Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1858-02-13

other day, ITO votes were cast against thu
Lecompton constitution.
Mr.. Douglas inquired when the Senator pro
cured the information that 100 votes were
cast there in January. That VIVA the very
thing he wanted. He wished to test it,
accuracy.
MIR. Bigler replied, on the one hand, be
read from certified returns, made out at the
Executive Department, and on the other, the
returns from the Presidents Of the respective
Houses of the Legislature.
Mr.. Collamer inquired whether Mr.. Bigler
was aware that, at the October election. six
months residence was required, but at that
in January, when the constitution was voted
or, no particular time was necessary.
Mr.. Bigler said it was bis deliberate judg-
ment, that the population of Shawnee was
less in January than in October.
Mr. Hunter said he was willing that the
question in reference shall be taken on NJ Mon-
day, to which time the Senate adjourned.
TIE Kansas Question IN the Senate.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6,
SENATE.
Mr.. Fessenden, in his comments on the
Presidents Message, said it was drawn with
care aud design, and was intended as an ar
gumert to the country to affect their minds
in reference TO this great question.
| He thought it not unimportant therefore,
that the views of those who differ from the
| President should be expressed to some ex-
| tent that the country may understand that
while the officer highest in position entertain
ed certain opinions those who are in q less
degree the representatives Of the people, en-
| tertain different opinions take different view
OF the facts, and have something TO say in de.
| fence Of .heir views.
| In undertaking to perform his constitution
al duty ofgiviug Congress information from
| time. to time OF the state Of the Union, the
| President should take care TO communicate,
absolute verify at any rate be should hot
| set at defiance known and admitted facts and
make an argument oil on one side, and ignor-
| ing everything Oh the other. He was obli-
ged ,e say that the President had been guilty
| III his message of not only ignoring oil well
known facts, but of stating things which he
| must have known, if he had examined the
documents, could not be true, What excuse
the President might have for that it was not
for him MIR. Fessenden) to say. The tone
| OF the message Of Chief Magistrate of the
Union should be dgnified and impartial. 1t
should not.be denunciatory; but yet from be.
guning to end, in this message from the
President, denunciation, in strong language,
Of what he admits to be majority of the peo.
pie Of the territory, is INDUCED in because he
| alleges that, unless be keeps the troops, they
have the power, as well as the will to over
throw the government. At the same time,
the President has not word to say in con.
demnation, but rather speaks in implied ap-
probation, of all that has taken place in Kar.
sas in opposition to the efforts of the people
of the territory to obtain a free State consti.
| tion. Such language he deemed unworthy
| th, inpumhraDt of tha praeidap,iol ol.;r 4.
was u little singular, too that he has no sym-
pathy with tie free State people of Kansas,
| when we remember that he was born in a
| free State and had seen it grow up to be one
OF the finest in the Union, and also in
! wealth and in power, simply in consequence
! OF her free institutions. But in the
! message we sec net one word except
Of denunCiation of those who arc undertaking
to introduce the blessings of free State gov.
ernment in Kansas. On the contrary ho
speaks with exultaton when he says that
Kansas is now as much slave State as
Georgia or South Carolina and seems to re.
joce thinking that it is bound in henceforward
and for ever to the car OF slavery.
| For some reason or other he has chosen to
! forget the land Of his birth, aud treats the
question as one Of great Importance to the
slve States, but as of no consequence at oil
te the free States. If it was of consequence
to nine millions Of people South, was it not
more consequence to the seventeen millions
| North? But the President does not think
so. All his sympathies are for the South and
none for the North. The President thinks
that difficulties must arise if Congress refuse
to admit Kansas under the Lecompton con-
sttution warns US that the people Of the slave
States would be excited and not submit to il
and THEREFORE, he counseis the people of the
| free States to yield. lie (Mr. Fessendep)
would have expected the President n stating
the danger of excitement to warn the people
of the South as well as the North, against
| dsobeying the laws Of tie country. Congress
was the proper tribunal to settle this ques-
tion and if Congress thinks proper to settle
It adyersely.to the views Of the President,
he wanted to know why the President should
not counsel the people Of the slave States to
submit to the will of the majority.
Mr. Davis, Of Mississippi, also heartily con.
Cured in the views expressed in the message
1t breathed the sentiments of patriot. Its
principles stood out in bold relief in contrast
with the views proclaimed by the Senator
from Maine. That Senator had ayowed dis
union sentiments From the tone of the de-
bate INDUCED in on the other side, a stranger
not knowing the character Of this assemblage
might on entering the Senate suppose he saw
the representatives Of bel.igerent States, or
| States preparing to make war on one anoth.
er.
The North have commenced this political
war aud the South are acting entirely on the
| defensive. There were questions sprung
to-day which require to be met and answered
and therefore he would reply to tue Senator
from Maine on some other occasion.
Mr.. FesseDden did not recognize the authority