legal
ity of the territorial legislature in Kansas The oppos
ton declared against it the ground that it violated
the will of the majority The Issue was made before
the country and the people decided in the election of
Mr. Buchanan in favor of the democratic party and the
law At every stage of the Kansas question this issue has
arrived and just often it has been presented has the
democratic party taken its position the side of the law
Upon this rock it has placed itself and all the storms of
black rcpublicansm have failed to prevail against it,
n1p AZ
rebellion by false appeal to great principle which
they vany sought to prostitute to their unhoy purposes
Their contempt for the will of the majority only
equaed by their disregard of the law With all their
professions this subject they refuse to vote when
the opportunity is fully and ay presented Of ascertain
ing the real will of the majority in accordance with the
provisions of law No settlement of the question is
cepabe to them unless it is made in defiance of law and
at the cost of anarchy and boodsed The pretex has
been spuned when resorted to by Them and it certainly
derives additional strength from the fact That it has
found advocates and defenders. 8 d. ..lHHe.. I,
The territorial legislature of Kansas thus recognised 10y
the democratic party submitted TO the people the ques
ton Shall there he convention TO form State cons
utionH The people at the polls decided that such
vention should be called In conformity to their decis
ion the legislature called the convention and the dele
gates elected in accordance with thu provisions of
awthe opposition declaring at each step that the will
of the majority disregarded, and the democratic
party adherng firmly to its first imprcgnable position of
standing by the law The Lccompton convention has
pie the slavery clause The opposition renew the old
clamor about the will of the majority which is again
responded to by the democratic party by holding UP the
constitution and the law Whatever there may have been
in this preext heretofore the action of the Ieoompton
constitution in submitting the slavery question TO vote
of all the bona @ inhabitants of the Territory has swept
from the opposition the last vestge for complaint The
opportunity was presented the 2ls inst TO all tho
bona inhabitants Of Kansas of deciding for themselves
whether Kansas should be a free slave State If the
black republicans of Kansas refuse to VOTE and seek by
all the means in their power to prevent others from
voting in order TO keep up the Of violence and
bloodshed which have long destroyed the peace and
quiet of that Territory 1t constitutes good why
the democratic party should abandon its principles and
unite with its enemies in dsregariing the law The law
will in the mode prescribed by the laws Of the country
Those who Iample upon the law and spurn its obigae
tons do not deserve either 10 be heard respected
This brief review Of the Kansas question shows that
are meeting old issue though to extent in