Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-02-24

Letter from Hen. J. s. Black
WAsHINGroN Orc 95

be just and l trust [ am not with out good .
reason for the faith that is within me. If the
President has done his duty well, his fellow
citizens ought to express their appreciation
freely. That he has meant well for his coun-
try, will not be denied by any reasonable man
who knows him. He has no object of earth
ly ambition, except to perform the functions
OF his good Office, so that when he retires from
it he may read his history in the eyes of
eontentod and prosperous nation.
What has he done in this affair of Kausas
thatsis worthy of death or bonds Difficult.
complicated and entangled as that subject has
always been, wherein has he failed to meet it
! like patriotic statesman Let his acc users
stand forth and specify what act he has coul-
mitted which should forfeit the confidence of
! the democracy in the leader they love, and
the chief they admire
! When his administration began he found a
/ portion of Kansas like Utah-in a state of
! organized and open rebellion against the laws.
! The most infamous crimes had been habitu-
ally committed Murder arson aud robbery
we've common things. Some of the immi-
grants were bad men and were there for bad
purposes. They would be ruled by nothing
bat the bayonct; and accordingly two thous-
aud bayonets were sent there to keep them in
order Bnt the very latest adyices show that
| even the presence OF the army has not been
sufficient to awe them into submission, or pre-
| vent shem from committing the most afro
cious outrages, The natural desire of the
presidents heart, and every honest heart in
the country, was to pat an end to the reign of
terror, :onfagratioL aud tluod as soon as
possible, and to substitute in its place tie su-
preme and peacea bic rule of the law The
army might do for while, but it was dis
grace to the American name that military
force was necessary to keep one portion of the
people from cutting the throats Of the 9TH
II was plainly seen by every one who took
the trouble to think about it, that no progress
eould be made in suppressing these disorders,
while the cause and excuse for them remain
ed So far as they were not prompted by the
mere love Of plumber and blood, they were
the ofisprngs of one relentless feud, one fatal
dispute, arising out of single subject, ard
that subject negro slavery. Tbs split
the people asunder, and made them hate eacn
other with the deepest intensity of hatred -
There was no other division among them
Every band of combatants was ranged under
; a pro-siavery or anti-savery banner livery
violent act of aggression or defense by
one Of these parties against the other When
I life was lost the news of the victims death
: was always accompanied by a statement OF
/ the side he had taken on the slavery issue.-
If a. general rot-took place. the killed an d
-. wounded were enumerated according to then
! classification on this question. The aboh
tionists organized their party into the form o
State government with ali It's machinery
civil and military, and ranging themseive;
under it they swore fierce defiance and deadly
hostility to the regularly constituted authoritie
of the United States simply because of thei
b, views on slavery This was not all. Tht
,: contest extended itself from Kansas to th'
uttermost end of the county 1t became
great sectional controversy and every wher
: the burden of all that was said and sung upol
FL it was slavery The Union itself was IL
e danger-in great and imminent danger-aut
, no one dreamed of ascrlbing that danger II
n any cause except to the unsettled condition 0
1t the slavery question in Kansas.
In these unhappy circumstances, the lega
G and satisfactory settlement OF this exaspera
ting dispute was a consummatlon most de
voutly wished for. To extirpate this root o
bitterness was the first thing to be done to
wards pacifcation. But how it TO be ei
L fected Our politica. opponents thought
and | suppose are still of the same opinion
that the people of the United States, throug
eide it withouc consulting Kansas, whose pee
pie, according to their tn cir theory, shoul
"A be treated with utter contempt. But the Dem
4 ocratic party determined to leave 1t with thos
le who alone were directly concerned IN it
n, This latter doctrine trlumphantly sus
ne tanned in Congress, at the polls, and by tn
OF judiciary After that the General Govern
T. ment could do no more than protect the pee
&c ple of Kansas in doing the work assigne
them. How they should do it, by what agent
or organs, was not prescribed; they We're
do it ''in their own way'-by such represen
tatves as they might see proper to choose.
But unfortunatel y the Abolition party ha
become so rancorous that the olive branc
was offered them in vain. They insulted an
blasphemed the laws (WHICH left the matter t
their own decision The regular authorize
could do no more than give all a fair chanc
of voting The Legislature first passed
law submitting the question of Convention
20 popular vote. The next Legislature a
terwards in accordance with the known wish
es of the people, and by virtue of their ow
: rigAtful authority enacted another law for tl
election of delegates to Convention. Ih
delegates were chosen at fair and free ele'
ton after full notice to all voters. Whett
er the vote was large or SMALL 1t is not poss
bic to deny the right of those who were che
sen. To say that a portion of the electors
y absenting themselves from the polls, could il
d validate an election which was otherwise leg
70 % and regular, is simply absurd.
The members of the convention thus chose
met at Lecompton, and then was raised Il
: new alarm that the delegates, or some
them intended TO make a slave ConstitutlC