Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-04-17


~ 1t is little curious TO observe the growing con-
fidence the part of the abolition party in Mr.. Blu
chanan, as evinced in the power with which they are
willing 10 endow him in admitting Kansas rs State
The bill for the admission of Kansas, as they all voted
for it in Congress- authorizes the President to adopt
constitution which Congress has and can
not know to be republican, and to admit State into
the Union under it, by proclamation, without action
on II either of the House the Senate Considering
the emphatic manner in which the opposition have
pretended to dstrust the President of late it seems to
lis that the confidence in him thus manifested by their
vote for the Montgomery amendment Is quite remark
able They seek to give him, to its full extent, pow
er which, il he possessed it now, would have enabled
him TO admit Kansas into the Union under the Le
compton constitution without any reference TO Con
gress whatever. We do not mean to that this con-
fiience is not well deserved for have doubt it
is, but wonder nevertheless, to find IT forged upon
him by the black rcpublicans-Ktene Republican.
This is the language held by several of the
democratic papers, language induced by their
chagrinin finding themselves so egregiously mis-
the Senate bill by the House. The bill as voted
for by the Republicans does not delegate to the
President the high prerogative of deciding
whether the constitution be Republican. 1t in
vests the President with no discretionary pow
or whatever, but simply makes it his imperative
duty to " announce a certain result "by procla-
nation" and leaves him no more choice as to
whether he will or will not do it, than the Crier
h G9t pSqSRs 81 nsdi sSa P9ht Is ffees-
ident is directed by the Crittenden substitute to
announce the edict of the people of Kansas
by written proclamation" Let us quote the
language of the Crittenden substitute so that
we may exactly apprehend the nature of this
dangerous prerogative" with which it invests
the President. After providing the people with
a full opportunity to vote down the Lecompton
Constitution, and then to elect delegates to a
new Convention, the substitute" ordains as
follows:
AID the said convention shall accordingly provide
for its submission TO the vote of the people for approx
al rejection; and if the majority of the votes
shall be given for the constitution so framed as afre-
said the Governor of the Territory shall within TWEEN
~ days after the result known, notify the President
of the United States of the same. And hereupon the
President shall announce The By proclamation and
thereafter, and without any further proceedings what
the part of Congress- the admission of the said
State of Kansas in the Union upon an equal footing
with the original States in all respects whatever shall
be complete and al soue."
"And thereupon the President shall announce
the same by proclamation Mark, it does not
say that he may announce it" or that the an
nouncement is to be left in any way dependent
upon his judgment as to the constitution being
Republican, but that he shall announce it, and
thereafter without any further proceeding what
ever on the part of Congress, the admission of
the said State Of Kansas shall be complete and
absolute If the Republican thinks it is cloth
ing the President with dangerous prerogative
to make him the mere Crier" for the High
Court of the people of Kansas, it certainly can
not have much faith in the honesty of Mr.. Bu-
chanan. We think ourselves that the Presi-
dent after his iniquitous efforts to infct the Le-
compton swindle upon the people of that State,
ought not to have the honor of proclaiming"
their untrammeled will but after all, there NAV
be some propriety of punishment in making him
the mouthpiece of his own condemnation, as
promulgated by the people whose trust he has
basely betrayed, and whose right he has tyran-
nically sought to crush.