The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-15

ha
i"0is unah 'hirty years the American people
rA'o Dsen aeepy agtated on the suojeotot slavery.
Duiins al uns periou OF excitement the quesnon
whleh mas divided the free and the slave States has
80" apon uho soSeiihien' Vi inc Puphc territories
hn0 Nor'i' mas sought tie intervention oil Congress
70 Proiipi' slavery 'heieln' Inc democratic party
naS hanIaineo that congress has no constitutional
au'nofiy over inc subject alleging that the people
henS1Nos' VI Inc place must decide the matter IN
INC" 0"n uiio anu way Inc most hefce ana tur-
ouhon' vi ai ouI controversies arose In Kansas, on
the principle oil seitgoyernment imbodied in Mr..
douglas is bill of 1854 The senator from Illinois has
not forgotten the events OF the election of 1885, and
the position of tho democratic party in that election
nor need we remind him that at the very first Con-
gress thereafter, the President his cabinet aud ff
teen-sxteenths OF the party in Congress- and nearly
every democratic organization throughout the coun-
try united in recommending the admission of Kansas
into the Union OF the basis of constitution adonted
by regular convention of the people duly author
lied by law. Mr.. Douglas ON that occasion.
without the slightest consultation with his partv
friends, and in direct and offensive opposition to their
views and convictions of duty, raised the standard
of rebellion in the Senate and went over with col
ors flying into tho opposition ranks lie maintained
the right OF Congress to supervise and oyerrue The
action of the people of Kansas. He would descend
with the abolitonsts into all the details of distant
| election. He declared even that anv constitution
adopted should be voted upon directly INV tbe neo.
ple though the latter, as in dozen States of the
Union, had decided otherwise. Tbs was non-;n
PREVENTION in the eyes of the senator from Illinois
who had pleaded years for the great princple that
the people of the place were the exclusive pdges &c
their own affairs, and who had denopuc1B the claim
| of Congress in such cases as utterly unconstitu
tional tA
In the nrooress Of the controvar., 70 nh;ob xo
alude Il became evident that Tho or,,,;n,, raoor,
ton constitution could not nass tho I, wor hr.noh &c
the national legislature In fact Il ..s defo,tod On
a direct vote having nrev;ous, n,s..d tba sanoto
| nv decided ,na;oritv va COW - ,,,,a aof,,t.a
not exactly so the coalition cot mn what il lnou,n
40 tbe Cr;ttandan ,,oendr,ent ,,b;l 49, s,,hat;.o
| far Tho san.to hin and ,,o.ao5 NJ no,,o,o H.,
| no,tad rya boliava ~, .n5,. III
Chicago. extols and endorses Il And what was Tho
| Crttondap amendmopt2 r. nronosoa tho odn,;s.;o,
| Of the Stata np5or tho Taco,o,t,n c,not;trt;on
which sbould ,o,vever bs reserred ~ Tho oo,Ia of
Kansas for tbe;r annroval or reiection and Il Tho
latter event nrovded that thew sbould frame new
constitution which also. sbould he submitted to The
peon,c and benp affirmed that Tho state sbop,a be
forthwith admitted into the Union under the nrocla
| nation of the President In other words. the Crit
tenden amendment conferred full authority mon tbe
| most ultra crazy abol;tionists in the copntrv to
frame State government with iust sucb c,auses
| in it's constitution as thew might insert--nul-
| fying the f,p;tive- save law or otberu,;sa and
| az rIacad tho rbola ro,+tor no ~ br;nc dat ro,
eminent into the Union. thus introducing into the
family of States an element of hostility which no
effort could have removed. The senator from Illi-
nois endorses the Crittcnden amendment He finds
| fault too with the English BILL which he condemns
while he upholds and applauds the measure of ptra
| uegroism of the senator from Kentucky.
Such we understand TO be the attitude of the Hon.
| s. A. Douglas at the present moment. whether he
acting with reference to special nteresta at home
| or not we do not care to INQUIRE Our democ
racy runs deeper than the shallow current which is
lust sufficient to bear up the party in one State and
it is too lust to admit that the capriciousness Of
Illinois politicians may of right trampe under foot
the express will of all the rest of the Union But
l IL