The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-02
Afser the Storm Hesvfng and Pitching or
the Ocoan

Have you ever seen the great and eternal
ocean the morning after terrific aud protract-
ed hurricane, the waves still swelling, bounding.
rolling and foaming mountains high dashing
with remorseless fury against the resounding
rocks, or tulrbing in terrific breakers along the
sandy shore? 1t is sublime spectacle but the
storm having gone by, the danger is over. And
80 it is with the Kansas agitation After tenn
pest of wind, rain, hail, thunder and lightning,
of four years duration, in which many a good
ly craft has gone to the bottom, and from which
not single vessel exposed to the pitiless ele
ments has escaped without damages, more or
less, the clouds have broken away the sun shines
out again, and
The wind h down, though still the waves run high.
Thus the bowling, raving and shrieking of the
opposition journals over the Kansas settlement
effected by Congress will pass for nothing more
than the pitching and tossing of the angry waves
of the sea, after the tempest which has dashed
them into fury has passed away. Yet little
while, and this Kansas agitation will thus sub
side like the roaring ocean into the calm repose
of summer morning.
The bill which has been passed by Congress
gives the coup de grace to Kansas as the control
ing issue of party politics. OF course the
black republican politicians and journals will
move heaven and earth to influence the people
of Kansas to reject this peace offering, with the
delusive hope Of thus reviving this exhausted
sectional quarrel throughout the country; but
we apprehend that they will utterly fail in their
calculations. Taking into the estimate the
facts, that with the acceptance of the Lecomp-
ton constitution Kansas comes into the Union
once three millions and half of acres of the
public domain; and that the free State party,
with two thirds majority in the organic State
Legislature, will thus have the power at once to
send two free State Senators to Congress and to
provide forthwith for new constitution-we do
not believe that the Lecompton constitution will
be rejected. We do not believe that the peo-
pie Of Kansas will cast away the solid sub
stance for the mere shadow of popular sove-
reignty."
But suppose that they do reject this land Or
dinaDce ofCongress, and that thus, with the
rejection of the Lecompton, they accept the
alternative of providing new constitution, does
anybody suppose that either Congress or the
administration will be bound by the restric-
tions of the present law, should it he found ex-
pedient to disregard them? The act of the
present session requiring $4,000 population as
the condition precedent" to the formation of
new constitution, may even at the next session
be repealed; and we hazard little in saying
that it will be repealed should Lecompton be
rejected and new constitution presented as
the instrument Of the people Of Kansas under
which they desire admission int the Union.
We will not beg the question by pleading that.
even at the next session, Kansas may have the
full ratio of people required for new constitu-
ton but we say that, should the administration
deem it expedient to recommend the admission
of Kansas under a new constitution with her
existing population, the thing will be done.
We predict, too, that the administration will
deem 1t expedient 80 to act, should Lecompton
be rejected by decisive popular vote.
Thus, whether the people Of Kansas accept
or reject the Lecompton constitution, Kansas,
for all purposes of political agitation, is done
for. We think they will accept Lecompton.
but their rejection Of it will just as conclusivey
settle the whole trouble. Numerous and violent
were the complaints made from various quar-
tiers against the Missouri compromise, but it
gave peace to the country and sienced the
sectional agitators for quarter Of century.
So in 1850 the compromises Of that year were
met with the most violent denunciations from
Northern and Southern ultras. The fire-eaters
Of the South attempted sectional revolution
against the admission Of California; aud in the
North John Van Buren, led of in crusade
against the Fugitive Slave law: and yet by the
year 1862 the people. North and South. were 10
well satisfied with those peace measures of Hen
ry Clay that upon that platform they elected
poor Pierce to the Presidency almost by accla-
nation, over the greatest living soldier of the
age.
The people OF the United States are a practi-
cal people, and when q great political question
is settled they drop it. They do not care to waste
their time in fighting mere shadows and empty
distractions. They will accep, this Kansas
compromise. as q settlement requiring only the
h""i "NbVh W 'hc PeoPieOi hansas' yea OF nay,
to put it at rest forever. Kansas has occupied
the field long enough, and new issues connected
with our foreign and domestic policy will now
come into the foreground. simultaneously the
country has had to bear the pressure of the
slavery excitement, a financial revulsion, and
religious revival epidemic, and now we all need
repose, and we have every reason TO expect IL.
Kansas is out Of the way; the revulsion has
done its worst, we are slowly recovering from H.
disasters, and our religious epidemic is rapidly
cooling down. So now, what with the pruning
Of spectators and stockholders, and the
slaughter ofpolticians and the saving of sinners,
md the great triumph Of the administration,
we may look hopefully to the future.
The Law ON OPERA IIoUsEs.-Mr. BOBBY