The Washington union., 1858-03-10


semicrcle Beyond it, and futhcSt from the river ans
several hills Of considerable height BIuerJacket Hil
spiked and scarped on the side whence oEt Cough at
tackled the Cough Fort, mounted with ~ guns and
iust inside the wall the Magazine li also mounted with
guns which command all the other positions. To these
hills of the river extend, protecting the city on
two sides Towards the river self is the most crowded
part of Canton the city suburb inhabited by pop
ulaton Just inside the river wall is leh's ''yamum
and higher up the river to the west OF the city, the
ruined space where stood the European factories
On Christmas day the last of the forces up. On
the 24th appeared general order announcing the
mencement of operations Notice was sent to the gov
ernor that the bonbardment would begin in forty,ght
hours. This term would expire on Saturday night but
il determined to give the Chinese another day of
grace and begin the fire Monday morning. On Mon
day morning then the 28th of December and at the
dawn OF day the fire began slowly and regularly For
hours the squadron continued their lesiurely 6rc but
there sign of Welding About midday the de-
baIcation of the land force began The landing plaoa
was Kuper creek 10 the cast of the city The object
first fort called Lin fort, ON the cast and
then the hill defenoes to the north OF the city The force
divided into four divisions Three were IN advance
The right brigade was English sailors the centre
made up of the 59th regiment artillery sappes and
marines and TO the LETT the French, 900 strong
The fourth division composed entirely of marines,
the reserve commanded by Colonel Holloway.
Darkness put an end TO the operations OF the 2stb and
during the night the effects Of the c In tho
blazing houses throughout the city The destruction at
certain points Ia have been very great but 1t il
perisbed On the 10th the assault the bin defence
was made At eight clock the five stored pagoda
carried by the bnyonet the Magazine hill was taken
after and Coughs fort was In our possession before the
day
The mail left ON the Joth aud thus have no iutell
gence as to the conclusion of the affair II csnnot be
doubted, however that few days later Canton must
have been In the hands OF the ailane Their position
was in fact such that they could entirely destroy the
city, should its rulers inhabitants continue obstinate
Indeed the place which enough to defend In
the first instance against an enemy, becomes untcnabie
when he has made good his ground ut certain points
The English and French have undstuIbcd posscssion Of
Iona the south Of the Canton river, and their squad
occupy the river itself and able TO send shells
entirely the city far the hill forts On the 18th
Of December the fire to have been rudiously
pressed SO as not to inure the place than
cessary insure compliance but the force In the river
evidently powerful enough 70 destroy the city n few
days. for the 'yamum' and most Of the public build.
ns the river and exposed to the full IRE OF the
fleets Furthermore, the whole east and month Of tho
city was commanded by troops. Less than threc
thousand men bad landed the Monday, taken Lin's
Fort, which commands the place from the east ana the
next day had captured the whole Of the hill forts to tho
north These situated exactly the opposite side Of
the river and consequently Canton s between two
fires and at the mercy OF the conqueros
From the New York Herald
THE LECoMPToN CONSTITUTION. THE Duty OF
CONGRESS-
The bill for the admission of Kansas under the Lecomp
ton constitution is fairly before the Senate IN con-
xon with the State Of Minnesota and II must now
be manifest to every dispassonate mind that A. s the mt
duty the Senate and OF the House to pass thls measure
as speedily possible The conservative masses of the
people of all sections anxious for and our CON-
mercal aud sness classes Of all kinds desire above all
things that this embarrassing sectional agitation About
Kansas and nigsers shall c brought to nm end.
The admission of Kansas under the Lccompton const
tuition conformity with the admission Of Minnesota, will
settle the question Mr. Senator Pngh OF Ohio has given
| W .,A,, ty..f thr .ln ~
Kansas may alter abolish their form of government IN
such manner they may think proper SO that u I've re-
publican and in accordance with the constitution oI The
United States The object OF this proyso Is to remove
whatever objections may exist to that provision Of the
ecompton constitutional schedule which prcclucs any
amendment of said constitution until tho year 1864 But
although the President in his Kansas message has sug-
gested some such proyiso there Is in reality nccy
for IT, 1t give power to the people of Kansas
which they do not already possc and the simple act OF
admission under the Lecompom programme can take no
right of popular sovereignty Upon its tace the
1864 clause in the Lecompton schedule IL dead letter.
for if the convention could interict any amendment Of
their constitution till the year 1861, what was 70 prevent
them from extending their ntcrdct to the year 1914
! 's4 or '94!
Next in regard 10 the extensive catalogue of
election frauds syndlng tricks forgcrie and peuries
charged against John Calhoun and his assooiaes in the
work Of this Iccompton constitution Admit them OIL
and the paramount facts still remain that his convention
legal body legally elected by legal voters possess
ed of the legal authority TO form State constitution aud
that its ratification with slavery the 2st December
the legal consummation of the work Our attention
is called to the remarkable ineision Of John C
houn in the organic State Legislature unde
the Iecompton programme Some Of the southern ultras
say that appeal from the President he has agreed to
the administration and its party in the North ny
giving the said Legislature to the State party while
on the other hand black republican wisacres declare
that in spite of the discovery Of the Delaware Crossing
election returns in the candle box under the woodpe
and in spite of the sworn testimony Of the election
Judges in othcr cases. Calhoun will still decree
pro slavery legislature in order get himself elected to
| the United States Senate
But what has all this to do with the question before
Congress- which is the admission of Kansas under the
Iecomptn constitution The State Legislature Of Kansas
is certainly affair beyond the jurisdiction Of Congress
But supposng that Calhoun, with the admission Of Kun
sas should give his certificates of election in behalf of
pro-savery legislature and that hc should thus nm
election the United States Senate how long would he
remain there il the facts in the be they repre-
sented With his admission into the Senate the legality
Of his election would certainly and properly before
that body and the question would inevitably involve
full invc tigation Of ali the facts in the Is it likely
that he his pakars would dare to confront the coD
sequences if he and they be the guilty election foge's
and swindles they represented TO be by his enemies
Surely not At all events. his decision, pro slavery or
slavery in reference to the organic State legislature
has nothing whatever to do with the question before
Congress. ta
Admit Kansas as a sovereign State under the Lccomp
ton constitution, and all these alleged election frauds,
forgcries and swindcs and all this trouble among the
sectional nlts regarding Calhouns organization Of the
Kansas State legislature will be speedily and quietly set
tei by the people of Kansas themselves and before the
expiration six months Kansas with the consent Of oil
sections will I've in full blast free State. On the