Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-04-01
From Washington.
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, March 23, 1858.


will have already noticed that it's supporters
materially changed their tactics again to-day,
abandoning all together their proposition to
yoke Minnesota and Kansas together in one
bill, and conining the measure to the simple
purpose of admitting Kansas into the Union,
and extending all applicable laws of the UNI
ted States over her. This was done IL conSe-
quence Of caucus consultation had this morn
Ing, before the meeting of the Senate. 1t Is
another indication of the alarm which recent
developments have excited, lest the pertina-
cously maintained Lecompton swindle shall
be defeated at last.
Another significant fact was the action of
the caucus, agreeing to adopt PUGH's amend
ment, though in modified form, inferring but
not avowing it as the opinion of Congress,
that the people of Kansas have the right to
change their constitution at any time. This
amendment, as adopted, in reality means moth
ing, and no more effect than though it was
not in the BILL Still it was offensive to South
ern men, who fear it may be made the basis,
by the Free-State men, for some future sup
port of their right to override the provision of
he Kansas Constitution, which implies that
that instrument shall not be amended until
after the year 1864. Its insertion would have
been seriously resisted by Southern men, were
it not considered a sort of desperate remedy
to save the bill from certain destruction |
much mistake if this remedy does not yet
prove itself worse than the disease. Mr.. lvER
SON, of Georgia, could not quite smother his
wrath over it to-day and in the other House
where the men to be controlled and whipped in
are 80 much more numerous, the task will be
found very serious
The Senator from Georgia aforesaid, did
not refrain from the denunciation OF JOHN
CALHOUN, which most of his Southern col
leagues share. He denounced, in vehement
terms, his course in declaring Free-State
Legislature, elected in Kansas and came near
letting dangerous cat ont Of the bag, by
stating incidentally (and accidentally, too, ]
should judge) that CALHoCN's recent manifes
to was the result of the bad advice of South
ern men, CALHOUN evidently has some scheme
Of trickery in hand, which the " Southern
men" aforesaid believe will be successful, but
which Mr.. IvERsoN fears will be a more dan
geronS weapon at the breech than at the muz-
zle Mr.. WADE, of Ohio, asked him quietly
if he understood him Alright, and whether he
meant to say that Southern men had advised
CALHOUN to his recent course 1vERsoN saw
at once that he had heen imprudent and ac
cordingly he covered his own retreat by deny
ing the right of Mr.. WADE to catechse him.
Mr. DOUGLAS, in his speech of last evening,
undoubtedly exposed the scheme of tIickery
which IvERsoN refused to sinmask and it is
of piece with the entire history OF the swim
die of which it is one of the latest phases
Mr.. DOUGLAS showed concusively that Mr..
CALHOUN being absent from the Territory,
had no more right to decide upon the returns
of election or issue certificates thereupOn than
had any Senator in Congress, because the X an
sas Convention has provided that this duty, in
the absence of the President of that body,
should be performed by the President pro tenn.
or in the absence of the latter, by the Com
mittec of Seven The trick is perfectly tran
sparent CALHOUN has not issued certificates
TO the Free-State Legislature, but only declar
ed that he trW do so. This it was quite safe for
Southern men to advise him to do-now that a
vote or two is Of SO much Importance in the
Iouse-for, having no power whatever in the
premises his act would have no validity what
ever had he even issued the certificates instead
of having merely promised to do So Is it pos
sible that any Northern Representative can
be deceived by such transparent charlatanry !?
or can hope to satisfy his constituents of his
common sense or INTEGRITY if he swallows the
bait thus set for him
There is nothing new to be said about the
question in the other House The bill will
probably be taken up there at once, upon a
motion to refer to the Select Committee, with
instructions compelling an Investigation to as
certain beyond all doubt whether there is a
shadow Of reason for supposing the Lecomp-
ton Constitution to be either technically or in
fact an embodiment of the will of the people
of Kansas This will be test vote, e,-and if
the Douglas Democrats are true to their col
ors the motion for a reference will be success
full There is no longer any disposition in the
House to delay the final action upon the bill,
and if the reference is ordered and the Com
mittee enlarged in such way as to give the
friends of investigation its CONTROL report
will be made promptly as possible, with a
view to disposing Of the question in order
that other business may be reached.
WASHINGTON, Thursday March IS, 1853.
The Kansas campaign of the Federal Capt.
tai is nearly over. On Thursday OF next week
the vote will probably be taken in the House,
and thus this long pending and agitating ques-
tion will be disposed of in it's present phase.
As telegraphed you tonight, the opponents
OF Lecompton count upon majority OF seven
in favor of amending the Senate bill in the
form proposed by Mr.. CRITrENnhN-that is. by
making it bill admitting Kansas upon condi-
tion that the Lecompton Constitution shall be
again submitted at popular election, aud is
ratified by fair majority of the people also,
in the event of the rejection of that instrument,
authorizing the call of a new Convention, &c.
This, of course-if adopted-would kill the Le-
compton swinde; but some of the Republicans
object to it earnestly upon the ground that it
would involve an assent by them to the accep-
tance of a Pro-Slavery Constitution, and the
admission of Kansas with an organic law of
that character, provided the people should