Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1858-03-25
The Present and Future.

history, nave tHciS DSSh SfShes eehonS
more rapidlyto a crisi thannow. While
there are someindications inspiring hope
for the future, there are others well calcu-
lated to excite apprehension. 1t is a
time when every citizen, who regards
the welfare of his country and the per-
petuity OF its institutions, can but feel
a more than usual interest; every days
event at our national capitol, will be
watched with intense solicitude. The
nearly equal balanced strength of the
present contending parties in Congress,
adds anxiety for the result. Every
days, advantage gained OF lost, sends
thrill of JOY or disappointment through
out the land. Never was there con-
test more earnestly waged, than that
nowsbetween Freedom and Slavery, and
which the admission of Kansas, under
the Lecompton constitution, is made
the issue.
There is no Disgusting the, fact; politi-
clans may equivocate as they will, there
is but one all absorbing question before
the country; all otherissues are insignifi-
cant compared with it; all other ques-
tons before our national Legislature,
are comparatively unimportant. The
north and the south, alike concede this
to be paramount to all other matters of
national interest. Nor is it reasonable
to suppose that agitation, will ever
cease and quiet prevail, SO long as these
two antagonisms exist in our nation;
the one must have the complete ascen-
dancy over the other, before there can
be any permanent peace. So intensi-
fed have these two opposites become
so determined for the mastery, it seems
hardly probable that any expedient or
compromise, can produce even tempo
rary quietude.
During the present session of Con-
gress some advantages have been gained
over the despotic tendencies of the gov
eminent: prominent among these, is
the defeat of the army bill. The his
tory of att n s in all ages, de-
monstrates that standing armies, are not
conducive to popular liberty, but always
the instruments which tyrants have en-
ployed for trampling on the rights of
the people. In this country the army
first began to be used by Franklin Pierce,
to crush out liberty; and President Blu
chanan has greatly improved upon this
fundamentally for subduing the peo-
pie of Kansas, under the false plea of
protecting popular sovereignty" In
a government like ours, where the con-
stitution gives the President the con-
troll ofthe army, the exercise of this pow
er, is likely to- become one Of the most
dangerous for the obstruction of our free
institutions, unless restrained by Con-
gress 1t may be, that some measure
for the increase Of the regular army
viii yet prevail before the adjournment
of Congress; if so, it will be signifi-
cant of evil, and a national calamity.
The admission of Minnesota, the re-
bellion in Utah, and many other mat
ters of public interest of like impOr-
lance, 20 which the attention of Con-
gress has been called, engross but a
small share of the attention of our ma
tional Legislature. Utah carrying out
the doctrine OF popular sovereignty"
glories in debauchery and bids defiance
to the government of the United States;
its people form their own domestic in
stitutions" on the Wanted democratic
principles of the Kansas Nebraska act,
and denythe tight of observation-disclosures.
Thus far the President has been so in
tent on enforcing the rule of border
ruffianism in Kansas with the army,
that he has had no force to spare
to subdue the rebellion in Utah.
What the finale will be, remains to be
seen.
1t is scarcely necessary to reiterate the
fact, that the agitation which now per-
vades Congress, and threatens the peace
Of the nation III respect to the affairs of
Kansas, is chargeable upon the demo-
cratic party. Had the barrier which
was set up against the introduction of
slavery into free territory nearly forty
wears ago, not been removed by the
party in power, no disturbances and diff
hculties on account of Slavery in Kan
SaS would ever have occurred. Kansas
would have come into the Union as
peaceably as did Illinois or Wisconsin.
Slavery was as effeetualy excluded from
Kansas, by the Compromise of 1920, as
it was from Illinois and Wisconsin by
the ordinance of 1881 But since this
great mischief has been done by the
so called national democracy, the only
alternative in the present exigency is,
to hold the administration to its profess
ed immaculate doctrine of popular
sovereignty. Were there virture and
honesty sufficient in the present admin
istration 10 carry out its principles, as
avowed before the people less than two
years ago, the difficulties in Kansas
might be brought TO a peaceful termina-
ton. But the power that controls the