Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-03-15

spe,c n or Mr. Hunter, OF Va, on kansas
In the Senate on Friday, Mr.. Hunter, IN
brief but lucid arsumeGt, discussed the
merits OF the pending question in connex''n
with the general relations and destroy OF
slavery. He acknow lodged that the SUBJECT
was ensironed with ificultie'-Shich, how
ever, were greatly exaggerated by the spirit
of party, from which they sPrang. After
presenting rapid summary OF the events
VIII CD had resulted in the formation Of the
Lecompton Constitution, he alluded t the
fact that its recognition Was opposed ny t~o
classes Of directors, OF whom tie ope deny
TIE legality OF all the Steps which had led T.
its formation, while tle other question It's
valid ty 90 the ground that Il had not been
framed under the sanction OF an enaoiihg
act aud bad not beea submitted to popular
ratification 10 lis entirety.
To the first of these classes he replied by
a-cui 80 that even it it we're trne that Nils
slurlans had usurped the fret Legislature ol
Kansas, it would stll remain an .ucOhtesu
ble fact that the govern nent thus es'aoiisl-
ed was the only one under which the people
IF nat Territory bad been organized a
political cJmmuui;y, AID therefore was at
least n government dc tactO, entitled to re-
C COTTON by Congress aud Competent t. as
sumo tie authority With which II vas laVes-
ted by the organic act. Ii any OF the people
of Kansas refused to exercise the right oil
suffrage under this government, they we're
nJne the less bound by those who Sote1.
10 the second class of directors he repIlel
by denylog the ne ;esSIty or even expectancy
Of enauliuy acts, whose only eli ct was TO
. edge ~ advance tie assent OF Congress to
the admission Of Stale. Tue argument d.
rect-d against the L9cUmptjn Constitution
on the ground that 1t had not been rattle
w the people 10 mass, PROCEEDED upon ne
CATION OF toe primer les OF represent stSe 20
yernmeut, and it carried out 70 lis legitimate
Consequences would be "a lmprhcuc III
fat a. 1t was uusuund III theory. lie thought
that tue cote On tho Constitution, ~ anthoTi
zei to be held by the Territorial Legislature,
and at WHICH it was SAID that more than tea
thousand votes had been poiied against it,
formed 10 proper element III the present ar
gument. The Legislature had no legal au-
thorlty to pass sucu al act, which was an
encroachmeut 40 the prUVluce vi the COnven
tim. Ii still 1t be SAID that this vote offers
strong presumption agalDa: the ac:epta0ll-
ity of the LecOmFt III instrument, 1t remains
10 add tGat such q prtsuml ton Is set OFT oy
tie legal presumption which is IN favor OF
the Constitution IN IT. pres 1nt shape. " nat
is the iut.rpretatrOn Of that vote, admitting
all that is claimed for 1t! Nothing more
than this--tbat ten thousand men ask Con
gres4 to intervene in the affairs o. Kansas
for the sake Of repairing tie disorders HhicA
they then selves caused by voluntarily rcius
ing t. vote uutll it was too late u cast their
ballots on the qucsti ~ az issue. Such Il de-
claratiOn had little claim u be regarded a a
plea 10 equity any more than 10 law; Tor u
would appear that these men had refused u
vote with retereuCe TO the lnteTe.tI u Nan
sas, and had only voted when their ballots
mi IN, serve to furnish fresh fuel To Iced the
excitement created by the k Snsas quarrel.
Bot, even If i maj ,riry be opposed to the
Lee mn ton Constitution, the wroog done
that MAJOR ty by the admiss n o: Kansas
viii bring with it sTc dy remedy in the
power with which it will invest them to abJ-
lsh slavery either by emancipation, w!th
compensation to the owners Of slaves, or by
. Tue IOTmitiOn OF Le" COhSH'u lou'
Mr. llunier then proceeded to review a
portion Of the argument Lately made by Mr..
Seward on the bic toricaI and constitutional
relations Of slavery. lie believed that the
public sentiment OF the civilized world was
growing daily more just to the South aud lis
peculiar institution. He did not douht tat
i, was the destiny OF the white man t. hold
the American continent, but he would hold
1t as the master, and would keep inIeTlor
races 10 their due suborinatIun. In this
way ouly could tue great mission OF Young
America be fulfilled, and he regretted THAI
at this stirring period in human history, the
Congress OF the United States shOuId be en-
crossed by petty inquiry into the result OF
kansae.