The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-03-24

not desire TO have them broueh: here. Tor the
effect would be TO depreciate the value Of those
who are here already. They are besides de
cidedly opposed to any ,awless measures or pro-
ceedings which would have the effect OF bring
ing their State or their locality into collision
with the government. They are before all
things conservative men; they dt sire 10 zee the
laws cbeyed and the peace maintained; it may
be taken for granted that they will have no part
in measures which could violate the one or en-
danger the other.
The mer who make all the noise at the South
about the re-opening of the slave trade and
about the other ultra measures which create 80
| much talk in the North are the "mean whites"
the politicians and editors who want little offices
| and little notoriety, and to whom these hob
bies are matter Of beef and bread. There is
no class of persons whose rawlings are of less
| consequence than the class of poor whites in
the South who take to politics for living
They it is who originate all the violently exclu
| eve measures of the South, who get up the
abuse Of the North. who rant about re'opening
the slrve trade. They belong to the same class
and are entitled 10 the same regard IN the sbO-
| utionists Of the Eorth-but to no more.
Senator Douglas a. q Black Republican
Leader-The Closing Debate Oh Kansas In
the Senate.
Judge Douglas Is represented as having, in
his speech on Monday night, gone over bodily
| to the black republicans, distinguishing his con-
version By his personal abuse Of the President.
| But the very violence of bis language shows
L. n f.I ~.
vanity and personal griefs have placed him in.
L: is one of the pecularities of this country
| that ite progress does not depend upon the exer
tons Of any particular individual. Greater
lights than Judge Douglas have been snuffed
out, and &c. the growth of the republic has re-
manned unchecked. We have therefore, some
hope that II the Senator from Illinois retires to
private life the wheels Of government will still
| run on and the United States will not slip back
| into oblivion.
| But the attempt on bis part to impose upon
| the public belief that he is q martyr to con-
| sistency, and that instead of being actuated by
| selfish considerations looking to q reelection
to the Senate il the first place, and personal hos
| tility 10 Mr.. Buchanan in the next is sublmely
| impudent A more complete somerset
than Judge Douglas has taken upon this Kan
sss question cannot be imagined. The position
assumed 10y the President is precisely the same
that Mr.. Douglas advocated as far back as the
admission Ct California, and unless he can blot
| out his Senatorial career he must stand convict
| cd upon the evidence Of his own speeches and
| acts as being now guilty of the grossest incou-
| sistency
We have already shown that Mr.. Douglas Was
the author Of the bill which passed the Senate,
in 1866, to enable the people of Kansas to form
q Convention for the purpose Of adopting con-
stitution, and in which the whole power was
left with the Convention 10 either submit: the
constitution back to the people for ratification
or not, as they might see fit and that the
| clause which had provided for the subsequent
| ratification by the people vas altered by Mr..
Douglas so as to give the Convention exclusive
| power. He now objects that the Convention
exercised a power which he conceded to il
year previously in his official capacity. But his
Inconsistencies can be even more forciby
shown. One of his arguments against the Kan
sas bill is that the slavery clause of the const-
tuition ratified By vote representing only
aminority Of the legal voters Of The Territory.
The President holds that If the legal voters
| did not choose 10 exercise their right and vote
either on one side or the other, they Voluntarily
forfeited those rights and are alone responsible
for permitting the minority to decide the ques-
ton. Last semmer Mr.. Douglas made a speech
at Springfield, Illinois, and he used the following
language, in speaking Of the legality of the act
Of the Legislature directing al elcctio of dele
gates to the Convention
Ksnss about 10 rpea& for Lerseii through her dele
gates assembled 10 convection " ftrm cone,trLon ere
paTstory her admission into tue Uror On 80 equal foo.
iDs With the original States he ls~ under when her de
egsies are about 70 be eecet believed 10 he ost snd
fair IL al It's objects and provisions Ttero evcrT
b. hope and bsnsye tia. the Aw viii be fairly interpreted
ard impsrtsly executed .o icsure to evoty bona
fde ilbsha Tie free and quiet exercise Of the elective
/ franchise.
lie endorses the justice and fairness Of the
law under which the delegates were elected.
Two or three months afterwards he denounces
this very law as illegal and unauthorized. be-
cause of the absence Of an enabling oct" And
abiding to the threats Of the abolition organs
| that the free State men would absent themselves
from the polls aud withhold their votes-prc-
ciscly the course which they did adopt-he con
: tinues;-
poftion q the inhabtsr,s acting under the al.
VICE Of political leaders in distant states shall
absent themselves from the polls and withhold their
votes with view OF leaving the FREQ state IN
minority, and thus securing pro slavery consultation,
IN cpr.s ton 90 the wishes OF majority OF the people
living undcr IT, let the responsibility rec, those who,
for pGtan purposes, will sacrifice the principles thcy
profess 10 cher h and promote ton them and upon she
political party zoe ~ho~e benefit and under the direction
OF whose leaders they &C; LEI the blame be vsted q
fastening upon The people Of new state institution, re-
puTnant n thor feelings and 10 violation o. their ~shc
This is the ground taken by the administra-
ton now, and for which Mr. Douglas pretends
he is conscientiously compelled to oppose Mr..
Buchanan, even TO the extent of personal
! abuse.
VIC arc told that 10 admit Kansas with the
I coDetitntion now presenied would be an unpre-