Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-09-23

devolved on the President the power by hi
will and 10 his discretion to admit new
State when the Constitution of the United
States conferred the power of admitting new
States only on "the Congress" of the United
States, and not on the President.
The vote on this amendment developed
however, the most anomalous tergiversatior
iu the professed principles of the Abolition
Republican party-the baldest abandonment
of long cherished political tenets that l eve'
saw, heard or read of; and if its effects arc
not greatly to demoraliEe their organization
then their rank and file are less honest thar
I supposed them to be. One of the cardi
nal articles of their political faith in the
Presidential election was uncompromisine
opposition to the admission of any more slave
States-it was the plank of their platform,
and in two brief years the leaders of that
party actually vote to admit Kansas as a
slave State with the slavery clause in the
Constitution under their very noses, it
majority of her people favored the Leoomp'
ton Constitution. The principle they voted
was all that the South claimed in the ten
years contest upon the slavery issue. The
doctrine Of the South and of the Coustitu'
ton is, that State is entitled to admission
in the Union with or without slavery, jus.
as majority of the people making the ap'
plicatior shall decide. The Republicans,
despite their protestations, have succumbed,
and stand upon the record committed to the
very principles on this point which they have
so fercely assailed the northern Democrats
for maintaining, nor can they escape from
the consequences of that vote by pretending
that it was given to defeat the Senate bill
if the Republicans Of the House had voted
alone on the amendment, there might have
been some plausibility in the excuse, but
every Republican in the Senate (e1cept
Durkee) also voted for it, when they knew
that such avote would not defeat the Senate
bill. Knowing with absolute certainty that
a vote for the amendment would not and
could not defeat the original bill, why did
the Republican Senators vote for it? How
did they vote for it, as it was not even with
them choice of evils, without complete
remuneration of their principles
The vote was an important one, if looked
to only as a party triumph for the Democra-
cy; but it was infinitely more important as
the revulsion which had occurred
in the Northern mind against the extreme
sectional doctrines of the Republican party.
The conservative people Of the North who
united with that party in 1856, and aided in
bearing the flag of Fremont, have had time
for sober, calm rehection-they have made
up their minds to repudiate the extreme sec
tioualism of the Philadelphia platform, and
the vots on the amendment was concession
by the leaders to the moderate men of the
party.
The amendment was defeated in the Sen.
ate, and Committee of Conference appoint
ed by the two Houses. The Committee re-
ported what is now called the English bill,
which finally passed both Houses, and was
approved by the President The English
bill is, in my Judgment, open to fewer ob'
jections than the original Senate bill. 1t
recognizes the validity of the Lecompton
Constitution, including the slavery clause
recognizes the right of State to come into
the Union with slavery-recognizes pro-
slavery Constitution, a Republican form Of
Government under the Constitution of the
United States, and actually admits Kansas
on condition which has heretofore been ap.
piled to Iowa and Michigan-a condition
precedent and not subsequent, as the origi'
nal bill did. The bill requires that the as
sent of the people Of Kansas to reduction
in the quantity Of land as claimed in their
ordinance, so as to conform in quantity with
lands denoted to other new States shall be
given before admission, and avoid the diff
Guilty in the Senate bill already referred to
and it has consequently been referred to the
people to decide in effect, "will you consent
to reduce the amount of land claimed from
twenty-five to FIVE millions of acres !" lfa
majority vote aye, Kansas is one of the
States of the Union-if nay, she is remand
ed to her Territorial condition, there to re.
main until a census shows her to have pop.
ulation equal to the ratio of representation,
now fixed at about $4,000. The Constitu-
tion is not submitted to the people for rati6'
cation-only the change in the ordinance is
to be passed upon by them. Many may
vote against the change because they object
to other features in the Constitution, know.
ing that such vote will defeat admission, but
the change of ordinance is the only question
submitted
Some scattering returns of the election
held the FIRST Monday in this month indicate
the rejection by the people of the proposed
change, by decisive majority, and such, ]
doubt not, will be the result. Whilst be.
lieve there is no prospect of making Kansas
slave State, and have so believed from the
organization of the Territory, I do not con-
cur with our able and distinguished Senator,
Mr. Hammond, that the Kansas Nebraska
bill was a cheat and humbng. [ do con.
cur in most that he said in his late admirable
speech at Beech Islapd-a speech which is
conservative, digni6ed and StatesmaDlike,
maintaining that high reputation for ability
which he so justly and properly enjoys.
During the pendeucy of the Nebraska
bill every Senator and every representative
from the South, who expressed any opinion
nm the subiect. except Gen. Atchison, Of