The Washington union., 1858-03-09

thus invited division in the ranks of his party by
making war on a measure which has now become its
established policy When the senatorial leader Of
the Nebraska fight in 1854, and the defender
since of the territorial government of Kansas, WAS
heard denouncng the whole Leeompton movement
fraud. and thus usiifyng the position against il
OF the Topekaites no wonder that the followers of
Lane took courage. and endeavored by protests and
denuncations and acts Of crime to strengthen his
hands for tho accomplishment of their ayoritc
policy. 1t was piece of good fortune which they
hardly anticipated and their efforts had been more
successful than they had dared to hope. IL Walker
and Douglas and Stanton had joined then, in their
war Iecompton, either from deusion, or disap
poinmen. ambition, why might they not expect
| by playing on their game with renewed boldness and
vigor, to defeat Lecompton and have Kansas again
on hand still torn and bleeding, for the campaign of
go! If the very who recommended John Cal
houn for appointment TO his present office. and
vouched in the strongest terms for his character and
fidelity was now suddenly penetrated with belief
that he fit only for treason siratagems aud spos
| why might not others who never recommended him,
accord with this opinion and share the belief
No wonder that all the rebeldom Of Kansas breathed
freer and deeper when they read the speech Of their
new ally, and the eagerncss with which he
| courted controversy in their defence Nothing but
| the firm tone and wise counsels OF the President,
| sustained he in the beginning by his whole
cabinet and large majority Of Congress- prevented,
in our Judgment, new and outbreaks in Kan
sas and new and agitation in the States, thaN
the country had Witnessed even in the fall Of sc.
| We question no mans motives We sit in judy
m,nt on no mans conscience. We only take facts
AS we find them and endcavor to place the RESPONSE
bility of this Kansas transaction exactly wheret be-
longs. The elements ofmischicfwere abundant enough
| in Kansas, every understands, both when
| the Lecompton convention met aud when it ad-
ourned But we ask our readers, in all candor and
sincerity, to determine for themselves whether, if
Walker had remained at his post (evcn protected by
the profcred escort of Lawrence guard and
Stanton had not been frightened into calling
ira session of the legislature and Douglas had not
spoken comfort to the Topekaites from the Senate
chamber, and Forney had not pledged them the de-
themselves, thank God at lIarrsburg,) we say if
the Kansas agitators had been deprived Of these
aids, we ask readers whether the I.ecompton
| movement would not have advanced with peaceful
| success and the elections under it been conducted
without serious opposition, and contested by all or
nearly all. the voters of the Territory 1t is idle
to meet this inquiry with assertions OF wrong
in the constitution, because every body knows
that the constitution not objected to for what it
was but because it not made by different hands,
or submitted to the people in different way. The
question of slavery given to the fnll control of
the inhabitants ndapart from that, what complaint
is made of the Lecompton constitution? Whose
lfe or liberty property would be insecure under
| it? What is there in it to justify resistance
citement or civil WARP Nothing the face of this
earth And it is Of the greatest marvels Of pol
tcs that in the absence of any real tangible, prac-
teal wrong to be redressed, such men Walker,
Douglas, Stanton, and Forney, 1--WE omit Governor
Wise because he came very late into the field, and
as to Bancroft that reverend spccuator in politics
only vcntured out from his retreat just in time to
| be blown back by the whirlwind of the New York
reacon) we say it is great marvel that these men,
who resisted manfuly the Kansas agitators of 1856,
and denounced them as traitors to their country,
should have been found in little more than year
afterwards giving them aid and comfort and strength
cning their hands for a new career of mischief.
Happily as we believe the danger is now nearly
| over. The sober second thought has done its work
among the people of the States and We hear from
Kansas the gratifying that large part of
! the republicans there anxious to into the
Union with the Lecompton constitution, and are
willing to the affairs of Kansas ntrusted fully to
the care of Kansas. Nothing remains but that
Congress should act and then the public business,
80 long interrupted by the Kansas disturbance, may
once more be resumed, and the Territory itself par
tcipate in the common prosperity of the country.
TnE PHuApKIPHIA PREss DEMOCRACY
PENNsYLvANIA.Ihs Press has at length heard of the
proceedings of the Harrisburg convention and in
spite Of its devotion to the will of the majority goes
with the minority. The minority, it will be recol-
ected upon the resolutions endorsing the admins
/ tration, refused to vote. Perhaps it too much
to expect the Press to abandon the non-votng policy
and non-yong men, after its abors of the last three
months in support of the system of tactics and
the same kind Of men in and out of Kansas. 1t is
due to the Press that should say that it regrets
| the resolutions of the convention with premedated
disdain The Press also speaks in detail Of num-
| ber Of gentlemen of the convention who We're sud
| denly converted from anti to Lccomptontcs From