The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-05-20

fully, elcquently, and cogently presented than
by the Republican members of Congress.
Under every aspect, moral, poli6eal, social,
economical-as question of political power,
of constitutional law, Of ethics-in its relations
to masters and slaves, States and Territories,
North and South, the United States and the civil
lied world-the Question has been treated with
ability and boldaess. Trne, it has not been
dealt with in the language of the pulpit or
presbytery. Politicians are not preachers,
Statesmen are not ecclesiastical doctors !; and
yet they may love Justice and labor for Human
ity just e. we'll; may be % sincere advocates
of the Rights of Man, as if they should substi.
tute for the language of the People the set
phrases of the Clergy.
As to the special treatment of this Kansas
Question, they have aimed, first, to keep Sla.
very out of the Territory, secondly, to protect
the People against oppression. 1t is not true
that they have lost sight of the irst object, in
their attention to the second. Both were and
are inseparable. To prevent the oppression
of the white man in Kansas, is to prevent the
enslavement of the black man; for it was
found impossible to establish Slavery in the
Territory, without subverting the rights of the
white man. Now, are we to overlook the fraud
and violence towards the white people of Kan
sas, lest we be suspected of indifference on the
question of Slavery, and this, too, when these
very wrongs to the white man have been COM
mitted for the sake of extending Negro Slavery
Despotism is hateful whoever may be the
victims. Villanies and frauds, like those per-
petrated in Kansas, will excite indignation
will be and ought TO be exposed and dwelt
upon, until retribution evertake the evil
doors. The right of selfgovernment, stricken
down in Kansas by an INSCRIPTIONS Admins
tration, ought to be restored and upheld. Is it
crime in the Republican Party to take this
ground? Because it has labored to do justice
to the white People of Kansas, must it be
charged with unmitigated selfshness, and de-
nounced as having ceased to labor to prevent
the establishment of the Slavery of the black
man?
DIR. Cheever cannot produce a resolve from
any Republican Convention, sentence from
the speech of any Republican Congressman, q
single act Of the Republican Party, to juetify
his inconsiderate invective.
In House where it had simply plurality,
not . majority, it succeeded in electing
Speaker, representing distinctly the Policy of
Freedom to Kansas, and Freedom to all the
Territories. 1t voted repeatedly to bring Kan
sas into the Union as free State; against all
attempts to authorize the formation of State
Constitution under such circumstances as would
hazard the fate of Liberty and it secured a
Commission for investigating and bringing to
light the atrocities which had been committed
in the attempt to plant Slavery in the new Ter
ritory. By its efforts, throughout the country
and in Kansas, it has succeeded, so far, in de-
featiDg the scheme of Slavery-propsgandists,
and practically preventing the extension of Sla.
very.
Can it be that the key to this clerical invec-
tive is to be found in the vote of the Republi-
cans for the Crittenden. Montgomery amend
ment? All says the orator-it was not Sla-
very-it was not the attempt to plant the sys-
tenn in Kansas-it was not the assertion of the
right of property in msn-it was not the attempt
10 perpetuate the monstrous crime for all time,
that provoked your wrath, aroused and stead
led your opposition; it was simply because all
this villainy was attempted in disregard of the
rights of the People of Kansas. If they would
sanction it. well and good-it would all be right.
So, you voted for the Crittenden Montgomery
amendment, for the purpose of allowing them
10 sanction or reject the villany, just az they
might please. " " on admitted that the right to
enslave is an elementary, native, intrinsic right
Of popular sovereignty" That was all
objectionable misrepresentation In no In
stance have the Republicans relaxed their op.
position to Slavery in Kansas. Their uninter-
mitted struggle has been to prevent its estab-
lishment. They fought the bill to admit Kan
sas under the slave Constitution of Lecompton,
because it recognised Slavery, because it recog.
Rised it in most revolving style, because it was
q spurious Constitution, and because it was
against the will and in disregard of the rights of
the large majority of its People. 1t was not
only the manner of forming and adopting the
Constitution, as DR.. Cheever assumes, but the
abominable thing itself, that provoked their
wrath and steadied their opposition. To man,
they spoke and voted against it in the Senate
to man, they voted against it in the House.
their whole vote, 80, being recorded for its re-
lection. Failing in this, knowing absolutely
that on direct vote, the bill would pass the
House, they saw one mode, and only one, 'of de-
feating 1.-THE Crittenden Montgomery amend
ment, which proposed to admit Kansas into the
Union, with the Lecompton Constitution, pro-
vided the People, on fair vote, should adopt
1t, or should they reject, to enable them to form
another Constitution. There were twenty-eight
members of the House, not Republicans, some
of whom had no objection to the introduction of
Slavery into Kansas, provided the People were in
favor oft, but who believed that the Constitution
was the offspring of fraud, was not their voice,
and ought to be submitted to them: and some
OF whom, while hostile to Slavery, still main
tain that the right of People forming State
Constitution to adopt or reject il, ought not to
be questioned: these, too, holding that the in.
strurent was one of fraud, and had been adopt.
ed in disregard of the will of the People, de.
manded its submission to fair vote. The Re.
publicans, not agreeing with either class, in re.
spect to the power of Congress over Slavery,
not admitting that it was right for any Terri
tory to establish the system, whether in Terrific.
rial condition, or when forming State Consti.
tuition, still agreed with them that the Constitu.
ton was fraud, and was adverse to the viii of