The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1858-04-09
THE ~MoNTGoMERY AMENDMENT.9

TIE MONTGOMERY AMENDMENT"
The bin passed By The National House Of
Representatives admitting Kansas into the Union
with The Lscomplon Constitution, is an effectu-
al vindication of the wisdom and integrity of
PRESIDENT Buchanan from the vile and vehe-
meHt assaults Of his,,enemes. II is not only this,
bat il IS also an acknowledgment on the part
Of those who have SO strenuously opposed his
Kansas policy, that they we're not sincere when
they denounced the Lecompton Constitution as
':swinlli" and, BY implication, stigmatised the
pfe,lent as a "swindler.'' Whether Mr..
aiaNreomERy, when he offered his amendment
10 The Senate bill, designed TO draw such vim
dcation aud acknowledgment from those who
would give i, their support, we know not, but
this we do know, that he aud all the other Anti
Lecomptonites, whether Abolitionists, or Demo-
Gratis, who voted for that amendment, have most
emphaticallY rebuited the charge that PREsI-
DENT BUCHANAN intends to deal unfairly with
the people of Kansas. That amendment gives
the President more power over the affairs of
Kansas than he has ever had since the hour of
h:s inauguration. Indeed, it depriVes Congress
of all authority over its admission into the
Union and invests the President Thin who the
supporters of that amendment declared was the
advocate of fraud) with power to admit il by
his own individual act IF this is not an ad-
mission that Ma. BucuANAN is a wise and up
right man, nay that bis honesty and wisdom
are equal 10 the honesty and wisdom Of both
Houses Of Congress, then We don't know what
the word admission means.
| But this delegation to the President of the
I power TO admit Kansas into the Union, is
very Objectionable feature in MR. MoNTGoM-
ERYs amendment. The Federal Constitution
/ says, 'sNew States NAV be admitted BY the Con-
GREss into the Union" The Constitutional
authority is here given 10 Congress, not TO the
/ President. Hence Mr.. MoNTGoMERY's amend
ment is clearly in violation Of the Constitution,
and Congress would set a most dangerous prece-
| dent by adopting it. For, have we not had
evidence enough 10 convince US that there is a
political party even now in existence which
is DESTROYS Of eevatng men to the Presidency
who are ready and eager, for sectional purposes,
10 repudiqte the Constitution aItogether2 And
should it ever be the fate of this Union that
tha, party should succeed ia electing The Chief
! Magistrate OF the Nation, and should Congress
then follow the example of Mn. MONTGOMERY
and place the question whether certain terrific
ry should be admitted iato the Union, in that
mans hands for settlement, would there not be
great danger that such territory would be admit
ted with an anti-rrpa5li;an Constitution
But lhi, is not the only part of Mr.
MoyrGouEeY's bill to which we object. That
15-
ton, or rejection, and if it be rejected, authorize
the formation of new Constitution, the man
ner of forming which it prescribes. Now, il
the first place this would have the effect o
giving the Abolition ru uIians in Kansas tn
! opportunity to fight three or four years more
with one another and with the peaceful citizen
> ofthe Territory, about making Constitution
and would give the Aboitionists in the State
material Of which to manufacture sbeedins
Kansas" stories for he next Presidential cam
pagn, which is. exactly what those very palri.
otic gentlemen desire. In the second place, il
would not absolye the President from The care:
/ and responsibilities of maintaining the federal
! authority in Kansas until jim Lane and his as
socatc rebels would see iii that it should. The
Kansas difficulties would not Be- localized in the
Territory, bat would still exist as heretofore, the
United States h4ino rorl, m nm, g; T., ,.I ,bc
"People Of Kansas" on The other. III the third
place, this proposition involves violation o1
one Of the cardinal articles in the creed OF De-
Il mocracy, and is in direct contrayention Of one
ofthe provisions Of the Kansas-Nebraska Act
The latter declares thai he people of the terri
tories ''sbaI Be- leh p.rfrctly free to form their
own Institutions in thar owa ,gqy." Mr..
MoHTGoAERys amendment refuses this freedom,
and dictates 10 The people Of Kansas how they
shall form heir Constitution Therefore, we
are opposed 70 this bill, though we think its
passage by the House was as great a triumph for
Ma. BUCHANAN as il was ridiculous stultiica-
ton Of themselves by his enemies.
The State canals.
The bill proposing TO sell the State Canals 10
to the Sunbury and Erit Railroad Company,
passed The lower house OF the Legislature, on
the FIRST inst. We learn that it has been con-
siderably modified and that it is not SO objection
able as originally. Il will, doubtless, pass the
Senate, though, we think, by close vote.
Death &C A Distinguished Man